KARACHI: SHC seeks record of disputed Keamari land
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, March 18: Justice Munib Ahmed Khan of the Sindh High Court directed the land utilization member of the provincial board of revenue on Tuesday to probe the record of 150 acres of land in Keamari Town claimed by rival members of a family and the provincial government.
The order was passed in a suit instituted by Omar Khan Zehri, Shahana Zehri and two others against Mehmood Khan Zehri and 11 others.
Plaintiff Omar Zehri said a number of immovable properties, including 150 acres of land at Deh Lal Bhakar, Tapo Gabopat, Keamari Town, was bequeathed by his grandfather, Imam Bux Zehri, who died in 1982 leaving seven sons and six daughters.
Mehmood Zehri, Imam Bux Zehri’s eldest son and the plaintiff’s uncle, took possession of the properties, initially sharing the proceeds with other legal heirs. Subsequently, however, he started fabricating documents and transferring the properties.
Zahid Khan Zehri, the plaintiff’s father (since deceased), and other heirs sought distribution of the assets in accordance with the Islamic law of inheritance but Mehmood refused to part with their shares. He and co-plaintiffs sought a verdict in favour of the distribution of the assets.
Appearing for the Sindh government, which was cited as a defendant, Additional Advocate-General M. Ahmed Pirzada submitted that according to the revenue record, the late Imam Bux was only given possessory rights over the disputed land for cultivation on payment of land revenue.
He had no ownership right that could be inherited by his legal heirs.
The suit has apparently filed by the plaintiffs in collusion with the defendants in order to obtain a court order in favour of grant of ownership to the late Imam Bux. The property, which was worth over Rs 1.5 billion, belonged to the government, the AAG submitted.
The court asked the board of revenue to look into the record and title of the property and submit a report.
PIA restrained
Justice Khwaja Naveed Ahmed, meanwhile, restrained the Pakistan International Airlines from taking any adverse action against the four flight engineers till March 24, the date of hearing of a suit filed by them.
The plaintiffs submitted through Advocate Khalid Jawed Khan that 89 flight engineers operating Boeing 747s were sought to be prematurely retired as the airline was phasing out the aircraft from its fleet.
He said the retirement scheme was mala fide as the real purpose was to get rid of their services and deprive them of the pension and other benefits. The airline, they alleged, intended to re-employ flight engineers on a contract basis.
The judge issued a notice to the defendant airline for March 24 and restrained it from taking adverse action against the plaintiffs in the meantime.
