Massive Corruption in Sindh’s Land: Chairman NAB

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Lt. Gen. (Retd) Nazir Ahmed Butt has revealed that large-scale corruption is taking place in Sindh’s land sector, with fraudulent documentation of 7,500 acres in Karachi alone leading to a staggering Rs 3,000 billion scam. He warned that if these files were opened, a major scandal would erupt.
He made these remarks during his visit to the Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD) House in Karachi, where ABAD Chairman Muhammad Hassan Bakhshi, Senior Vice Chairman Syed Afzal Hameed, Vice Chairman Tariq Aziz, Southern Region Chairman Ahmad Owais Thanvi, NAB Sindh Director General Javed Akbar Riaz, and other officials were also present.

ABAD Chairman Muhammad Hassan Bakhshi disclosed that 85,000 illegal buildings have been constructed in Karachi over the past five years. He accused the Sindh government of bypassing transparent land auctions and instead selling plots to favored individuals. He proposed the introduction of a land grant policy, which, if implemented, could generate Rs 500 billion in revenue for the Sindh government.

Chairman NAB criticized Karachi’s land development authorities, stating that LDA, KDA, and MDA have failed to complete infrastructure projects, resulting in 22 years of delays in handing over possession to allottees. Calling this situation unfortunate, he assured that NAB is fully aware of the challenges faced by builders and developers and stands with them. He invited ABAD to provide evidence of corruption so NAB could take strict action against those responsible.

Chairman NAB went so far as to say that Karachi’s land corruption issue is even bigger than the Kashmir issue. He revealed that NAB’s legal framework has been updated, and now only specific cases will be filed under the revised system.

He assured ABAD that if they provided evidence regarding the 85,000 illegal buildings in Karachi, NAB would regularize these structures based on ABAD’s recommendations. He further guaranteed that no incident like the Nasla Tower demolition would happen again in Karachi.

Chairman NAB disclosed that in the last eight months, NAB has reclaimed 1.8 million acres (18 lakh acres) of agricultural land in Sindh, valued at Rs 4,000 billion.
He also noted that reforms within NAB have drastically reduced the number of complaints filed per month—from 4,500 down to 150-200—while approximately 21,000 complaints registered before 2022 have been dismissed.

Chairman NAB announced that a regional office has been established in Gwadar to tackle land-related corruption there. He revealed that land scams worth Rs 3,000 billion are under investigation in Gwadar alone.

To facilitate real estate businesses, a “One-Window Operation” is being introduced in NAB, along with a new policy for Pakistan’s real estate sector, ensuring that all transactions are conducted through banks to eliminate corruption.

ABAD Patron-in-Chief Mohsin Sheikhani urged NAB to establish a verification system for land sales and purchases. He emphasized that Sindh’s land records must be digitized, but the same corrupt departments are handling the process, increasing the risk of further fraud. He suggested hiring third-party experts to ensure transparency in the digitalization process.

Chairman NAB acknowledged that Sindh lacks a proper land record system and that various land departments operate in silos without coordination. He announced that a major crackdown on land record corruption is imminent. He directed the DG NAB to prepare a detailed report on Karachi’s master plan to ensure better urban planning and prevent future illegal constructions.

During the event, NAB and ABAD agreed to work together to address Karachi’s illegal constructions and land corruption, paving the way for stricter regulations and accountability in the real estate sector.