Citizens' plots at risk amid KDA land fraud investigation

Sources say fraudulent disposal of citizens’ plots within the KDA has intensified in recent months

Alarming irregularities in the disposal of valuable land by the Karachi Development Authority have prompted Director General Asif Jan Siddiqui to constitute a 10-member committee to investigate the alleged fraudulent transfer of a prime plot in Federal B Area, sources said on Sunday.

As per details, the latest case involves plot number BS-57, measuring 400 square yards in Federal B Area, Block 7, which was allegedly disposed of by KDA officials in collusion with a powerful land mafia. Upon receiving reports of the fraud, the KDA DG took serious notice and ordered an inquiry into the matter.

The committee will be headed by KDA Finance Member Kashif Khan and will include senior officials from different departments — among them, the senior director land, KDA secretary, law officer, director E&E, director P&UD, additional director IT, additional director recoveries, and the executive engineer of Federal B Area. The additional director commercial will serve as both member and secretary of the committee, which has been directed to submit its report within seven days.

Sources said the fraudulent disposal of citizens’ plots within the KDA has intensified in recent months, with several high-value properties allegedly transferred through forged documents and official connivance.

In the past, seven major plots, collectively worth billions of rupees, were earlier found to have been fraudulently disposed of. In that case, the then Sindh Local Government Minister, Saeed Ghani, had constituted a three-member inquiry committee, headed by Additional Director Local Government Ayesha Hamid, directing it to submit findings within 15 days.

However, despite the lapse of over six months, the committee failed to produce a report. Consequently, Director Land Asif Raza Chandio was transferred, while Ayesha Hamid was also reassigned — effectively stalling the investigation.

Interestingly, immediately after the new inquiry into the Federal B Area plot began, Director Land Muhammad Faisal was also abruptly transferred, raising concerns within the department.

Senior KDA officials, requesting anonymity, claimed that the 'corrupt mafia' inside the institution had launched a 'clearance sale' of valuable plots, exploiting weak oversight and internal loopholes. They warned that continued corruption and irregularities within KDA were leaving citizens’ properties increasingly vulnerable to land grabs and fraudulent allotments.