Land grabbers threatening noted scientist over Karachi plot

Pay Rs5 million or risk losing plot, Murtaza told

Karachi land grabbers have been threatening to occupy a plot owned by noted scientist Sibt Murtaza, Express News reported on Monday.

Sindh High Court commenced hearing a case on Murtaza's alleged harassment on Monday. The scientist, who has worked alongside Abdul Qadeer Khan, has moved court against the Law and Cooperatives and Administrator secretaries.



Murtaza told the SHC he had purchased a plot in 1998. He said land grabbers had been threatening to occupy it. Murtaza said the society administrator is in cahoots with the land mafia. He said they had threatened to occupy the plot if they were not paid Rs5 million. The administrator has also reportedly threatened Murtaza over phone.

The court then ordered an end to the noted scientist's harassment. Directions stopping the termination of Murtaza's house lease were also presented.



Last year, Faisal Edhi said the land mafia was ‘encroaching’ on centres of the foundation, forcing it to scale down services in rural Sindh. “The land mafia and district administration – including police – are stopping the Edhi Foundation from delivering humanitarian services in several districts of the province,” he said.

The Edhi Welfare Centre in Thatta has been occupied by the land mafia and police, Faisal claimed. He added that the district administration has closed the centre to cover up the land grab.