HYDERABAD: The Sindh High Court (SHC) ordered removal of encroachments from the government owned pastures in Tharparkar district.

The Hyderabad Circuit Bench of justice Salahuddin Panhwar and justice Amjad Ali Sahito also issued summons for the Deputy Commissioner Tharparkar to appear before the court on February 9 along with the progress report on the said orders.

The petitioners’ counsel said the Sindh government had set aside huge areas of land for grazing of the livestock.

However, he added, few local influential people were illegally occupying those grazing fields which had stopped access of the livestock to those pastures.

He apprised the court that the rural economy of Tharparkar was dependent on the livestock sector, adding that denying access to the pastures to the livestock amounted to snatching the livelihood of the rural folks.

Kalyar informed that the same court had declared in 2017 that the pastures could not be used for any purpose other than grazing.

The court ordered the Deputy Commissioner to take action and remove the encroachments and submit a report in the court on the next hearing.