August 22, 2007	Wednesday	Sha’aban 8, 1428

JACOBABAD, Aug 21: A landlord on Tuesday accused Jacobadab taluka nazim and an SHO of being involved in the occupation of a six acre plot, which had been donated by an individual to the taluka administration for the construction of a water tank.

Mushtaq Ahmed Khoso, a landlord, told a press conference that the water tank, constructed in 1993 for supplying drinking water to the adjoining areas, had fallen into disuse after the pipes developed leaks due to water-logging and salinity and drinking water got mixed with sewage.

Since then people of the area had been using the vacant plot for marriage parties, funerals, Eid prayers and as a playground, he said.

A few days ago, one Shaukat Ghanio occupied a part of the plot and said that Taluka Nazim Sajjad Jakhrani had directed him to sell the vacant plot at the rate of Rs150 or Rs200 per square feet, he charged.

A gardener, Nadeem Solangi and an employee of health department, Akhtar Hussain Wagan also occupied part of the plot while two other individuals constructed shops, guest houses and motor garages on the plot, he said.

The plot was donated for public service by Syed Saleem Shah, a hotel owner, and the scheme for water tank was inaugurated by Mir Manzoor Panhwar, the then Sindh minister, Mr Khoso said and added that late Saleem Shah’s son Waseem Shah had won the case for the possession of the plot but he had not yet been given its possession.

He said that on Aug 18, an application was filed with the director of district human rights board and two of respondents attended its hearing. He had also sent an application to the Chief Justice of Pakistan and Chief Justice of Sindh High Court against the taluka nazim, illegal occupants, SHO of Civil Lines police station and a number of other people who had erected structures on the plot after the petition was filed.

He said that legal adviser to the taluka nazim had submitted to court in writing that the plot belonged to the Public Health Engineering Department and that he did not claim any inch of it.

On Monday, some of the occupants, including Shaukat Ghanio, came to him armed with TT pistols and threatened of dire consequences if he raised voice against the illegal occupation, he claimed. The nazim, however, denied the allegations and said that there was no truth in them.