ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notices to the people allegedly involved in encroachment of land owned by Hindu community in Sindh. An apex court bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar heard the case. Minorities MNA Ramesh Kumar informed the bench that answers to 46 complaints of land grabbing from Larkana had been received. Justice Nisar told Ramesh Kumar, “You are saying Syed Khursheed Shah has grabbed the land but Shah says he has not encroached lands.” Kumar, a PTI MNA, said that the Larkana commissioner had also confirmed it. “We have received the list of the alleged land grabbers,” the CJP said. In an earlier hearing, Ramesh Kumar had informed the court that PPP leader Syed Khursheed Shah’s name was also being taken in encroachment of land. MNA Ramesh Kumar had informed the bench that Domkis, Mazaris and Shahs, all of them have encroached upon the land owned by the Hindu community. “In Larkana, Dharamshala, Gaoshala and even a crematorium have been encroached upon by land grabbers, the MNA told the court. He told the court that 45 applications were received from Larkana alone regarding land grabbing. The land of Prof Bhagwan Devi was grabbed with an unregistered power of attorney, the MNA said. Responding to his statement, the CJP said he was extending scope of the committee so it could entertain all applications related to the matter. He, however, added that the apex court had particularly taken notice of Dr Bhagwan Devi, a retired professor, who in a video claimed that the Hindu community in Sindh was the victim of the worst lawlessness and mismanagement. The video of Dr Bhagwan Devi came to light in October in which she said that the land mafia was taking over properties owned by Hindus in Sindh, especially Larkana, on the basis of “false power of attorney”. Devi added that affected members of the community were also being threatened into silence. “Many Hindus of Larkana have sold their properties and are ready to leave [the country],” she regretted, adding that many had already left. Published in Daily Times, December 5th 2018.