KARACHI, Dec 22: The Sindh High Court on Thursday directed the federal law officer to satisfy the court as to the authority and jurisdiction of the federal government to allocate and earmark provincial land for use by the army.

Haji Adam and 39 others villagers of Deh Dhando, Bin Qasim Town, moved the court against army’s interference in their land.

Petitioners claimed they were rightful owners of the land and were holding leases for 30 years.

They submitted that the army was trying to dispossess them from land claiming that land had been allotted to them.

SHC’s division bench, comprising Justice Mushir Alam and Justice Zawar Hussain Jaffery, hearing a petition, observed that under the purported exercise of powers under Section 9 (1) of Manoeuvres, Field Firing and Artillery Practice Act, 1938, the federal government has demarcated certain areas to be used by the army for artillery practices and such an area apparently comes to qabooli land of the petitioners.

The court issued notice to the counsel for the petitioner and the federal law officer to come prepared to the satisfy court as to the authority and jurisdiction of the federal government to allocate and earmark provincial land for use by the army.—PPI