70,000 forest land in Sindh illegally allotted on lease, govt tells SC

ISLAMABAD: Seventy-thousand acres of forest land in Sindh illegally allotted on lease, a Supreme Court bench was informed on Wednesday.

A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, was informed by the Additional Advocate General of Sindh during hearing of the case regarding illegal allotment of the forest land in Sindh.

The Sindh government counsel also said that 1,45,000 acres of the forest land has been illegally grabbed in the province.

The chief justice remarked that the provincial government itself calling allotment of 70,000 acres’ of land as illegal, then why the allotment order not cancelled, the CJP asked.

The Sindh counsel said that the matter has been sent to the cabinet for cancellation.

“The cancellation order needs only two minutes,” the top judge retorted. “Tell us, if you people don’t want to work,” he said.

The CJP also asked about absence of the Forest Minister and the Chief Secretary of Sindh.

Justice Ijazul Ahsan said that if 1,45,000 land has been under illegal occupation than (the government should) take steps to recover the land from the land grabbers.

The court had two months ago in its ruling issued orders for the steps to recover the illegally occupied land, the judge further said.

The bench noted with concern that no effort made by the government to retrieve the land.

The court directed the provincial government and other parties in the case to submit their reply by Monday.

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