Railways Retrieve 2,826 Acres Of Encroached Land Worth Rs 21.178 Bln
Pakistan Railways has retrieved 2,826 acres of encroached land valued at Rs 21.178 billion during the last six financial years (from 2020-21 to 2025-26) as part of a comprehensive anti-encroachment campaign across its network.
"Pakistan Railways owns a total of 168,858 acres of land," an official in the Ministry told APP. He noted that over 70 percent is used for operational purposes. Approximately 9.1 percent is leased out, while 4.97 percent remains under illegal occupation by private individuals. Another 2.36 percent is under forcible possession of government departments.
To maximize revenue from its land assets, Pakistan Railways has implemented the Property and Land Rules 2023, allowing leasing through competitive and non-competitive bidding processes. Railway land is leased under three categories: short-term, medium- and long-term, and non-competitive. Short-term leases are for commercial and agricultural purposes, while prime commercial land is offered for longer terms. Non-competitive leases go to government departments for public welfare and essential infrastructure projects.
Since the new rules’ implementation, the department has generated Rs23.017 billion through short-term land leasing over the past three years.
The official added that efforts to recover illegally occupied land have been intensified in collaboration with provincial governments. The Provincial chief secretaries and inspectors general of police provide law-enforcement support during anti-encroachment operations. Quarterly anti-encroachment plans are in place, and legal notices under the Possession Ordinance 1965 are being issued to encroachers, giving them 14 days to vacate illegally occupied land.
Pakistan Railways has also digitized and geo-referenced its land records through the Pakistan Railways Land Management and Information System (PRLMIS), accessible through a mobile application for real-time monitoring. Unauthorized occupation by government departments is being regularized through leases, while commercial encroachments are reviewed under a remedial policy involving lease agreements, upfront premiums, and recovery of arrears.
Illegal occupation and encroachment are dealt with strictly under relevant laws and regulations, with regular operations conducted to prevent them.
