IEA reclaiming usurped land in Herat

The Commission to Fight Land Grabbers has started the process of reclaiming usurped land in Herat, officials confirmed Tuesday.

Hundreds of thousands of acres of government land has been usurped by powerful people over the past few years, and the process of reclaiming the land has started in different areas of Herat city.

In the latest case, about seven acres of land in the eighth district of Herat city was reclaimed, officials said.

“The Islamic Emirate has ordered the relevant organs, including the Herat Police Headquarters, to organize a commission in Herat and take action to prevent the usurpation of government land,” said Mohammad Naser, a member of the commission to fight land grabbers in Herat.

On the other hand, the Department of Justice of Herat said that thousands of cases related to land usurpers are under investigation in judicial institutions and a large number of these cases have been sent to court.

“As far as possible, we have taken a serious decision and we will stop the usurpers and hand them over to the law; and if necessary, the usurpers will be dealt with more seriously until the government properties are taken back again,” said Bahlol Mokhles, head of cases in Herat Judiciary Department.

In the meantime, the residents of Herat have welcomed this process, and called on the IEA to deal seriously with the powerful figures and land usurpers.

“It is very good that they (IEA) take the issue of land grabbing seriously and take back the usurped land from the hands of the powerful and those who are usurpers of the land,” said Sayed Sadiq, a resident of Herat.