KARACHI, June 21: Dr Sharfunnisa Leghari, an MPA of the PPP, on Thursday accused the Federal Minister for Water and Power, Liaquat Ali Jatoi, of unleashing a reign of terror, forcibly occupying some 7,000 acres and depriving poor peasants of their livelihood. This vast tract, she said, was spread from Mehar to Jamshoro.

Speaking at a press conference, Dr Leghari, who was accompanied by Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Nisar Ahmad Khuhro, she said that Liaquat Jatoi originally owned 250 acres. But after he assumed office as Sindh chief minister in Nawaz Sharif’s second government, he illegally grabbed thousands of acres of government land, which was earlier cultivated by poor peasants.

She also alleged that Mr Jatoi was instrumental in the closure of the Dadu Sugar Mills in collusion with Akbar Bhangwar and Tipu Sultan, who had sold off the spare parts of the mills in Ranipur.

Going into the details of the alleged land-grabbing episode, she said that land near Radhan belonging to the Junejo family was seized by Mr Jatoi, while 300 acres belonging to the Soomro family and 140 acres owned by the Kalhoros were also grabbed.

She said that 400,000 bags of wheat provided to the forest department were taken by the Jatois, while other farmers were deprived of wheat. Those officials who did not comply with these orders, she said, were transferred.

Dr Leghari gave the reference of EDO Mohammad Ali Memon of Dadu district, who was suspended for corruption on her complaint by the chief minister. But within a week he was again posted to the same position, which he has held for the past 20 years, she said.

She said that because of adverse influence and corruption, the health and educational institutions in the district were destroyed, while no medicine was available in any of the health units and hospitals because of the postings of incompetent officials.

After the Nawaz government was dismissed, she said, 23 references were filed against Mr Jatoi, who had fled to Dubai and upon returning to the country joined the PML-Q.

Dr Leghari wondered how a federal minister had become so powerful that even the chief minister, prime minister and the president were unable to ask him to return the grabbed government land.

Earlier, Nisar Khuhro said that Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, who also looks after the forest department himself, had admitted the helplessness of the authorities in getting the lands vacated from influential people. He said this was behind after devolution of powers land fell under the control of the district government.

Mr Khuhro said that this occupation of land by Mr Jatoi was not a recent incident, adding that his brothers Sadaqat Ali and Ehsan Ali Jatoi, who are MPAs, son Karim Baksh Jatoi, who was district nazim when Jamshoro used to be a part of Dadu district, were also involved.