Lawyers in row with villagers over access to housing scheme

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

HYDERABAD, March 17: An immediate settlement of a row between a group of lawyers backing a private housing society and the villagers laying their claim on the excess land adjacent to Nawaz Palari village does not seem to be in sight as counter cases have been lodged by the partiers concerned.

The case against the Palaris had been lodged under Anti-Terrorism Act with the Cantonment police for threatening Hyderabad District Bar Association (HDBA) president Noorul Haq Qureshi while a separate case was lodged vide FIR 33/10 on the complaint of Khuda Bux Palari under sections 324, 504, 147, 148, 149 of the PPC against 12 people, including Col (rtd) Akram, Saleem Bohri, Naeem Farooqi for beating a villager Hanif. Three villagers, Gul Mohammad Nawaz Ali and Mehboob Ali had received injuries.

The lawyers backing the private housing scheme accused the Palaris of extortion and “blocking access” to their land while the Palaris see it as interference in their privacy.

A large number of the Palaris had on Tuesday protested outside Hyderabad District Bar Association (HDBA) offices for HDBA president’s undue support to the owner of the housing society.

They also condemned lodging of FIR against Yusuf Palari, Dr Anwar Palari, his brother Akram Palari, Sher Palari and others under sections of 6/7 and 8/9 of the ATA and 147, 148, 149 506(2) and 504 of the PPC on the complaint of Agha Bashir, a member of the bar.

On Wednesday again a joint general body meeting of HDBA and Sindh High Court Bar Association’s Hyderabad chapter was held, which sought arrest of those nominated in the FIR.

According to Noorul Haq Qureshi, president of HDBA, he, his two brothers who are settled abroad and his uncle Col (rtd) Akram Qureshi, have invested in a housing scheme, launched on a land which belongs to people of Chand community.

The land is located off National Highway. A passage is being built on the housing scheme to link it from the by-pass with the National Highway end.

Qureshi said a wall was built to segregate the housing scheme from private land, owned by Naeem Farooqi and Saleem Bohri. Both these properties have a common access through a mohaga – a land adjacent to a watercourse – and according to Qureshi this land is their property as per demarcation and the Palaris are occupying the land of Farooqi and Bohri.

The DDO (revenue) of Qasimabad, Motassim Abbasi, stated that no village existed on that land as it was a surveyed land vide nos 233 and 327/1 of Deh Mirzapur, Qasimabad taluka.

He said that had there been any village its land would have been mentioned in revenue record, adding that according to area’s tapedar villagers are occupying it for last two to three years.

Qureshi alleged that the Palaris had demanded Rs2 million for construction of the wall and Rs300,000 was paid to them but they sought more money.

And, he said, subsequently when two rooms were being built for Wapda officials on their request for their camp, the Palaris did not allow it and demolished the wall.

Two separate cases were lodged at Hatri police following demolition of the wall. The villagers lodged a case against retired colonel, Ashiq, Naeem Farooqi and Wapda employees. After two days a case was lodged against Yusuf, Sher and Nawaz, all Palari by caste, and others.

Dr Anwar Palari, on the other hand, said that Qureshi family’s access to the land is on the by-pass end which is far away, therefore, they wanted to get a passage through the village by force.

He said that Farooqi and Bohri had prepared fake record in connivance with the revenue officials to show ownership of the land which actually belonged to Tumbo Bagri.

He said that Bohri claimed the land on the basis of document of 1968 but it was cancelled in 1971 and then they got it restored in 2008 in collusion with the revenue officials. “We can present the actual land owner, Tumbo Bagri, whenever required”, he said.

He said that Nawaz Palari village existed for 30 to 40 years, adding that police, under lawyers’ pressure, was avoiding arrests in the FIR lodged by them. He said that the HDBA president had become a party and was supporting the housing society which was unjustified.