A division bench of the Sindh High Court (SHC) issued a notice on Wednesday to the interior ministry, the DG Rangers, the EDO Revenue, the Survey Superintendent Sindh and others for May 25 on a petition filed against encroaching 79.20 acres of land by Rangers.

The petitioner, Collachi Cooperative Housing Society, having 400 members, approached the SHC against encroachment of 79.20 acres of land at Deh Okewari, Tapo Songal, Karachi East by Rangers, submitting that the land was allotted to the petitioner by Land Utilisation Department & EDO (Revenue), under section 10(1) of Colonisation of lands Sindh Act.

It was submitted that the land was leased to the petitioner but Rangers’ personnel were attempting to set up camps and started raising constructions illegally on the said land.

The petitioner’s counsel, Abrar Hasan, contended that his client was the actual owner of the land and the respondents was not entitled to claim any right of adverse possession against the petitioner.

He prayed the court to declare the encroachment on the land illegal, and direct the respondent to remove the same and restrain them from raising construction on the said land.

The SHC division bench comprising Justice Azizullah M. Memon and Justice Khalid Ali Z. Kazi after the preliminary hearing of the case issued notices to the respondents and restrained them from taking any action adverse to the rights of the petitioner till the next date of hearing on May 25.