The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has reclaimed a substantial plot of state-owned land in Karachi, valued at over Rs. 9.67 billion, which had been under the illegal possession of private textile mills.
According to an official report today, the retrieval operation by the anti-graft body’s Karachi chapter restored 43.11 acres of prime property to Pakistan Railways.
The recovery concludes a protracted investigative process initiated on 13 July 2019, following initial allegations that private firms had encroached upon government territory. The inquiry, which had been temporarily closed after a Supreme Court ruling, was formally reopened in 2025 upon a request from Pakistan Railways.
The renewed probe specifically targeted officials from the Railway and Revenue Departments, alongside others allegedly involved in the persistent encroachment of the land.
According to the investigation, a discrepancy was discovered between official records and the situation on the ground. While Pakistan Railways maintained it had secured possession in 2021 following the Supreme Court’s orders, NAB’s findings confirmed that private textile mills remained in actual control of the site.
The property, located at Survey Numbers 48, 49, 50, and 51 in Deh Khanto, Juma Goth, Karachi, has now been formally handed over to the physical possession of Pakistan Railways officials after the successful conclusion of the bureau”s inquiry.
This operation marks a significant retrieval of high-value state assets for the public sector, addressing the illegal occupation of government property.