Illegal lifting of Reti, Bajri: SHC issues notices to secretaries, others

KARACHI: Sindh High Court (SHC) Tuesday issued notices to Sindh Secretaries of Mines & Mineral Development, Home and others in a petition, seeking the court orders to stop illegal lifting/removing of any type of Reti, Bajri, sand and gravels from the land in Thatta District.

A division bench of SHC headed by Justice Khadim Hussain Sheikh ordered to issue notices in the petition of Mrs Afroze Shah, who submitted that some people under the patronage of officials of district Thatta are illegally lifting Reti, Bajri, Sands and Gravels from the land of M/s Qureshi Salt & Chemical Works (Pvt) Ltd as well Barsati Dora at Dhabeji Station during day & night through heavy machinery, ie, Excavators, Dampers, Shawals etc, which badly affected the surface of the said land and become deep ditches which sustained huge losses in refilling ditches.

The petition, filed by Syed Mureed Ali Shah Advocate on behalf of Afroze Shah prayed the court o direct provincial secretaries of mines & mineral development and Home to immediately take action by lodging FIRs against the concerned officials as well as subordinate police/revenue officers/officials and start operation/crackdown against illegal lifters for illegal lifting Rati, Bajri, Sand, Gravels, etc, within the entire territorial jurisdiction of District Thatta including the land of M/s Qureshi Salt & Chemical Works (Pvt) Ltd as well Barsati Dora at Dhabeji Station and confiscate all the machinery, ie, Excavators, Dampers, Shawals, etc, used for lifting.

Petitioner also prayed the court o permanently restrain respondents their officers, servants, agents and the persons acting for and on their behalf from illegal lifting/removing any type of Reti, Bajri, Sands and Gravels from the land of M/s Qureshi Salt & Chemical Works (Pvt.) Limited situated at Dhabeji, Taluka Mirpur Sakro, District Thatta as well as Barsati Dora at Dhabeji Station till the pendency of the instant petition.

Petitioner also pleaded the court to appoint any judicial officer to hold local inspection/investigation/spot inquiry and take photographs of the land from where lifters have removed Reti, Bajri, sand, gravels etc. and submit the report of the physical situation with the court.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020