Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed said on Wednesday the Sindh Revenue Board (SRB) is the most corrupt institution.
CJP to Sindh Govt… pic.twitter.com/wtp6igznj2
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An apex court bench headed by the chief justice Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed was hearing a case pertaining to the computerization of land records in the province.
During the hearing, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, a member of the bench, asked Sindh Revenue Board (SRB) officials why haven’t land records been completely computarised as yet. “You had been asking for two, two months [to accomplish the task] but decades have gone by,” he observed.
The senior member of the Sindh Revenue Board (SRB) told the judges that the land record of the entire province had been computarised except for Thatta.
“The last time the Sindh Revenue Board (SRB) had sought two months was in 2018,” Justice Ahsan recalled. “Why are revenue officials unable to computerise Thatta’s land record?” the court asked, wondering that three years have elapsed but the district’s land record had not been digitalized yet.
CJP Gulzar Ahmed remarked that disputes involving thousands of acres of lands are arising. Chief justice Pakistan came down hard on the SRB officials over NA-Class (unregistered) land in the province. “What century do we live in?” he snapped, saying that unregistered land is being used to milk billions of rupees.
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Asked about when will the Sindh Revenue Board (SRB) complete a survey of Karachi’s land, the senior member replied that six months’ time is needed for the purpose.
‘Entire country is developing except Sindh’
Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed also remarked that the entire country is developing except Sindh. Taking the Sindh government to task, the chief justice Gulzar Ahmed said people in Tharparkar are desperate for a drop of water even today. “Not a single RO [Reverse Osmosis) plant was installed but Rs1500 million had been spent,” he added.
“What plan does the government have?” the chief justice asked the Advocate General, observing the situation is getting worse.
Unfortunately, the top adjudicator remarked, people rule here from London, Dubai or Canada, which does not happen in any other province. Even an assistant sub-inspector becomes so powerful that he runs the entire system, he added.
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“Your government has been in power here for many years. What did citizens get?” Chief Justice Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed questioned the top provincial law officer.
The Advocate General asked the apex court for two days’ time saying the provincial government is going to unveil the budget tomorrow.
At this, the Chief Justice Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed questioned what did people get as the budget was presented last year too. “It is a rigmarole of figures. You just move numbers here and there.”