HYDERABAD: Local Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) leader Sultan Shaikh has said that the land department of the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC) has become a “den of corruption” and bribes are being received in land-related matters as a matter of course.

Addressing a press conference at the local press club here on Monday, he held acting Hyderabad Mayor Sohail Mashhadi responsible for this mess.

He said Mr Mashhadi had closed the office of the land department following such complaints, but when it was opened, the charge of land director was given to one Mohsin Shaikh who already was having four charges of different departments.

Sultan Shaikh said he (Mohsin) was a non-technical man and now bribe was again being received. He said that those who did not pay bribe failed to get their problems resolved. He said that even Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Kanwar Naveed did not hear any complaints in this regard. He also levelled serious allegations against Kanwar Naveed and Sohail Mashhadi.

He said he had also complained against land department officials to Sindh Assembly member from Latifabad, Nadeem Siddiqui, but in vain.

He said the chairman of the National Accountability Bureau also did not take any action in this matter. He claimed that he was also required to pay thousands of rupees in the land department by the officer concerned.

He said the work could only be done if it was processed through estate agents. He appealed to the Sindh chief minister, chief secretary and local government secretary to conduct inquiry in this regard and fix responsibility.

Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2019