Following the footsteps of land mafia, the Pakistan Navy has illegally encroached upon at least six and a half acres of land located at Rohri Bridge (6958 square yards) and at Lab Mehran Sukkur (2118 sq yards) which belongs to the Sindh government’s irrigation department; and the navy officials are now pressurising the government to get the land transferred over to the navy, Pakistan Today has learnt.
The issue came to the front when the staff officer of Pakistan Navy Sukker Coast Chief Commander sent a letter to the Irrigation Secretary Babar Effendi saying that a meeting should be arranged in order to resolve the dispute over the land. The meeting was scheduled to be held on November 26, 2012 at the office of irrigation secretary.
However, when Pakistan Navy officials reached the secretary’s office, the latter refused to meet the navy officers saying that before holding any talks, the navy must give up possession of the land.
Although the Pakistan navy is claiming possession of the land, the Sindh Assembly has already done its homework and worked out a law that will restrict any kind of encroachment of land which lies within the path of the Indus River.
A senior official of the irrigation department told Pakistan Today that the Sindh government has directed Pakistan Navy to vacate the government’s land; otherwise strict legal action would be taken against them.
When contacted, a spokesman for the Pakistan Navy, Lieutenant Commodore Kamran told Pakistan Today that he was unaware of the details and said that PR Director General Commodore Irfan should be contacted in order to get further details.
However, when Pakistan Today tried to contact the commodore, his mobile phone was switched off.
