Quetta:Professor Muhammad Hanif, a prominent landowner in Srah Goragai, Quetta, has accused the land mafia of illegally seizing their lands in collusion with the Quetta Development Authority (QDA). Addressing a press conference at the Quetta Press Club on Friday, alongside Baz Muhammad and other landowners, Professor Hanif declared that they will challenge the land mafia’s encroachments forcefully in court if the government fails to intervene.
“We, the landowners of Srah Goragai, are facing a critical issue where the Regional Board of Balochistan Settlement Office, Quetta, is facilitating the illegal activities of both land and government mafias,” stated Professor Hanif. He criticized administrative and law enforcement agencies for their complete failure to take action against the mafia’s grip on their properties. “The administration is serving as a facilitator for the land mafia, impairing our ability to resolve issues through legal means,” he added.
Professor Hanif emphasized that the complexity and severity of landowners’ issues are increasing day by day due to the system’s incapacity and constraints. “We are repeatedly forced to appear in the media because every part of the system has succumbed to the influence of the land and government mafias,” he lamented.
He highlighted that the Balochistan government has failed to fulfill its responsibilities regarding settlements since 1941-45, despite efforts initiated in 2018 to settle the issues of Srah Goragai’s landowners. “The settlement officers obstructed the process through various means and excuses, aiming to coerce us into deals under commission,” Professor Hanif explained, accusing settlement officers of hindering their efforts.
“We demand from the current government, led by Chief Minister Mir Sarrfraz Bugti, and the Revenue Chief Secretary of Balochistan to take immediate notice and initiate the settlement of Srah Goragai in accordance with legal directives,” Professor Hanif concluded, urging strict action against both private and government land mafias.
