The chief justice on Wednesday expressed his displeasure after Sindh’s additional advocate general informed the court that at least 70,000 acres of forest land were illegally occupied in the province.
After noting the importance of forests for the environment, Chief Justice Saqib Nisar expressed his displeasure with the Sindh government and said those who do not want to work should leave their offices.
The court had issued an order on October 31 for illegally allotted land to be returned but the Sindh cabinet was yet to comply with the order. At the end of November, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah told the Sindh Assembly that around 149,235 acres of land have been illegally occupied by influential persons over the last five years. In Dadu, 27,566 acres of land had been illegally occupied during the last five years, 24,161 acres in Benazirabad. 23,715 acres in Sukkur, 19,271 acres in Hyderabad, 12,238 acres in Larkana, 17,477 acres in Khairpur and 7,879 acres in Kandhkot. The chief minister added that a comprehensive campaign had been launched against encroachers and 15,733 acres had been vacated and the campaign against land mafia was in “full swing”.
Published in Daily Times, January 3rd 2019
