DADU: Sindh United Party chairman Syed Jalal Mehmood Shah has accused Sindh government of being involved in illegal sale of islands and costly land of the province and announced that a demonstration will be held in Sukkur on Feb 28 to protest against occupation of islands by centre and settlement of outsiders in Sindh.

Shah said at a press conference at his residence in Jamshoro on Sunday that the Sindh government had compromised on sale of pricey land and allowed occupation of islands in an attempt to hide its own corruption.

He said that Feb 28 protest would be held under the aegis of Sindh Action Committee. The SUP would also participate in a rally to be organised by Jeay Sindh Mahaz (JSM) before Sindh Assembly in Karachi on Feb 21, he said.

He said that under the 18th Amendment, it was constitutional right of provinces to buy and sell land and the provinces relegated this power to people to engage in sale and purchase of properties but in Sindh all resources and properties had already been occupied.

He said that Sindh’s land had been sold to Bahria Town and DHA and provincial ministers and advisers had purchased properties worth billions of rupees. Millions of acres land had been sold at throwaway price to land mafia in Thatta, Sukkur, Karachi, Jamshoro and Badin districts, he said.

He urged the Sindh government to conduct a survey up till 12 nautical miles along the province’s coastline after lapse of PIDA ordinance and register in revenue record all the Islands to legalise and justify Sindh’s right over islands.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2021