A two-member Supreme Court bench was informed on Thursday that the Sindh government was set to make amendment in the Sindh Irrigation Act to abolish growing encroachments in catchment areas of Indus River and canals, under which, the encroachments would be considered a criminal offence.
The bench of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain was hearing pleas filed by PML-Q MNA Marvi Memon and others over the non-implementation of the Flood Commission’s report, unauthorised diversion of floodwater and alleged deliberate breaches in embankments of barrages and canals during last year’s flood by influential people.
During the hearing, the court expressed severe dismay over the non-implementation of the commission’s report and directed Attorney General Moulvi Anwarul Haq to study the report and the replies of the provinces to it and inform the court on the next hearing that to what extent had the report been implemented. The court also directed the provinces to submit compliance report on the proposals recommended by the Flood Commission.
Sindh Irrigation Additional Secretary Aslam Ansari told the court that the provincial government was taking effective measures for removing encroachments in catchment areas of Indus River and canals, however, some people were resisting.
The court asked him to provide names of such people who were not cooperating in the process. Sindh Advocate General Fateh Muhammad Malik told the court that recent rain caused severe destruction in the province.
However, he assured the court that the provincial government was trying its best to provide relief to the people. Punjab Advocate General Khawaja Haris told the court that although there were encroachments in many areas, no political character, including the Khosa family, was involved in the encroachments. Balochistan Advocate General Amanullah Kunrani told the court that there was no river in Balochistan, thus there were no such encroachments. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Advocate General said the report of the Flood Commission had been implemented in the province to the maximum. The court later adjourned proceedings for three weeks.
