Senate Subcommittee Orders Sealing of Illegal Marriage Halls on J&K Land

ISLAMABAD: A Senate subcommittee has taken decisive action against the unauthorized commercial use of Jammu & Kashmir State land, including the construction of marriage halls by illegal occupants. During a meeting on Tuesday, the committee ordered the immediate sealing of these unauthorized structures and requested a five-year record of rent collection and utilization.

The subcommittee, chaired by Senator Nasir Mehmood, convened to review the rent collection system from properties on J&K State land and to examine encroachments, emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability. The committee was informed that the total area of J&K State property is approximately 34,616 kanals, or about 4,327 acres, with encroachments identified covering around 318 acres, 8 kanals, and 9 marlas in Lahore’s Sultanpura and Rehmanpura, which constitutes about 7.37% of the total property in the identified areas.

Of the encroached land, Sultanpura accounts for 153 acres, 2 kanals, and 13 marlas, while Rehmanpura covers 165 acres, 3 kanals, and 16 marlas. This situation raises significant concerns regarding the management and protection of state land, which is vital for public use and development.

Moving forward, the committee plans to conduct further investigations into the encroachments and the effectiveness of current rent collection practices. The next meeting will focus on developing strategies to prevent future illegal occupations and ensure that state properties are utilized for their intended purposes.