Ownership records of Mari Mata temple sought by SHC

Order comes on petition filed by Hindu community

members against encroachment of temple land

A revenue department official was on Thursday directed by the Sindh High Court to submit ownership documents of the historic Mari Mata temple located in the city's Saddar area.

The directives came on a petition seeking inquiry into encroachment on the temple’s premises and interference in its matters.

Petitioner Atam Parkash and others maintained that affairs of the Mari Mata temple, situated on plot no 303/B, Sister Sequeira street, Rattan Talao, had been under the control and management of Shri Maharashtra Punchayat, Karachi long before the partition; and that Hindu families used to offer their prayers at the temple.

The petitioners’ counsel, Nadeem Sheikh, told the court that after partition, the said property came under the Evacuee Property Trust’s control. The trust rented it out to a private party, who had since been using it as a garage and a godown.

Sheikh maintained that most of the historical temple’s land had been encroached upon for which the petitioners approached various authorities including the EPT. The petitioners had not only called for the temple’s vacation but also for the property’s custody to be handed over to the Hindu community.

He further submitted that the temple had shrunk from the original 266 square yards - allocated in 1978 - to a mere 50 yards.

The court was requested to direct the Sindh government to interfere in the matters of the Mari Mata temple with a direction to initiate inquiry against, and prosecute, people involved in its encroachment.

 

Land encroachment case 

The SHC issued notices to the SSP anti-encroachment cell and the director land of the Karachi Development Authority on application against encroachment of residential land in the Gulistan-e-Johar area.

The court was hearing the application of the allottee of land in Gulistan-e-Johar, who submitted that the court had ordered removal of encroachment in Gulistan-e-Johar Block 6; however, the alleged contemnors, including the KDA director and the administrator district east, did not comply with the court orders.

The court had ordered that all the land grabbers who caused hindrance in implementation of the court orders shall be brought to book. The court had also directed the SSP concerned of the area to provide protection the applicant during the construction on the land.

The applicant submitted that land grabbers were again setting up encroachments in Gulistan-e-Johar Block 6 under garb of their villages and police was not taking any action to stop them.

The court was informed that illegal construction was being raised on unallocated land despite the court direction for auctioning unallocated land.

He submitted that contempt of court proceedings should be initiated against alleged contemnors, including the KDA director, the administrator east, the DSP east and others for disobeying the court orders.

The court had earlier ordered removal of encroachment from block 10 and 11 of Gulistan-e-Johar on petition of Talat Ejaz and others against encroachment on their plots.

They submitted that their encroachments had been set up on their plots by the land grabbers, while the authorities concerned were not taking action to retrieve the encroached land.

They submitted that superior courts had already ordered for handing over the possession of land to its real allottees; however, the encroachers had made permanent houses on their lands.

 

Pakistani prisoners

The Sindh High Court directed the federal law officer to file comments on a petition seeking details of Pakistani citizens incarcerated in Indian prisons. 

According the petition submitted by the Ansar Burney Trust, major discrepancy have been found in Indian and Pakistani governments report regarding the Pakistani prisoners incarcerated in Indian prisons.

The petitioner’s counsel submitted that as per the Pakistan government, 460 prisoners were detained in Indian prisons, while the Indian government confirmed only 271 prisoners and the rest of 189 prisoners were still missing.

He expressed apprehension that such missing persons could be misused in some terrorism related activities and requested the court to direct the government to expedite efforts to ascertain whereabouts of the 189 prisoners incarcerated in Indian prison.

The petitioner also filed a list of 17 prisoners who had completed their sentences but they were not being repatriated.

Earlier, the ministry of foreign affairs had informed the Sindh High Court that the matter of writing a letter on the issue of missing prisoners had been forwarded to the Pakistan’s High commissioner at India; however, no particulars have yet been provided to look into the matter in detail.

The section officer of the ministry of interior submitted that no such information regarding the missing 189 prisoners had been received through any complaint or through aggrieved families of such prisoners.

He submitted that the Pakistani High Commission at India had already taken up the issue with Indian authorities. The court had also directed the federal law officer to submit details of the total Pakistani prisoners which were handed over to the Indian High Commission as well as the list of prisoners who were exchanged within two weeks.