LAHORE SP Cantonment Hashmat Kamal foiled two consecutive attempts of land grabbing in the Hassanabad area, where some 20 land-grabbers made criminal efforts to seized over 3 kanals of land of a property dealer several days back. CCPO Malik Ahmed Raza Tahir has also marked an inquiry against the responsible to SP Kamal. Raja Azeem Afzal, a resident of E-95, Phase-VIII, DHA, purchased 28 kanal and 10 marlas of land in the Barki police precincts in 2003. There he constructed four rooms and a swimming pool. After five years, one Riaz along with his accomplices former Union Nazim Saeed, son of Soba, scuffled with me saying they owned two kanals of land there, Raja Afzal told this reporter. Afzal also won an ensuing court case. On October 15, 2011, Riaz again attempted to grab the land. I informed the Barki area DSP, who assured to provide me security cover against any ill attempt by the accused. The accused, however, arrived and razed to ground the walls of my rooms on the land. The DSP did not do anything, Afzal said. Meanwhile, the victim phoned the 15 Emergency Police. SP Hashmat Kamal, acting on Afzals complaint, directed the Barki DSP and the SHO to lodge an FIR against the accused and arrest them. Resultantly, seven accused including Riaz, Abdul Razzaq, Safdar Ali, Waqas Hassan, Muhammad Nazeer, Muhammad Shakeel and Muhammad Ashraf were arrested. Earlier, the Cantonment SP deputed three cops near the property. But their presence proved counterproductive as the accused persons secured their bail and attempted to grab the land the same day. SI Ashraf even snubbed me to avoid calling on the 15 [Emergency Police], but when I asked him to take action against the land grabbers, he advised me to remain mum as the criminals were more in numbers, Raja further revealed. He alleged the entire police station was involved in land grabbing. Meanwhile, another FIR 664/11 was lodged against the same accused on same charges. Talking to this scribe, SP Hashmat Kamal said: The issue is in my knowledge and all the responsible officers and accused are under surveillance. He assured that he will not spare anyone. I will recommend and even kick them out of the department if they are found involved in such activities, he said. Earlier, CCPO Lahore Ahmad Raza Tahir directed intensification of effective crackdown against land grabbers in the City. Rai Nazar, spokesman to the CCPO, said according to facts and figures, during the current year, the Lahore police have registered as many as 321 cases and arrested 1,118 culprits. Quoting the CCPO, he said that the provincial capital is to be transformed into a city where no powerful person can usurp the property of any weaker person, and warned that strict action would be taken against an SHO in whose areas land grabbers operate. The CCPO warned that if any officer or official was found involved in providing patronage to such land grabbers, he would be strictly proceeded against at departmental level.