The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has failed to recover its land from the land mafia in Punjab despite the passage of four decades, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Monday.

Quoting sources, the channel reported that the provincial government in 1978 had purchased 18, 181 kanals and six marlas of land in district Bhakkar of Punjab for the construction of Darya Khan flyover. But with the passage of time, the property was occupied by people belonging to the land mafia.

In all, the KP government had bought 27, 160 kanals of land, 18, 181 kanals and six marlas of which was situated in district Bhakkar.

However, due to the negligence on the part of concerned department as well as in connivance with some corrupt officials, locals usurped that piece of land.

The last Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government, however, had handed over the land to the forest department and started planting trees as part of Billion Tree Tsunami Project.

The then secretary forest Nazar Hussain Shah managed to retrieve 9, 000 kanals of the KP government’s property from the land grabbers with the cooperation of DFO Musa Khan Baloch and started planting trees.

However, later after the transfer of Nazar Hussain Shah and retirement of Musa Khan Baloch, the locals again occupied the land.

Sources told 24News that the KP government’s property in Punjab now valued at Rs6,379 million.

Reported by Sajid Baloch