KARACHI, June 9: The army has claimed that it has not encroached upon a piece of land on Stadium Road where a housing scheme for military officers is being built.

Referring to a news-story in Dawn, a press release issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations says that the piece of land is owned by the army.

“The Station Headquarters, Karachi, has clarified that 185 acres of land on Stadium Road, Karachi, (survey No 118), was requisitioned as the Army Storage Accommodation during World War II and its ownership by the army was reconfirmed by Federal Capital Gazette Notification No 15 issued on July 23, 1948.”

The press release says: “It has been correctly reported that land measuring 104 acres was leased to the Pakistan Cricket Control Board for 99 years in 1980 but it is wrong to say that 17 acres of land was encroached by the Pakistan Steel Mills. This piece was never part of the land leased to the PCCB. It was owned by the army and was temporarily leased to the Pakistan Steel Mills for parking of vehicles. Once the Pakistan Steel Mills surrendered this land, it was allotted to the Sindh Rifle Association on the instructions of the GHQ.”

The press release adds that the PCCB has no claim or right on any piece of land other than 104-05 acres leased for the purpose of development of a cricket stadium in Karachi. Over 17.5 acres of land has been under the exclusive ownership of the army for the past six decades.