'Vowing to curb land-grabbers' PM Imran unveils Islamabad's cadastral map

The cadastral mapping project has been conceived under the vision of the prime minister to transform the old system into a modernised digital online system.

The prime minister told the launching ceremony that the project would help people verify ownership of plots which was no less than a transformational initiative.

The digitalisation of land records, he said, was a "big step forward" in curbing land record tampering.

He said the cadastral mapping of three cities would be digitalised by November this year, while the rest of the country would be covered six months after it.

The premier added there were big land grabbing groups in the country making huge money through the illegal practice.

Imran Khan highlighted that the land-grabbing mafia did not want records to be digitalised as it would have a setback on their motives. "50% cases in courts are of land disputes."

The premier said land-grabbers occupy the homes of overseas Pakistanis, however, this digitalised system will now help keep track of the land's ownership.

The prime minister said that under the two-phase process, the digitization of lands and cadastral mapping was completed in Islamabad and would commence in Lahore and Karachi.

Whereas in the second phase, it would be broadened to other urban areas of the country, he added.

The prime minister referring to the complexities of the past land record system observed that the common men had faced huge issues while their lands were grabbed by the powerful clique who had no regard for the land of law.

“I will commend the efforts of Capital Development Authority and Survey of Pakistan for the completion of the survey of lands in Islamabad. Under the digital data system, lands worth Rs400 billions were retrieved from the land grabbing mafia including Rs300 billion lands of CDA and the other Rs100 billion forest land,” he added.

Terming the process as ‘transformative’ the prime minister said, the land record would now be available online, facilitating the people through use of latest technology.

He said with the use of this technology in Islamabad, 45 acres of green areas along the Srinagar Highway alone had now been stretched over to 113 acres. About, 1,000 acres of forest land was under the illegal occupation, he added.

The prime minister further said that poor people had always suffered at the hands of land grabbers, but now with the use of such technology, the state lands could be protected. The powerful elements that used to illegally encroach upon lands and amassed wealth would now have fears from the use of such modern technology, he added

He also opined that overseas Pakistanis had been the biggest assets of the country and they could be wooed to invest in the country by creating suitable environment and these technological gadgets could be conduits to facilitate them.