For transparency: SC orders to expedite land records compilation

The bench was informed that record of 23 dehs in Jamshoro was burned during riots

KARACHI: The Supreme Court (SC) directed on Thursday the senior member of the Board of Revenue to computerise the entire records relating to the registered and unregistered state lands across the province, including Karachi, within four months.

A three-member bench, headed by Justice Amir Hani Muslim, also directed the Hyderabad commissioner to submit records relating to lands in district Jamshoro by the next date of hearing.

The apex court's bench, which also comprised Justices Mushir Alam and Maqbool Baqar, was hearing a case regarding the missing revenue record of 23 dehs in district Jamshoro.

Read: Land record service centres: Applications sought for new inductions

The applicant, Mohammad Naveed Alam, had approached the court over a dispute regarding the allotment of 42.21 acres in Thano Bola Khan. Taking serious notice of the non-compliance of the court's orders to compile the complete record of the registered and unregistered lands across the province, the judges had personally summoned the BoR's senior member and the Hyderabad commissioner to explain the reasons for the non-implementation of the orders.

At the last hearing, the revenue record registrar had disclosed in the court that their register was burnt in 2007 in the riots following the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. The bench was informed that the record of 23 dehs of the Jamshoro was still not prepared.

Read: Perween Rahman murder case: Justice elusive as OPP members threatened

During Thursday's proceedings, the bench members inquired from the senior member of BoR as to why the court's directives to compile the record had not been complied with, despite the lapse of nearly two years.

The senior member said that work was being done on the compilation of the revenue records and requested for more time to complete the same. The bench directed the senior member to complete the compilation of lands record in each district, including Karachi, across the province. The court tasked him to get such record computerided within four months and submit a compliance report.

Meanwhile, the Hyderabad commissioner was also directed to submit the complete record of lands of Jamshoro by the next hearing.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 7^th, 2015.