KMC denies land use change approval

Judicial Commission told no record exists of land status alteration

KARACHI:

The municipal commissioner of the KMC has submitted a response before the Judicial Commission probing the Gul Plaza fire tragedy, stating that no approval was ever granted for any change in the land use of the building.

According to the submitted reply, the commission had sought an explanation from the municipal commissioner, following which an internal review of official records was carried out.

A report was also obtained from the KMC director land, who confirmed that no such approval exists in the official record. The response further stated that since the land came under KMC's control, no change in its status has been recorded. It was maintained that the report was compiled after examining the Land Department's record, and on this basis, no other legal proceedings would be affected.

Separately, the senior member of the Board of Revenue has also submitted a detailed report before the Judicial Commission regarding the ownership and record of the Gul Plaza land. The report states that the plot originally belongs to the provincial government, while KMC exercised only limited administrative and financial authority over it. It also stated that no audit or review is available on record regarding compliance with the original land use conditions.

The BoR's report was compiled on the basis of records obtained from the district registrar Karachi, deputy director lands KMC, and Mukhtiarkar Saddar. According to the findings, the land measuring approximately 8,128 square yards was initially recorded as the property of the Karachi municipality.