SHC seeks report on demarcation of heritage properties in province

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday directed the Sindh government to submit a compliance report with regard to demarcation and mutation of all heritage public properties in the province.

Hearing a petition with regard to the protection of heritage buildings and properties in the province, a division bench of the high court headed by Justice Salahuddin Panhwar directed the culture and heritage secretary to submit budget allocation details under the charitable endowment funds to the Auqaf department, if any.

The SHC also directed the Auqaf secretary to submit break-up of the allocated funds in the last five years. The petitioner, Yaseen Ali, had submitted in the petition that several heritage buildings and properties in Sindh were in a dilapidated state and needed to be preserved and protected by the culture and heritage department.

He submitted that fresh demarcation of the properties should be carried out for the preservation and protection of such properties in the province. The high court on a previous hearing had directed the chief secretary to constitute a high level committee for demarcation and mutation of all the heritage public properties in the province.

The Auqaf secretary had also been directed to submit details of public properties including shrines, agriculture land and commercial properties donated for religious seminaries and other educational and welfare purposes.

As the matter was taken up on Monday, a provincial law officer sought further time to file a compliance report. The high court took exception to the failure to file comments and gave last chance to the law officer to submit a compliance report with regard to mutation and demarcation of the heritage properties.

The high court directed the culture secretary to submit details of the budget under charitable endowment funds given to the Auqaf department, if any. The Auqaf secretary was directed to submit break-up of five years allocation of funds.

Missing persons cases

The SHC directed federal and provincial law officers to submit reports with regard to recovery of missing persons, including two children, who had gone missing from different parts of the city.

Hearing petitions for the recovery of missing persons, a division bench of the SHC headed by SHC acting chief justice Naimatullah Phulpoto directed the investigation officer to examine the evidence and facts with regard to enforced disappearance of Shakirullah who was allegedly taken into custody in the Sohrab Goth area.

The high court also directed the investigation officers to submit progress reports with regard to the recovery of five-year-old boy Muzamil Shah and 12-year-old boy Talha who went missing from Quetta Town and PIB Colony respectively.