KARACHI: The victims of the Landhi Cottage Industries cluster filed a plea against the unlawful possession of the 2,300 plots that were granted to them in 1993, and the case was heard by a two-member bench of the Sindh High Court (SHC), presided over by Justice Salahuddin Panhwar.
During its Thursday hearing, the bench directed the Board of Revenue to provide specific land records for the 2,300 parcels in question.
Usman Farooq Advocate, the petitioners’ attorney, said that in 1993, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) had set aside more than 2,300 properties in Landhi for cottage enterprises.
KMC has neglected to return the aforementioned plots’ ownership to their legitimate owners since 1993. Recipients said that criminal groups had built up cattle enclosures and occupied their property under duress.
The official of the Sindh Board of Revenue informed the court that this area was never designated for cottage businesses.
The government attorney said that the KMC had caused endless litigation by giving the same plot of property to several different people and companies.
According to the counsel for the Sindh government, we are not aware of any such initiative.
According to Usman Farooq Advocate, the applicants ought to receive the same land that was granted rather than a substitute. The land that the petitioners have paid for is theirs. The land was incorrectly assigned under the Goth Abad Scheme by the Board of Revenue. The Supreme Court ruled in the Talat Ejaz case that the Board of Revenue cannot revoke a land lease once it has been granted.
The Board of Revenue and KMC should get together and settle these difficulties, the court said, as many cases and issues will be handled.
Within fifteen days, the court asked the Board of Revenue for the land’s specifics. The Board of Revenue members were instructed by the court to update the court on the land situation in their individual capacities. The Board of Revenue member was summoned and the hearing was postponed for three weeks by the court.
