KARACHI, Feb 6: The Sindh High court on Wednesday issued notice to the provincial government, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and others in a petition for Karachi Dairy Farmers Association (KDFA) seeking regularistion of the Cattle Colony, better known as Bhains Colony, in Landhi.

A division bench headed by Justice Mushir Alam also issued notice to the advocate-general and put off the hearing to a date to be later announced by the court’s office.

KDFA senior vice-president Haji Hakimuddin, represented by Advocate Mujeebuddin Qamar, impleaded the chief secretary, senior member of the Board of Revenu, commissioner of Karachi, deputy commissioner of Malir, Mukhtiarkar of Bin Qasim Town, KMC’s administrator and land director, and deputy director (Leases) and municipal commissioner as respondents.

The petitioner stated in the petition that the members of the association had been allotted 178 plots of different size and the lease amount had already been paid, but still they were not being issued allotments.

He said the Cattle Colony had been established on 300 acres at Deh Ghangiyro, Bin Qasim Town, in 1960 by the KMC and the develop-ment charges had been recovered from the occupants at that time.

The petitioner stated that a committee had also been formed to resolve the issues relating to the lease process.

He said the KDFA had received applications for grant of allotment after the respondents gave an advertisement.

The KDFA vice-president stated that the association had approached the office of the Board of Revenue, but the officials there had refused to receive the applications, saying that the allotment of plots was in the process of cancellation.

The association prayed to the court to direct the respondents to immediately regularise the properties of its members and restrain the cancellation of allotment.

ILLEGAL OCCUPATION: The Sindh High Court on Wednesday issued notice to a former special secretary to the chief minister, the chief secretary, revenue secretary and others in a petition against the illegal occupation of the property of a former chairman of the Pakistan Poultry Farmers Association.

Petitioner Muhammed Hussain Patel stated in his petition that he had been granted lease of non-irrigated 25 acres in Gadap Town for poultry farming in Feb 1998 and the former special secretary to a former CM of Sindh was trying to occupy it illegally.

He said ex-special secretary Ali Mumtaz Zaidi had first visited him nine years ago and told him that he had bought the land in question. He said that the visitor had left his place after he had told him that he was the legal owner of the land he had purchased from Lt-Col Ghulam Mohiuddin.

The petitioner submitted that on Jan 6, 2013, the ex-special secretary again visited his property along with police and other accomplices and started demolishing his poultry farm.

He said he had also been manhandled by the raiders before he rushed to the Gadap police for lodging an FIR. However, he said, the police refused to register the case, telling him that they were unable to book the senior government officer.

The petitioner prayed to the court to retrain the respondent former government official and others from entering his property.

He also prayed to the court to direct respondent Ali Mumtaz Zaidi to pay him compensation for partially demolishing construction on his poultry farm.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice Mushir Alam issued notices to the respondents and the provincial law officer.

The hearing was adjourned to a date to be later fixed by the court’s office.