HYDERABAD: A division bench of the Sindh High Court Hyderabad circuit here on Thursday directed chairman of the Gorakh Hill Development Authority (GHDA) to appear in person on Jan 23 along with a break-up of the past five years budget received from the Sindh government’s tourism department, and oil and gas exploration companies for the betterment of the hill station.

The notices were issued on a constitutional petition filed by Gadhi Khan, an advocate. Represented by Raja Jawad Sehar, the petitioner said he had visited the hill station and witnessed that the tourist spot was being destroyed. He said a contractor, Juman Jamali, ran the rest house and restaurant at the hill station where a mineral water bottle was sold for Rs600 and a plate of Biryani for Rs1,500. He said the rent of each room was between Rs5,000 and Rs6,000.

He said the GHDA got funds from the Sindh tourism department, and oil and gas exploration companies. He alleged that the GHDA chairman was displacing locals who owned land around the hill station. The chairman had illegally got closed the road that connected the area with Balochistan, he said.

The court ordered GHDA chairman – who is an MNA from the area – to appear in person before the court on Jan 23 along with the record of the five-year budget spent on the tourist spot, which is located at a height of 5,700 feet.

The petitioner prayed to the court to form a commission to look into expenditures made on the hill station so far. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) should be directed to conduct an inquiry into the matter, he added.

Published in Dawn, January 5th, 2018