ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Maritime Affairs informed the National Assembly that around 1,100 acres of Karachi Port Trust (KPT) land have been encroached upon over several decades, largely due to political influences and other contributing factors.
In a written reply to a question from MNA Malik Shakir Bashir Awan during the Question Hour, the ministry stated that multiple anti-encroachment operations have been launched under the prime minister’s directives to reclaim state-owned land. These operations have been jointly conducted by KPT, the Sindh government, Port Security Force, Pakistan Rangers (Sindh), and Sindh Police across five major encroached areas and several smaller locations.
As of March 2025, approximately 60 acres of encroached land have been recovered since the campaign began on January 21, with efforts ongoing. The KPT has also implemented measures to protect the recovered land and ensure its future use.
The Port Qasim Authority (PQA), which oversees its own Anti-Encroachment Cell, has also reported continued efforts to protect its land holdings. In 2022, 17 acres were repossessed from M/s Zaviar Enterprises through an operation carried out by PQA Security and local law enforcement.
However, other areas remain under dispute. Twenty-two acres in Bijaar Kalmati Goth are under litigation (CP No. 1004/2013), barring any enforcement action until a court verdict is issued. Another 7.84 acres in Gulshan-e-Benazir Township Scheme Block-D were temporarily allocated to flood-affected people in 2010 and remain occupied despite repeated efforts to vacate the land.
To address these challenges, the PQA is working closely with the Sindh government. A meeting chaired by the Karachi commissioner on January 6, 2025, brought together officials from the Malir deputy commissioner’s office, Sindh’s anti-encroachment department, and PQA. A subsequent joint survey by the Mukhtiarkar of Ibrahim Hyderi was submitted to the deputy commissioner. Legal procedures are now underway to recover the land in collaboration with the civil administration and police.
Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) have also conducted a separate field survey to assess the extent of illegal occupation on KPT and PQA land.
