‘Govt, Rangers to decide who will pay Rs 156.180m’

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday directed the Sindh government and Indus Rangers to decide who will pay Rs 156.180 million of purchased land to petitioners Iftikhar Hussain Zaidi and others.

A SHC division bench, headed by Chief Justice Mushir Alam, issued directives on a constitutional petition filed against the Sindh government and the Indus Rangers, seeking payment of an amount of 60 acres land.

The counsel of the petitioners, Muhammad Saleem Mangrio, stated in the petition that the Indus Rangers had purchased the land in district Shaheed Benazirabad (formerly known as Nawabshah) for establishing their headquarter. Out of all land, 60 acres were purchased from Zaidi and others, he said.

They had challenged the compensation amount at SHC Hyderabad Circuit Bench in 2004 and sought increase in the amount.

The SHC Hyderabad Circuit Bench had issued order in favour of the petitioners and directed the respondent to pay the land amount within four months. He stated that the respondent had challenged the order in the Supreme Court which was rejected in 2007.

Mangrio further stated after rejection of the appeal, they filed a civil review petition in the Supreme Court, which was also rejected.

Later, Additional District and Sessions Judge Shaheed Benazirabad district had directed Rangers to pay land amount to the petitioners within 60 days but they did not comply with the court order.