Peshawar: Mass scale operation has been launched across the province against encroachments on properties of Auqaf Department and 4000 kanal of lands have been retrieved.

The anti-encroachment drive was taken on the special directives of Chief Minister Mahmood Khan.

According to details, 331 kanals of land has been retrieved in district Mardan, 2166 kanals in Bannu, 1460 kanals in DI Khan, 15 kanals in Kohat and six kanals have been retrieved in Peshawar during the operations.

Similarly, encroachments on Auqaf properties have been identified in Mansehra, Charsadda, Swabi and districts as well operations to retrieve those properties will be launched soon.

This was told in a meeting review the overall performance of Auqaf Department and progress on reform initiatives being introduced in the department held here the other day with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan in the chair.

Special Assistant to the Chief Minister for Auqaf Zahoor Shakir, Secretary Auqaf Omar Khayyam and Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Amjad Ali Khan and other concerned officials of Finance and Planning Departments attended the meeting.

The meeting was informed that most of the encroachments on Auqaf properties had been found in Mardan district and an operation is underway with the help of the district administration against those encroachments.

The Chief Minister while giving one month time period to remove encroachments on all the properties of Auqaf in district Mardan, directed the concerned authorities to take all necessary steps in this regard and said that after one month time period another meeting will be held to review progress on the matter.

Similarly, the Chair also gave a two-month deadline for digitization of all matters related to the collection of department’s reciets to ensure 100% transparency in the entire process, and directed the concerned quarters to ensure the completion of digitization in the given time frame.