The Supreme Court Wednesday directed Sindh Board of Revenue to apprise the court about government policy of allotting government lands to different organisations on lease. The court also directed the provincial government of Sindh to revisit allotment of government lands on lease in Karachi, and expressed annoyance over its inability to recover the state lands despite expiry of lease agreements.
A five-member special bench led by Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry resumed the hearing of Karachi law and order suo-motu case. The court observed that a handful of encroachers were busy in illegally occupying state land and properties in Karachi while the provincial government completely had failed to take action against them. Justice Chaudhry remarked that it was the encroachment mafia due to which the law and order situation in the mega city was deteriorating day by day, adding the prime responsibility of the government is ensuring safety to life and property of people. He also said the government must take appropriate action to get rid of encroachment mafia, which was still busy in occupying government's lands. The hearing was adjourned for two weeks.