KARACHI: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Saturday directed the Sindh Revenue Department to restore 34 acres encroached land of Raheedi Goth-II near Karachi Airport from land-grabbers.
While hearing a civil petition filed by 12 affectees, Justice Mushir Alam and Justice Maqbol Baqar ordered the Sindh government to help out authorities with all possible means in order to hand over the land to the legal allottees and real heirs.
The National Accountability Bureau, the Anti Corruption Establishment and the Federal Investigating Agency started probe into illegal grabbing of land in 2009. They have also declared that the piece of land had been encroached upon by influential and land grabbers and different parties. The Sindh High Court earlier also gave its decision after hearings in favour of real allottees of the land in question.
In his report to the SHC, a court official said that according to National Database Registration Authority, 34 acres of land had been grabbed in name of M Saleem Sadiq Butt, son of M Sadiq, CNIC 42201-0757980-3, who had already surrendered his nationality and was living abroad.
SHC, in it judgment on the petition by Shakee,l son of Shaikh Sultan, land lessee of 20 acres of land under FIR 01/2016 had instructed the court official to submit a report about the airport land grabbing case.
The defendant informed the SHC that he had purchased land in name of his wife Mahpara Shakeel and daughter Shabana Ali through indenture of lease in Deh Shaforan Taluka District Malir.
The legal battle between the owners and land grabbers, fighting on fabricated land documents, had continued for years in courts of special judges, ACE, NAB and in other courts of law.
On the directives of SHC, Karachi Commissioner Ejaz Ahmed had also been busy in finding the legal owners of the land in question.
Around 34.11 acres of land under Foti Khata of deceased Morio Khan and Faiz Muhammad was transferred in names of legal heirs vide entry February 24, 1974 of VF-VII of Deh Shaforan, the court official said.
Legal heirs included Raja Talib, Asad Mirani, Ramesh Lal, Nisar Pawar and Hafiz Rind, Abdul Rahim, Niaz, Mir Hussain, Haji Rahim Bux, Mitho Khan, Suleman Khan, Abbas, M Bachal Khan, Mst Mariam, Mst Baybi alias Manna, Mst Shamim alias Sana, Mst Fatima and Mst Amina.
After the court official’s report, the SHC bench issued directives to police for taking action against land grabbers Rana Mukhtar, Ahmed Hasan, Zameer Ahmed Shaikh, Teen Raam, Ghulam Mangrio, Khalid Shaikh, Ayub Shaikh, Ali Muhammad, Asad Mirani, Roshan Anar, Sabir, Shaira, Shah Baz, Shahid Shaikh, Mubarak Siddiqui, Manzoor Magsi, Bashir Khaskheli, Mir Hassan, Ramzan, Hasham Dhani Bux, Allah Dino, Mor Khan, Mahran Ali, Inam Bux, M Saleh, Dolat Shah, Abdul Hameed, Ghulam Shabbir, Abdul Rehman, Khurram Naveed, Abdul Razaq Gatta, Secretary PECHS, Zulfiqar Meerani, Luqman Meerani, Shafqatullah, Hameedullah, Raja Talib, Asad Mirani, Ramesh Lal, Nisar Pawer, Hafiz Rind, Irshad Gabol and Azeem Solangi.
The AEC District East on February 5, 2016 registered an FIR 01/2016 with charge sheet 01/2016 against land grabbers and submitted it in Anti Terrorist Court.
In the charge sheet, it was revealed that land grabbers encroached upon government as well as private land. AEC in the charge sheet informed the ATC that land was illegally taken away and the department took action in this regard.
Published in Daily Times, December 31st 2017.
