KARACHI, Jan 25: A big land scam has been unearthed involving illegal occupation of 22,965 acres located in 18 towns and 8,162 square yards of the city survey, acquired through manipulation of the land record. The value of the land is estimated to the tune of over Rs81 billion, it is reliably learnt.

After receiving complaints from people that some operatives of the land mafia had taken over possession of vast tracts of government lands through tempering the land record, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad had issued ordered for carrying out a detailed scrutiny of the government land in the 18 towns and the city survey record of the metropolis, sources said and added that in the initial report submitted to the governor it was revealed that senior officials, who were assigned the job, after going through the records had found that the land mafia in collaboration with some unscrupulous government functionaries in the department had effected the fictitious changes.

The sources closed to the department further disclosed that so far the scrutiny of six towns had been completed while in the remaining towns 90 per cent of record had been examined.

The governor lauded the work done so far and directed the officials to complete the rest of the work at the earliest so that action should be initiated against the culprits and government lands saved..