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The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday directed the federal law officer to conduct an inquiry to find out whether properties left by Bangladeshi nationals were returned to their rightful owners and provided compensation. went
While hearing an appeal against the acquittal of employees of the Abandoned Estates Board (ETPB) in a corruption case, a division bench of the Sindh High Court headed by Justice Salahuddin Panhoor directed the federal law officer to find out whether any claim or dispute has been filed in respect of these properties, and what is their current status.
In the previous hearing, the court had directed the provincial law officer to submit the details of ETPB’s properties. Counsel for the appellant submitted details of immovable assets including residential properties, commercial buildings, godowns and plots in various areas of Karachi.
The court was told that 3,804 acres of agricultural land is in the possession of the Sindh Board of Revenue (BoR) while 896,304 outstanding shares are in companies actively trading on the Pakistan Stock Exchange.
The lawyer said that according to the statement, the total investment of Abandoned Properties Organization (APO) till July 17, 2024 is Rs 12.92783 billion. The court was told that in July 2024, Rs 7.7941 billion was transferred to the Federal Consolidated Fund. As amended by section 16(k) of the Abandoned Estates (Administration) Act, 1975, on attaining maturity after 10 years. The report stated that at present the investment of APO Karachi is 5.13373 billion rupees.
After perusing the report, the court said it was clear that several properties had been seized, and litigation was ongoing. The court said that apart from this, 3,804 acres of agricultural land in six districts of the province is under the possession of the Board of Revenue.
To ensure clarity and accountability, the court directed the senior member of the board of organization to submit a detailed report, which should include a complete breakdown of encroachment on property, including original (mother) entries and Include subsequent entries in the record. The court directed the BoR to identify all properties in its possession, photographic evidence to substantiate claims of possession as well as details of steps taken to deal with encroachment or ongoing litigation.
The court said that the report should be completed and submitted to the court within a specified time, adding that failure to comply would require the personal appearance of the senior member in the court.
The court issued a notice to the Advocate General Sindh and directed him to look into the matter and provide appropriate legal assistance for early resolution and compliance. The court directed the registrar of the Sindh High Court to ensure direct access to the BoR of the order, stressing the need to strictly follow its letter and spirit.
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