KARACHI, Nov 6: The Sindh High Court ordered on Monday a fresh inquiry into the alleged parceling out of land along the coastal belt by land grabbers. The order was passed by a division bench comprising Justices Sarmad Jalal Osmany and Sajjad Ali Shah on a petition filed by Advocate Shakeel Ahmed, who submitted that an inquiry into the matter was conducted by the city government’s deputy district officer (revenue) for Keamari.

The inquiry was held under Sections 22 and 27 of the Land Revenue Act, which provide for judicial proceedings, but the DDO did not allow him to represent the aggrieved party.

He instead heard the accused former town nazim of Keamari, Zulfiqar Yunus, and exonerated him without fulfilling the requirements of a judicial inquiry.

The inquiry was ordered by City Nazim Syed Kamal Mustafa, and the petitioner-lawyer said he represented the incumbent Kemari Town Nazim, Humayun Khan.

He said there were complaints that the ex-nazim and others had sold out coastal land along Sandspit and Hawkesbay and were now cutting mangroves to reclaim land from the sea and sell it as owners at fabulous rates. But all the allegations were quashed by the DDO (revenue), Keamari, after holding a bogus probe.

The bench ordered by consent of all the parties, including the provincial and city governments, that the fresh inquiry be held by the DDO (revenue) for Malir and the Keamari DDO should send the entire record to him.

The Malir DDO shall issue notices to the parties and give them all an opportunity of ‘fair hearing’ and then pass an order in accordance with the law. The inquiry should be conducted by the Malir DDO within a month, the bench ordered.