HYDERABAD, Oct 22: The director, Nara Canal Area Water Board, has sought time to prepare his brief for a constitutional petition filed by 10 petitioners demanding water supply through new water courses in the area of the Nara canal.

Director Agha Aijaz, who personally appeared before the court in response to a court notice issued in September, said that he had just returned from Umrah, therefore, he needed time for preparing the brief.

The petitioners had cited the secretary, irrigation and power, Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority, director, Nara Canal Area Water Board, executive engineer, Thar division, and assistant executive engineer, Bakhoro sub-division, as respondents.

The petitioners said they owned some agricultural land in Sharpir village, Sanghar Taluka and added that on account of the construction and commissioning of Re-aligned Lower Nara Canal, water supply to their land was cut off.

They maintained that thereafter, the respondents prepared revised proposals to shift an area of 1,899 acres, including the petitioners’ land, to new water courses and another area of 400 acres to the RLNC watercourse.

They prayed to the court to declare that the petitioners be supplied water through the new proposed courses and also that the respondents had no jurisdiction to discontinue water supply till sanction of the new source.

ARRESTED: The anti-corruption officials have arrested a sub- engineer of the local government, Karachi, for his alleged involvement in five different cases of embezzlement.