In a significant step towards protecting public land and preserving Karachi’s valuable recreational spaces, Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab today initiated a formal process to verify the title, ownership, and legal status of a plot claimed to be situated adjacent to Hill Park in Block-6, PECHS.
Acting on information brought to the attention of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), the mayor has written to the Federal Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Works, seeking an urgent and comprehensive verification of Plot No. 39-G-4, Block-6, PECHS, Karachi. The move reflects the KMC’s commitment to ensuring transparency, legality, and the protection of public assets from any unauthorized encroachment or irregular land transactions.
According to preliminary scrutiny conducted by the KMC, the plot in question is currently claimed to measure approximately 500 square yards. However, an examination of the original 1959 approved master plan of P.E.C.H.S. indicates that Plot No. 39-G-4 does not appear to exist in the originally approved layout plan. Furthermore, the dimensions and configuration reflected in the approved records suggest that only a small residual parcel of land, measuring approximately 200 square yards, could potentially exist at the location.
The findings have raised serious concerns regarding the legal basis on which a separate plot measuring 500 square yards is reflected in certain records. Given that the site is contiguous to Hill Park-one of Karachi’s most important public recreational facilities vested in the KMC-there is a legitimate concern that land originally earmarked for public use, open space, or ancillary park facilities may have been altered, merged, regularized, or otherwise reflected in private title documents without lawful authority.
To ascertain the facts and protect the public interest, Wahab has requested the Ministry of Housing and Works to provide complete records relating to the plot, including title documents, allotment orders, lease deeds, conveyance records, mutation entries, approved and revised layout plans, survey reports, demarcation proceedings, and details of any regularization, subdivision, amalgamation, or reconstitution carried out in respect of the land.
The mayor has also sought clarification regarding the legal justification under which the plot area is reflected as 500 square yards and whether any portion of land designated for Hill Park, public amenities, open spaces, utility areas, or government land has been encroached upon or incorporated into the subject property.
Wahab reiterated that public lands and recreational spaces are a trust for the people of Karachi and must be protected through strict adherence to the law and planning regulations.
‘Karachi’s parks, amenity spaces, and public assets belong to its citizens. Any ambiguity regarding the ownership, allotment, or use of land adjoining public facilities must be thoroughly investigated. The KMC will ensure that all facts are brought on record and that appropriate action is taken in accordance with the law,’ he stated.
The mayor emphasized that the verification exercise is aimed at ensuring transparency and accountability in land administration while safeguarding public property from unlawful encroachments or irregularities. He further affirmed that the KMC would continue to pursue all legal and administrative measures necessary to preserve municipal assets and protect the rights of Karachi’s residents.