PUL-I-ALAM (SW) – Rampant land-grabbing is underway in the capital of Logar province not far away from the provincial administration compound, residents and local officials have told Salam Watandar.
According to two such Logar residents, Lutfullah Stanikzai and Bilal Nekzad, state land has been grabbed by influential individuals within meters away from the police headquarters and provincial administrative compound. The residents also charged the provincial officials for being involved in this illegal activity.
Land-grabbing is also underway in the Mohammad Agha district, the locals said.
Chairman for the provincial council, Haseebullah Stanikzai, has said powerful individuals are busy in constructing thousands of residential homes in such an encroached patch of state land below the Abdal Mountain in provincial capital Pul-i-Alam. He said the concerns related to land-grabbing have been shared with the provincial administration and Kabul government, but to no avail.
Stanikzai said the encroached patch of land was meant for amenity purpose for the local community.
Meanwhile, Shamshad Dilawari, spokesman for the provincial governor, has asserted that no land-grabbing has taken place recently. Shahpur Ahmadzai, spokesman for the police in Logar, said the security forces are ready to cooperate with the Logar Municipality and the provincial administration in reclaiming the encroached state property.
Based on the estimates by the Afghanistan Land Authority (ARAZI) some 3 million jeribs of state land has been encroached by outlawed figures across the country.
ENDS
