Kamran KhamisoKhowaja

THATTA:Resurgence of land Mafias in the Kohistan belt of district Thatta and Jamshoro has made the life of local villagers miserable and the silence of concerned quarters have further added to their sufferings.

Residents of Village Haji Bahwal Khan Jokhio and Bablani village staged vociferous protests against the illegal occupation of land and forced eviction by a few influential land grabbers of the area.

As per details, land grabbers along with their armed accomplices had started construction on the land measuring 3,000 acres late on Thursday night situated between two historical cities Jhumpir and Jhungshi of district Thatta. The land is situated alongside the two villages and is owned by the villagers.

Protesting villagers that included a large number of women and children told local reporters that the land grabbers were using different tactics to deprive them of their ancestral land.

The affected villagers said that a few armed goons barged into their villages at midnight and resorted to aerial firing to create fear among the villagers and force them to evict their abodes where they had been living for decades.

AyazJokhiyo, a villager, said that they had been implicated in false cases by the land grabbers to retreat from their stance but they would never do that and foil all their attempts.

He alleged that Bashir Ali Jokhiyo and Bakht Ali Jokhiyo in collision with a few private construction companies were involved in the illegal construction and forced eviction of the villagers.

The villagers demanded the Sindh Government and Provincial Police Chief provide them protection and take action against the land grabbers. Despite protest by villagers the construction work continued at the land till the filing of this report.