Staff Correspondent
CHITRAL: The demolition of a building owned by former Chitral district nazim and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) provincial leader Haji Maghfirat Shah, along with his arrest, has sparked strong condemnation from party leaders.
The building, located in the Jughore area of Chitral city, was demolished by the district administration during an ongoing anti-encroachment operation. A private school was operating on the premises.
The administration reportedly identified the property as an alleged encroachment and described the demolition as part of its campaign to remove illegal structures from the city. The former Nazim was arrested during the operation.
Reacting to the action, other JI leaders condemned the demolition and the arrest of Maghfirat Shah, who has served as district nazim for two terms.
Jamaat-e-Islami Lower Chitral chief Wajihuddin in a statement said that entering a citizen’s home, violating the sanctity of its boundary and demolishing its wall without prior notice was an unfortunate, irresponsible and unacceptable act.
He said no one should be allowed to violate the law and fundamental human rights in the name of enforcing the law. The district administration, he said, was meant to serve the public, not exercise unchecked authority by entering private property and damaging it without fulfilling legal requirements.
“If an encroachment exists, action should be taken in accordance with the law. However, undermining a citizen’s dignity and violating the sanctity of their home cannot be justified under any circumstances,” he said.
Wajihuddin added that the exercise of administrative powers must remain within the limits of the law. He said authorities were responsible for issuing prior notice, giving the affected person an opportunity to present their position and following the prescribed legal procedure before taking any action.
He said Chitral is a peaceful society where people attached great importance to personal dignity, local traditions and the sanctity of their homes. Such administrative actions, he warned, could create public resentment, unrest and distrust towards government institutions, with the concerned authorities bearing responsibility for the consequences.
The Jamaat-e-Islami leader demanded that the authorities take immediate notice of the incident, conduct a transparent investigation, take action against those responsible and ensure justice for the affected citizen.
FIR Registered
According to the FIR registered at the Chitral City police station, a Levies official injured during the anti-encroachment operation was taken to the emergency of the DHQ hospital for treatment.
The FIR quoted the injured as stating that he and other personnel headed by an additional deputy commissioner and the SHO were removing encroachments when Maghfirat Shah, armed with a pistol opened fire.
The complainant said that the staff remained unhurt during the firing but Maghfirat Shah beat and injured him along with another Levies man.
The police registered the FIR under Sections 324, 353 and 186 of the Pakistan Penal Code.
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