SHC Suspends Lease Of Forest Land

[Salman]

Karachi: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has suspended the provincial government’s administrative orders to lease out 16,800 acres of forest land to Badin Agro Development Farm.

According to a news source, a lawmaker from the area had taken the issue to court. The plaintiff’s counsel told the court that the status of the 16,800 acres of land in question had been changed from forest to agricultural by the authorities in order for them to be able to lease it out.

Moreover, the plaintiff’s lawyer claimed in court that forest land could not be handed over to the Revenue Department under the law. The news source reported further that the court ordered respondents of the case to submit their comments by August 16.