DADU, Nov 12: Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim has appointed Sindh Anti-Corruption Establishment Director A. D. Khwaja as inquiry officer to investigate into a clash over land that took place a couple of days ago between officials of Cadet College Petaro and villagers of Safar Khaskheli Goth of Jamshoro district.

Mr Khwaja visited the college, the village and taluka hospital of Kotri to record statements about the incident of college principal Commodore (retd) Abid Saleem, PRO Syed Liaquat Rizvi, four villagers, DPO Jamshoro and district nazim.

The recent clash is an offshoot of a simmering dispute between the college and the villagers residing in its vicinity over the ownership of the land on which the village stands. The parties have moved the court over their claims and the court have issued stay orders.

Officials of the college said that some villagers had attacked cadets with firearms two days ago when they were holding a parade injuring the college principal and seven others.

They said that the villagers had fake documents of the land’s ownership and claimed they had documents which proved that the Sindh government had leased out the land to the college.

Three villagers, Abbas Ali, Karim Bux and Allah Bachayo who had suffered injuries in the clash told the inquiry officer that the clash erupted when the college principal tried to hit them his vehicle. Afterwards, the college officials opened fire and injured several villagers, they said.

They said that they had been living in the Safar Khaskheli village for years and had valid documents proving their ownership of the land. The college officials tortured them and forcibly ejected them from their houses with the help of police, they complained.

Jamshoro District Nazim Malik Asad Sikandar whose late father Malik Sikandar had donated 300 acres of land to the college termed as illegal the college’s action to forcibly displace villagers after destroying their houses since a local court had issued stay order over the issue.

Mr Khwaja recorded the statement of Mai Dadan who was injured in the clash. She was admitted to taluka hospital of Kotri. He recorded the statement of Jamshoro DPO Pir Fareed Jan Sarhandi and then paid a visit to Basoori village of Jamshoro where the affectees of Safar Khaskheli village were residing temporarily. He will submit his report to the chief minister on Monday.

Our Sukkur Correspondent adds: Sindh Chief Minister Dr. Arbab Ghulam Rahim reiterated on Sunday that the islands were Sindh’s property and there was no dispute over them.

Talking to newsmen at Sukkur airport on Sunday he said that Sindh had a very conducive environment for foreign investment and the Sindh government would provide maximum assistance to foreign investors.

He hit out at the political parties, which he charged had betrayed the people in past behind attractive slogans and said that the present government believed in serving people.