Interior Minister oversees demolition of Khanna Police Station in Islamabad

Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi supervised the demolition of the Khanna Police Station building in Islamabad on Friday. The building had been constructed on the green belt along Islamabad Expressway.

The demolition was part of an operation against encroachments and illegal occupation of government land in the federal capital. The Chief Commissioner Islamabad and the Inspector General of Islamabad Police took part in the operation, and the Deputy Commissioner Islamabad and other officials were present at the site.

Naqvi said, "We are removing the encroachments from the greenbelt and as part of it the Khanna Police Station building has been levelled to the ground." He said encroachments on the green belt were being demolished first to ensure transparency in the campaign.

According to the reports, the police station has been shifted to a rented building. A new site has been legally allocated for it, and a new building will be constructed there.

Naqvi said no government or private organisation or individual would be allowed to occupy government land. He said land occupied by departments working under the Ministry of Interior is also being retrieved, and that the FC camp office near the Marriott Hotel was demolished earlier.

He directed that action against encroachments continue without discrimination, and said the government would not distinguish between government departments, private organisations or individuals occupying government land. He vowed to eliminate all encroachments in the federal capital.

The minister also said five more 1122 centres are being established in Islamabad. "We will renovate all police stations in the federal capital," he said.

The government aims to make the capital a city with green spaces and without encroachments. An Urdu-language post attributed to 24NewsHD said government land worth 1300 billion rupees has been retrieved in Islamabad so far; the other reports did not give this figure.