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1,500 people allotted state land in Sindh in 10 years, SC told

* Sindh AG says land would have fetched enough money to repay provincial government’s loans had it been sold at market price

By Masood Rehman

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court was informed on Friday that 1,500 people were allotted thousands of acres of land owned by the state in the Sindh province in the last ten years.

Appearing on notice, Sindh Advocate General Yousaf Leghari informed the court that the land which was allotted at very low prices would have fetched enough money to repay the provincial government’s loans if sold at market price.

A three-member SC bench – consisting of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Ijaz Ahmed and Justice Rahmat Hussain Jafferi – was hearing a suo motu case regarding the regularisation of 50 acres of state-owned land, causing a huge loss to the national exchequer.

The court directed the Sindh AG to furnish the terms and objectives of the allotments as well as the previous and current market price of the allotted land by January 11. The chief justice expressed his dismay at Sessions Judge Hanif Solangi, Ghotki District Coordination Officer Zahid Hussain Abbasi and Sindh Revenue Additional Secretary Muhammad Ali Shah continuing to work in their respective capacities despite being served contempt of court notices in the same case. At last hearing, the court had directed the Sindh government to present the record of the last ten years of sale of land across Sindh. The court had also directed the Sindh Home Department to present a detailed report on a allotment of land in Karachi to a private party at a very low price.

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