QUETTA, Dec 3: The Balochistan High Court issued notices on Wednesday to the provincial government, a private firm and the National Engineering Services on a petition filed by the Quetta Development Authority union against sale of government land.

The bench, comprising acting Chief Justice Ahmed Khan Lashari and Justice Akhtar Zaman Malghani, issued notices to the chief secretary, director general of the Quetta Development Authority, managing director of Quality Builders and the management of the National Engineering Services.

President of the QDA union Khan Zaman said in the petition that the managements of the QDA and a private firm had signed an agreement on April 3, 2008, to launch a joint venture to develop the Zarghoon Housing Scheme in a city suburb in violation of the law.

The petitioner said that the provincial government had allotted 220 acres of land to the QDA and requested the court to stop the management of the joint venture from selling plots in the housing scheme.