NAWABSHAH, Aug 11: The Muhagedars of agricultural land of Irrigation Department near Pai Forest Sakrand have demanded of the Sindh Chief Minster to take notice of illegal confiscation of standing crops by Forest Department and direct concerned police to register FIR against them.

Talking to reporters at the press club here on Saturday, Abdul Razzaq Magsi, Habibullah Keerio, Banoo Chohan and others said they possessed an area of 93 acres of agricultural land in Deh 18, Sakrand near Pai forest as joint Muhagedars.

On Aug 9, Divisional Forest Officer Nawabshah, Anwar Baloch with forest staff, Mukhtiarkar Sakrand Nisar Abbasi, the DSP Sher Baloch and heavy contingent of police reached their land near Pai Forest and tried to destroy standing crops saying the land belongs to Forest Department, they said.

They further said that they showed documents to Mukhtiarkar Sakrand after which he declared the land belonged to Irrigation Department and not the Forest Department and directed the DFO not to intervene in the matter.

They said the DFO did not listen to Mukhtiarkar and said he had the authority and power and later ordered confiscation of standing crop after which tractors were plied on their land. They said the cotton crop was destroyed and forest officials dismantled two tube-well and water sucker machines and took it away.

They alleged the forest officials barged into the houses of their haris beat them up and set their houses on fire. They said forest officials also registered FIR against them.

They demanded of the Sindh Chief Minister and other concerned authorities to take notice of the matter and direct the police to register their FIR.