The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday ordered the education department's director for colleges to swear on oath that a girls' college building that was under construction in Gulshan-e-Iqbal was being illegally occupied by land grabbers. He was also asked to name them.
Implications of swearing on oath
Given the case history, when the court asked the director to make a statement about the construction of the college building, he did, but the bench headed by Justice Munib Akhtar, doubted him and he was asked to swear on oath.
This means that if the director has given a false statement on oath in court it can lead to contempt proceedings against them or passage of any order as deemed appropriate by the judges, for trying to mislead the court. For a public office holder, the judges may pass stricture, which means that it could have implications on his or her service.
Case history
The two-judges passed this direction, when the director for college, Prof Inam Ahmed, personally appeared on a notice in a case regarding the illegal occupation of land earmarked for a girls' college in Shahnawaz Shar Goth, Gulshan-e-Iqbal.
Nasreen Mubarak and three other members of the Sachal Girls Student Forum had approached the court, calling for action to be taken against land grabbers for creating hurdles in construction of a college for girls living in Shahnawaz Shar Goth and adjoining areas.
The petitioners said that the provincial government had approved of the construction of a a college for girls in annual development projects for the year 2007-08 and also provided land for the college in October 2011.
They stated that 39-acres were leased out to Shahnawaz Shar Goth, which included eight acres for amenity purposes, where the college was to be constructed. They added that funds had also been allocated for construction of the college but work could not start as land grabbers were creating problems and wanted to occupy the land.
The petitioner had alleged that the land grabbers had also filed a lawsuit in court claiming ownership of eight acres of the amenity land in the area but their lawsuit was dismissed.
They complained that they were being harassed by the land mafia as they were fighting for girls who were being deprived of their right to education and could not travel far from home for higher education.
In their plea, they pleaded to the court to order the education department authorities to retrieve the land and expedite construction work.
During the proceedings, the judges found the matter to be of vital importance, as it involved public welfare and had ordered the director for colleges to personally appear with his comments.
On Tuesday, director appeared and said that he would visit the place where the girls' college was under construction.
The bench directed him to file a personal affidavit regarding the construction work made earlier at the site besides naming the land grabbers, who have illegally occupied the land reserved for the college.
The hearing was adjourned till September 25.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 24th, 2014.
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Land grabbing has become a profession. Grabbers belong to poor citizens right up to top. politicians land lords, construction cartel. Even giving plots to retiring 22 grade , Generals, ministers also falls under the title of land grabbing. This practice must stop. Othr wise no land will be available for agriculture and poor men housing