SHC orders MDA to provide reports for the alleged illegal occupation of land

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EDO says MDA has illegally occupied 14,000 acres of land
MDA has failed to pay the Rs 10 billion price for this land
MDA allots six acres to MNA’s son without permission
KARACHI
The Sindh High Court (SHC) ordered the Malir Development Authority (MDA) on Tuesday to furnish details about 14,000 acres of its land by October 26, after the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) executive district officer (EDO) revenue claimed that the authority has illegally occupied thousands of acres of land.
The SHC bench comprised of Chief Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmani and Justice Abdul Hadi Khoso heard a petition about the shifting of inter-city bus terminal. “After the MDA was established, it was given 9,000 acres of land, which was later increased to 14,000 acres, however the authority has encroached upon 28,000 acres,” EDO Revenue Roshan Sheikh told the court.
“The MDA has also failed to pay the Rs 10 billion price for the 14,000 acres to the government. So far they have only paid Rs 500 million,” the EDO said, adding that the MDA has allotted six acres to the son of an MNA, even though the authority has no right to allot land.
The EDO requested the court, that if the MDA is not able to pay its dues to the Land Utilization Department of the provincial government, its land should be handed over to the CDGK Revenue Department.
The MDA’s counsel contended that the MDA has not illegally occupied any land and the authority possesses 20,000 acres which were allotted to it by the government.
“The land, which was allotted on the Super Highway for the inter-city bus terminal by the CDGK Revenue Department, belongs to the MDA,” the counsel said, adding, that “The revenue department has handed over this land to the city government without acquiring permission from the MDA.”
The EDO revenue told the court that during the anti-encroachment drive last week, the CDGK Revenue Department recovered 100 acres of land from encroachers and 75 percent of it was occupied by the MDA. He requested the court that an order should be issued about the demarcation of the 14,000 acres of land. The court accepted the request and issued orders to the MDA to furnish its report about the demarcation of the land by October 26, 2010.
The bench also issued orders to Traffic SSP Jam Zaffarullah, that all passenger coaches operating between Sindh and Balochistan should be shifted outside Karachi and banned from entering the city.