PAN, October 4, 2011

Warlords seek grabbed land documents

Employees of the department have been beaten up several times by the warlords

By Habibur Rahman Sherzai

Warlords are trying to prepare owner documents of the land they have already grabbed in northern Baghlan province, the mayor said on Tuesday.

Dozens of acres of land had been grabbed in Pul-i-Khumri by the strongmen, who were forcing municipal officials to give them ownership documents, Sahib Nazar Sangin told Pajhwok Afghan News.

Employees of the department have been beaten up several times by the warlords, who have fighters and weapons at their disposal, the mayor complained.

He added a retired general of the interior ministry, Habib, was among the people who had seized the municipality's land in the Silo area. He is allegedly using his influence and force to get documents.

"Recently, the commander insulted me in my office for refusing to prepare documents for him," Sangin said.

But the deputy police chief, Syed Zamanuddin Hussaini, said they were probing the allegations and would take action on completion of the investigation.

Municipality staff is yet to lodge a formal complaint about the problem, said Governor Abdul Majeed. If shared with the governor's house, the issue would be investigated, he promised.

Gen. Habib said if the government or any of its departments had a case against him, they could move courts to substantiate their claims.

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