Pakistan Railways has intensified its operation to recover land from alleged encroachers along Ratta Railway Godown Road in Rawalpindi, but the demolition of residential properties has triggered a legal dispute over the alleged violation of a court injunction.

The railway administration launched the operation with heavy machinery on October 29, 2026, maintaining that the action followed the expiry of a court-issued stay order concerning the land.

Rawalpindi Divisional Superintendent of Railways Nooruddin Dawar said the operation was conducted against occupants of railway property after the relevant injunction had ended. He maintained that further operations would continue to recover railway-owned land from encroachers. However, a resident, Khalid Mehmood, has filed a contempt of court petition alleging that railway officials demolished residential houses despite an existing judicial injunction. According to the petition, the operation caused extensive damage to residential properties and resulted in the destruction of valuable household belongings. Mehmood also alleged that women and children were injured during the operation and required medical treatment.The petitioner claims that the disputed property is ancestral land belonging to his family and that litigation concerning its ownership is already pending before a civil court.

He maintains that his father transferred the property to him in 1976 and that a registered deed supporting his ownership claim has been submitted to the court.

The dispute reportedly concerns approximately 12 kanals and eight marlas of land near Rawalpindi Railway Station. Pakistan Railways asserts that the property belongs to the department, while Mehmood disputes that claim and maintains that the demolition operation interfered with his legal rights. Additional District and Sessions Judge Chaudhry Qasim Javed has issued contempt notices to four railway officers and the station house officers of Railway and Ratta police stations. The court has directed the respondents to submit their replies on November 5, 2026. In his petition, Mehmood has sought contempt proceedings against the officials concerned and compensation for the losses allegedly suffered during the demolition.

The central legal issue is whether an enforceable injunction remained in effect when the railway administration carried out the operation. Railway officials maintain that the relevant stay order had expired before the demolition, while the petitioner argues that judicial protection was still in force. The issuance of contempt notices does not establish that the officials violated a court order. The allegations remain subject to judicial examination and responses from the concerned parties.The dispute also raises separate questions concerning ownership of the land and the legal basis for the recovery operation. No final judicial determination on the competing ownership claims or the alleged violation of the injunction has been reported.The matter remains before the courts, with the next hearing scheduled for November 5.

Lahore | ReNews National Desk

The Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) has signed a Rs 133.18 billion contract with the PowerChina–IKAN joint venture for hydro-mechanical works at the Diamer-Basha Dam Project. The agreement, signed on October 24, 2026, at WAPDA House in Lahore, covers the HM-1 package, which includes equipment and steel structures required to regulate water flows through the dam and its associated facilities.

Diamer-Basha Dam Chief Engineer and Project Director Arif Ali signed the agreement on behalf of WAPDA, while Ling Jianke represented the PowerChina–IKAN joint venture. Under the contract, the joint venture will manufacture, supply and install hydro-mechanical equipment, including water-control gates, hydraulic steel structures, steel lining, hoisting systems, pumping systems and associated electrical equipment.

According to WAPDA, the equipment will be installed at flushing tunnels on both banks of the dam, power intakes and outlets. These components will regulate water movement and support the operational systems of the project.

The signing ceremony was attended by WAPDA Chairman Lt Gen Muhammad Saeed (Retd), members responsible for finance, water and power, the chief executive officer of Diamer Basha Development Company, representatives of project consultants and a delegation led by the chairman of PowerChina International Group Limited. The Diamer-Basha Dam is under construction across the River Indus, approximately 40 kilometres downstream of Chilas. According to WAPDA, the dam will have a gross water-storage capacity of 8.1 million acre-feet and an installed electricity-generation capacity of 4,500 megawatts upon completion. The authority describes the project as a federal priority intended to strengthen Pakistan's water, food and energy security.

The HM-1 agreement places a major package of hydro-mechanical works under a confirmed contract, covering the manufacture, delivery and installation of equipment essential to the dam's operations. However, the signing does not establish a revised completion date for the overall project or confirm when electricity generation will begin. The contract represents a defined stage in the project's implementation, with equipment installation requiring coordination with the dam's ongoing civil construction works.