Sindh govt cancels land allotted to favourites illegally

ISLAMABAD: After the Rangers and NAB, the Sindh government is now after Dr Asim Hussain and some other close associates of the top-most PPP leadership, moving the cases for cancellation of land illegally allotted to them during the PPP’s own regime or before.
Sources said that the land allotted illegally to several influential people, including known friends of PPP’s Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari, had been cancelled and in other cases it was under the process of lease cancellation.
Sources in the Land Utilisation Department confided to The News that at least three allotments of valuable government land situated in Karachi, which was allotted to Dr Asim Hussain, was being cancelled. These sources said that the district revenue authorities had been sent these cases for immediate action.
In certain other cases of allotment of government land, including those doled out to former adviser to CM Sindh Dinshaw Anklesaria, Sikandar Jatoi and Manzoor Qadir Kaka have been cancelled.
According to the Land Utilisation Department sources, the concerned deputy commissioner has been asked to respond to the cases of land allotments made to Dr Asim in the name of Dr Ziauddin Trust.
Dr Asim-specific allotments in focus for cancellation by the Sindh government include 24.26 acres of land that was allotted for the Dr Ziauddin University in the Education City, Bin Qasim, four acres allotted in Korangi for the Ziauddin Medical and Dental College and two acres doled out in the name of Dr Ziauddin Hospital in Scheme 33.
The Rangers, in their report on Dr Asim recently referred to the NAB, had identified at least nine such allotments. These allotments were termed by the security agency as cases of “land grabbing”.
The sources reveal that four acres of land allotted to Dinshaw Anklesaria, who was an adviser to CM Sindh Qaim Ali Shah during his last term and was also known for his close association with Asif Ali Zardari, had already been cancelled.
Similarly, five acres of land, which was allotted to Manzoor Qadir Kaka in the name of Karachi Building Official Residences, has also been cancelled.
The Sindh government sources said that three acres of land that was allotted to Sikandar Jatoi, father of Shahrukh Jatoi who was allegedly involved in the Shahzeb murder case, has also been cancelled. Sikandar Jatoi is also known for his close association with the top PPP leadership.
In addition to this, 300 acres of land on the Clifton shore that was allotted to the KMC for further transfer to favourites has also been cancelled by the Sindh Revenue Board. Allotment of another 2,900 acres of land of 70 villages in Malir District to some influential builders has also been cancelled.
All these cancellations of land allotments is the consequence of the recent Sindh Board of Revenue initiative to undo the wrongs of the past where the government lands were distributed among influential people, friends and acquaintances of the rulers during the last several years.
Following a summary moved by the Sindh Board of Revenue, the chief minister had also allowed the cancellation of all the allotments of land made under Section 17 of the Colonalization of Government Land Act 1912 throughout the province.
The Sindh government sprang into action to retrieve the valuable government land from influential people and favourites after the Rangers, FIA and NAB had launched a massive campaign against corruption in Sindh.