Pak authorities retrieve encroached land allotted to Balmiki sect

After 28 years, authorities in northwest Pakistan have retrieved an encroached land allotted to Balmiki sect of the minority Hindu community in 1992 for religious rituals and cremation.

The district administration of Dikhan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in coordination with local anti-corruption department released the land from the land grabbers on Monday.

The District Revenue Department on the directions of Deputy Commissioner Dikhan cancelled four mutations illegally done against the land allotted to the Hindu Balmiki sect.

A six kanal land was allotted to the Balmiki sect in 1992 in Dikhan district. The mutation process was underway when the land grabbers in collusion with some officials transferred the land to some other people in 2007. The land remained in the possession of the land grabbers for almost 28 years.

A journalist in Dikhan had unearthed the corruption in the Revenue Department and wrote a detailed letter to the Director Anti-Corruption under the Whistle Blower Act for taking necessary action into the matter and retrieving the land from the grabbers.

The transfer of the land to the Balmiki sect was delayed for reasons unknown. The anti-corruption department of the KPK finally took the action and retrieved the land from grabbers on January 13.

Minority community leaders have welcomed the step and demanded stern action against land grabbers as well as the officials involved in the illegal possession of the land.