Durrani Promises Major Relief for Builders and Developers

Shakeel Ahmed Durrani, Director General of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Karachi, announced on Saturday that the bureau had recovered government land worth Rs 1.5 trillion at the provincial level. Speaking at a ceremony held at ABAD House, Durrani highlighted that NAB, in collaboration with the Sindh Government, was set to establish a special task force aimed at addressing land-related issues across the province.

Durrani further shared that NAB is working alongside the Sindh’s Chief Minister to implement a comprehensive plan targeting the recovery of Rs 10 trillion in government land. He emphasized the need for transparency and called for land sales through public auction, as per the demand of the Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD). The DG NAB acknowledged that discretionary powers related to land transactions had fostered corruption and stated that NAB was exploring converting recovered land into public parks.

Chairman of ABAD, Muhammad Hassan Bakhshi, praised NAB’s transformation into a more efficient institution over the past two years. He highlighted the strengthened relationship between NAB and ABAD, noting progress made in fostering business opportunities for the community. Bakhshi also revealed that five plots of land, including parklands, had been recovered and proposed collaboration with NAB to resolve title-related issues, ensuring no future legal disputes for builders.

In his remarks, DG NAB Rawalpindi Waqar Ahmed Chauhan discussed NAB’s digital strides by announcing the launch of an online property system that includes layout plans from 1,026 housing societies nationwide. This system, set to be accessible to the public soon, aims to streamline the approval process for housing developments.

Former ABAD Chairman Mohsin Sheikhani expressed concern over government institutions dealing with land matters not embracing digital solutions. He suggested that implementing digital systems would resolve 80% of land-related issues, reducing the need for repeated court interventions.