SC appoints officer to ascertain status of ‘encroached’ land

Karachi
The Supreme Court on Monday appointed a former member of the Board of Revenue as an inquiry officer for conducting an inquiry into a structure constructed on 26,295 square yards near at a historical ladies club in Larkana.
The court was conducting suo moto proceedings initiated on news items published in a local newspaper against the encroachment on the club.
The management of the pre-Partition Ladies Club, built in 1934, apprehended that the land of the club may be encroached by a private builder for the construction of a commercial building.
The chairperson of the club, Dr Sabiha Mughal, sought an injunction against the construction of a private hotel adjacent to the club’s land, mentioning that some portion of the club as well
as the adjacent garden
had been occupied by the private builder in violation of the law.
The hotel owner, Meenhal Jatoi, said that he had purchased the land after fulfilling all legal required formalities.
A three-member bench headed by Justice Amir Hani Muslim expressed displeasure over the revenue authorities for failing to provide the required documents to the former member of the Board of Revenue for examining the status of the land.
The court directed the Board of Revenue and the deputy commissioner to provide all relevant original record to former BoR member, who wouild submit a report incorporating the status of the state land comprising 26,295 square yards.
It also directed the inquiry officer to visit the land and examine the structure constructed on there, originally NA class No.314 and 315.
The court told the inquiry officer to also examine the original purpose for which the state land had been granted to the municipal committee and whether the committee under the law was competent to grant lease or otherwise transfer such land to any person for commercial use other than the one for which it was granted to it.