HYDERABAD: A former registrar of Sindh University and his brothers have complained that a group of land grabbers are trying to occupy their land in Jamshoro district and appealed to president, prime minister, Sindh chief minister and authorities concerned to stop the encroachers’ activities and help them save their centuries-old family property.

Speaking at a joint news conference at local press club on Saturday, Mohammad Saleh Rajar, the ex-registrar of Sindh University, his brothers Ghulam Nabi and Mohammad Siddique, said that their community was living in different villages like Ramzan Rajar, Chakar Khan Rajar, Siddique Rajar in Jamshoro district where they owned lands, which were duly registered with revenue department.

Ghulam Nabi said that he had 17.5 acre land registered in the name of his brothers and sisters along with 48 acres of ‘mohaga’ (additional government land). The revenue record of this land had been available with them for six decades as this land was registered in their name in 1959, he said. He said that land grabbers including Rab Nawaz Khoso, Mir Hassan Khoso, Gul Hassan Khoso, Janu Khoso and Shahu Khoso had obtained permission for temporary accommodation on their land but they started constructing their homes to occupy the land.

They said that the land grabbers also invited others to settle on their land. They kept asking them to vacate the land but they paid no heed to their calls and instead filed an application against them with DSP complaint cell but the DSP termed their claim as false and called for registration of FIR against the group, they said.

They said that the group promised to vacate the land on condition that no FIR was lodged against them. But, they said, they did not leave the land and forced them to send an application to Sindh chief minister and other authorities. Resultantly, an inquiry was conducted by authorities, which proved them true owners of the land, they said.

They said that they got registered an FIR against the encroachers at Jamshoro police station but the encroachers filed a complaint with DIG Hyderabad. A notable of the area also tried to settle the dispute but the land grabbers did not turn up before him.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2024