Villagers’ plea against Dhabeji firing range not maintainable, SHC told

E-Paper | March 13, 2026

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court was informed on Friday that a petition filed against allotment of land for manoeuvres and field firing range in Dhabeji was not maintainable as the land was notified for army’s use.

A federal law officer filed comments on the behalf of the military estate officer, Karachi circle stating that 50,600 acres had been notified for the use of military authorities for the purpose of field firing range and manoeuvres exercises through notifications issued in November 1999 and March 2004.

Around 115 petitioners had approached the SHC stating that their villages had been affected due to the notifications issued by the provincial and federal governments allowing land for manoeuvres and field firing purposes.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi took the comments on record and adjourned the hearing for a date to be fixed by its office later.

The military estate officer further submitted that the claim of the petitioners was without legal and lawful title documents and the land in dispute vested in the federal government and exercising jurisdiction over it by the Sindh government or any other department without prior permission of the federal government /ministry of defence was illegal.

Earlier, the deputy and assistant commissioners of Malir and Bin Qasim in their reports stated that the Dhabeji field firing rang authorities have installed pillars around an area of 50,000 to 51,000 acres on the basis of claim of the defence ministry and various sanctioned villages, Kabuli land, graveyards and pounds were located within the area in question.

They maintained that the provincial government had only leased out 13,500 acres in Deh Dhandho and Deh Kotirero in favour of defence ministry, which did not include villages, Kabuli land and graveyards.

The petitioners argued that they were residing in these goths since their ancestors going back to year 1820 and their possessory rights had been acknowledged from time to time as being inhabitants of goth and some of them were granted 30-year lease.

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2022

Newspaper

Ishaq Tanoli is a Karachi-based reporter for Dawn with over 20 years of experience covering judicial and electoral affairs. His reporting focuses on the proceedings of the Supreme Court and Sindh High Court, as well as election matters. He can be found on X at @ishaqtanolihotm.

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