KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Wednesday allowed the provincial authorities to file a proper statement till Jan 18 with a roadmap to achieve success in an anti-encroachment operation within specific timeline before launching it on the land of irrigation department across the province.

A petition was filed for removing encroachments from land and property belonging to the irrigation department and pending before the SHC Sukkur bench.

However, on an application moved by the advocate general of Sindh, the SHC chief justice through an administrative order passed on Dec 8, transferred the petition to principal seat at Karachi and larger bench was constituted to hear it.

When the three-judge bench headed by Justice Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro took up the matter for hearing, Advocate General Salman Talibuddin contended that they were willing to carry out the operation against encroachments on the irrigation department land, specially those set up on irrigation channels all over the province.

However, he maintained that he might be given some time for filing a proper statement/undertaking duly signed by the chief secretary, minister of irrigation and secretary of irrigation department with a roadmap to achieve such an end within specific timeline and giving priority to certain encroachments viz. commercial ones erected on the banks of irrigation channels/canals and watercourse etc, before enlarging the scope of the operation over other properties otherwise located on the irrigation land including houses.

Earlier, the SHC bench in Sukkur had issued several directives to deputy commissioners and other officials concerned to remove and demolish all illegal and unauthorised constructions and encroachments, including multistorey buildings, plazas and commercial shops raised over the irrigation land of Barrage Township/Colony Sukkur, Larkana and other properties of the irrigation department.

On Nov 19, the advocate general had requested for time to halt the anti-encroachment operation to the extent of demolishing unauthorised construction raised over the residential quarters/bungalows only in Barrage Township Sukkur and Irrigation Barrage Colony Larkana for a period of one month so that the matter is taken up in the cabinet meeting under the supervision of the chief minister. However, the bench had warned that if the issue was not resolved through cabinet meeting, the drive against encroachments will be resumed.

On Oct 27, the bench had also directed the chief secretary of Sindh to constitute a team to ascertain the damages to inhabitants of Matli, Badin and Hyderabad if it was found that officials of the irrigation department illegally and unlawfully caused damage/demolished the houses of inhabitants, then strict action will be taken against the delinquent officials in accordance with law.

It had also asked the deputy commissioners of the province apart from Karachi to identify the land of irrigation, public parks and grounds which were encroached upon by the private persons and submit detailed reports.

In the last hearing, the bench had directed all DCs concerned to launch the campaign of anti-encroachment operation raised over irrigation land, canals and channels in their respective jurisdiction in association with the executive engineers concerned of the irrigation department and sought compliance reports within two weeks.

The bench had also asked the chief secretary, other secretaries concerned and officials for compliance with its orders.

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2020