The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed Sindh government to cancel illegal allotments of forest land in the province. A three-judge bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed and comprising Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah resumed the hearing of the case regarding the forest land in Sindh.
The court directed the forest department to acquire grabbed land and cancel all allotments in the province. It also directed the forest department to implement its orders and submit report in the court, besides seeking a satellite image of the forests land by the department.
The court may also summon chief minister Sindh as Chief Justice said, "Why not Chief Minister Sindh be summoned," as all the forest land in the province has been occupied. The court said that ministers and MPAs had occupied government lands in Sukkur and the provincial government is acting as a silent spectator.
"Sindh has large number of forests land measuring 5,000 acre and the forests department employees are also involved in the land grabbing," it said. The Chief Justice said that Bahria Town also grabbed forest land. He asked whether Bahria Town is being established in Nawabshah.
The counsel said that Bahria Town has been established on 3,134 acres. The Chief Justice asked if Bahria Town has also occupied land. He said that Bahria Town owner was acknowledging on TV that he was selling public land and added Sindh government has closed its eyes.
The Chief Justice asked the Sindh forest department official whether he was a representative of Bahria Town. The counsel said that he was the representative of forest department. The Chief Justice asked the representative why he was advocating for Bahria Town. People from the department are also involved in illegal occupation of forest land, he added. The hearing was adjourned for two months.
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