ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Friday took suo motu notice of alleged encroachment on properties of the Hindu community in Sindh and sought replies from the departments concerned.

Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar took notice on a video by Prof Dr Bhagwan Devi (wife of Prof Dr Baghwan Das) that went viral on social media, alleging that their land and properties were being encroached by land mafia.

In the video, Dr Devi claimed that bogus power of attorneys was being prepared in upper Sindh, due to which the Hindu community felt insecure and threatened. Many Hindu families were leaving Pakistan and migrating to other countries, while several others are preparing to sell their properties and leave, she alleged.

Dr Devi regretted that the federal and provincial governments were reluctant to take action in this regard. Taking notice of the issue, the chief justice ordered hearing the case on Oct 18.

He issued notices to Attorney General Anwar Mansoor, the Sindh advocate general, religious affairs and interfaith harmony secretary, human rights secretary, Sindh chief secretary, Sindh minority affairs department secretary and Larkana division com­missioner to appear before the court.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2018

Opinion

Editorial

Reserved seats
Updated 15 May, 2024

Reserved seats

The ECP's decisions and actions clearly need to be reviewed in light of the country’s laws.
Secretive state
15 May, 2024

Secretive state

THERE is a fresh push by the state to stamp out all criticism by using the alibi of protecting national interests....
Plague of rape
15 May, 2024

Plague of rape

FLAWED narratives about women — from being weak and vulnerable to provocative and culpable — have led to...
Privatisation divide
Updated 14 May, 2024

Privatisation divide

How this disagreement within the government will sit with the IMF is anybody’s guess.
AJK protests
14 May, 2024

AJK protests

SINCE last week, Azad Jammu & Kashmir has been roiled by protests, fuelled principally by a disconnect between...
Guns and guards
14 May, 2024

Guns and guards

THERE are some flawed aspects to our society that we must start to fix at the grassroots level. One of these is the...