Gulistan-e-Jauhar residents suffer as encroachments go on

[CMY]

Karachi: Since 1992, Atoof Ahmed had been fighting in court over a plot of land in Block-6, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, that legally belonged to him. The plot, however, was taken over by a powerful land mafia, and Ahmed eventually died of a heart attack on court premises without getting it back.

Like Ahmed, as many as 22 people who had been allotted a plot on the 65-acre piece of land next to Dubai Palace in Block-6, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, have died without seeing their dreams of owning property fulfilled. Land grabbers, meanwhile, have claimed the land is their property and have divided it into two goths: Shahbaz Gabol Goth and Mir Khan Gabol Goth.

The law that is being manipulated, the Gothabad Housing Scheme, was launched in 1987 to give land ownership rights to those who can rightfully claim a piece of land is a goth. Now, many of those who have been affected say that land grabbers claim empty plots are goths so they can take control over it.

In a similar vein, a dominating group is allegedly involved in encroaching vacant plots in Deh Safooran, Scheme 36. A total of 404 people have been affected, and they say that group has the backing of influential people, along with police officers and the staff of the Board of Revenue, Saleem Khan, Mirza Arshad Beg, and Rauf Ahmed.

The land had been divided into 226 plots measuring 240 square yards each, 123 plots measuring 400 square yards each, 48 plots measuring 600 square yards each, and seven plots in the FL (flat) category.

However, Shafi Muhammad, who heads the group, claims that his forefathers used to live on the land, meaning that he has rightful ownership. While talking to The News, Zaka Ullah and Abdul Naeem, victims, quoted Muhammad as saying of his forefathers, “They lived here well before the independence. Since then it has belonged to our community.”

Those who have been affected by encroachment point out that in such an event, anyone claiming a piece of land as a goth should provide identity cards, birth certificates, ration cards, and a name in voter lists as evidence.

“In our case, the encroacher is using an ID card that does not belong to Karachi,” they said. “He has used the same card to claim other pieces of land. How is it possible that his grandfather lived in different parts at the same time?”

The victims have filed a lawsuit to reclaim their ownership rights, but until the filing of this report, the court has not announced a decision.

According to M. Ismail Shaheedi, one of the victims of the encroachment of the 65-acre plot in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, the same person is said to be involved in claiming several other piece of land in Gulistan-e-Jauhar. “This group has submitted false claims to snatch huge pieces of land,” said other victims.

Allegedly, the same land mafia, in collaboration with other groups, has also taken control of land in Gulistan-e-Jauhar’s Block-7, claiming it to be Mullah Buksh Goth, and Block-8, Block-10 and Block-11, which they say is called Bingo Goth.