Public property: SHC issues notice to Sindh IG in encroachment case

Two private citizens have allegedly begun illegal construction on an amenity plot in Malir

Two private citizens have allegedly begun illegal construction on an amenity plot in Malir. PHOTO: EXPRESS

KARACHI:
The Sindh High Court (SHC) issued on Monday notices to the provincial police chief, senior superintendent of the Malir police, SHO of SITE Super Highway police and private citizens over encroachment of a 1,450-square-yard amenity plot in Wazir Goth, Malir.

Headed by Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro, the division bench also fixed the hearing on August 4 after the petitioner complained that the private citizens had started raising illegal constructions over the amenity space following the issuance of notices to them on the last date of the hearing.

The petition was filed by Momin, a resident of Wazir Goth UC-4 in Sector 54-A of Gadap Town, who had approached the court against the private persons for encroaching upon land reserved for recreational purposes with the alleged support of the Site Superhighway SHO.

The petitioner said Wazir Goth consists of 500 houses, where the government has also provided them basic amenities such as electricity, gas and water. He alleged that there is a 1,450-square-yard amenity plot reserved for a school, dispensary and community centre, which has been encroached upon by private citizens Mustafa Brohi and Sikandar Brohi.

The judges were informed that the land grabbers had arrived at the place with 10 to 12 armed men and started construction on the land exclusively earmarked for amenity purposes. The petitioner said the residents made applications to the Malir SSP and SITE Super Highway SHO to stop the encroachment but the officials took no action against them.


He added that instead the encroachers became enraged when they learnt that complaints had been submitted against them and began threatening the families of the villagers residing in the locality. He apprehended that if the respondents succeeded in usurping the piece of land, the villagers will be deprived of a public space.

At the last hearing, the two judges had issued notices to the provincial home secretary, the IG, Malir SSP, SITE Super Highway SHO and private citizens to file their comments by August 10.

During Monday's proceedings, the petitioner disclosed that the respondents had started illegal constructions on the land in question after court had issued notices to them. Therefore, the court was requested to fix the hearing on an early date to restrain such constructions.

Allowing the request for an urgent hearing, the bench issued notices to the respondents to file their comments for August 4.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 2nd, 2016.
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