Baghdad:Parliament Speaker Haibat al-Halbousi has expressed his firm opposition to altering the “agricultural reform” status and any unauthorized use of lands in areas south of Baghdad.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, al-Halbousi met with Minister of Agriculture Abdul Rahim al-Shammari and a delegation of tribal sheikhs and notables from the southern Baghdad region. The meeting focused on concerns about attempts to change the legal classification of certain citizen-owned lands and their use for purposes other than originally designated.

Al-Halbousi reiterated his stance against lifting the agricultural reform status and any encroachment on these lands. He highlighted the Federal Supreme Court’s Ruling No. 65/Federal/2013, which prohibits any property ownership transfers intended to change the demographic or cultural characteristics of areas throughout Iraq.

He also emphasized that rulings by the Federal Supreme Court, such as this, are final and binding on all authorities under Article 94 of the Constitution. Al-Halbousi is actively coordinating with the Prime Minister to stop the reclassification of land from agricultural to residential in these areas.