Guide
All KDA Schemes in Karachi: Complete List With Locations
By Maham Imtiaz
Real Estate AnalystVerified author
9 min read
Much of planned Karachi was laid out by the Karachi Development Authority. Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, North Nazimabad, Federal B Area, Clifton, Surjani Town and Scheme 33 all began as numbered KDA schemes, and the scheme number still appears on leases, transfer orders and FBR valuation tables decades later. Knowing which scheme a plot sits in, and which authority holds it today, is the first step in checking it.
That step sits at the start of the land layer. Our guide on how to verify property in Karachi explains that title has to be confirmed with the body that holds the land record, and for some older KDA schemes that body is no longer KDA.
This directory lists the KDA schemes that buyers meet most often, with their locations, when they were notified where the record shows it, which authority holds them now, and their official valuation. It also explains how to identify a plot's scheme and why the number matters.
Why the scheme number matters
| Use | Why the scheme number is needed |
|---|---|
| Title verification | KDA files are organised by scheme, sector and plot number |
| Transfer and lease | KDA's transfer orders, leases and mutations cite the scheme |
| Valuation | FBR's Karachi table lists several KDA schemes as separate rows |
| Building approval | SBCA's verification letter from KDA identifies the scheme and plot |
| Amenity checks | The scheme's layout plan shows which plots are parks, schools or other amenities |
The main KDA schemes
KDA does not publish a complete scheme list online. The table below is compiled from KDA notifications and layout plans made public, the FBR's Karachi valuation table, and the authorities' own pages. Confirm any scheme detail with KDA before relying on it.
| Scheme | Name or main area | Location | Notified or planned | Current land authority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 and 1-A | KDA Scheme 1 | Off Shahrah-e-Faisal, central Karachi | Early KDA scheme | KDA |
| 2 | North Nazimabad (Taimuria) | North Nazimabad | 1964 | KDA |
| 3 and 4 | Muzaffarabad | Eastern Karachi | Early KDA scheme | KDA |
| 5 | Clifton (Kehkashan) | Clifton | 1964 | KDA |
| 7 | Jail Road to Drigh Road area, including Chandni Chowk and Stadium Road | Central Karachi | 1957 | KDA |
| 13 | Hill Park area | PECHS and surrounds | 1960s | KDA |
| 13-A | Kohsar | Hill Park area | Layout 1968, gazette 1974 | KDA |
| 16 | Federal B Area | Central Karachi | Layout 1971 | KDA |
| 24 | Gulshan-e-Iqbal | East Karachi | 1970s | KDA |
| 25 | Shah Latif Town and Khanto Pipri | Off the National Highway | 1965 | Transferred to MDA as Scheme 25-A |
| 28 | Orangi Township | West Karachi | 1969 | KDA, with large katchi abadi areas |
| 33 | Gulzar-e-Hijri and cooperative societies | Along the Super Highway | 1970s onward | KDA and societies |
| 35 | Jacob Lines | Central Karachi | 1973 | KDA |
| 36 | Gulistan-e-Jauhar | East Karachi | 1985 | KDA |
| 41 | Surjani Town | North-west Karachi | 1980s | KDA |
| 42 | Hawksbay | West of the city, along the coast | 1990s | Lyari Development Authority |
| 45 | Taiser Town and Gulshan-e-Maymar | North-east Karachi | 1986 | Transferred to MDA in 1996 |
KDA also planned townships such as Baldia Town (1965), North Karachi and Landhi, and older quarters such as Clifton Quarters and Jamshed Quarters predate many numbered schemes.
Scheme names and numbers are not always used consistently. Some records use a scheme's number, others its popular name, and different sources attach different names to the same number. Scheme 25, for example, appears in records as both Shah Latif Town and Khanto Pipri, and Scheme 45 covers both Taiser Town and Gulshan-e-Maymar. When documents disagree, the land authority's own file is the one that counts.
Schemes that left KDA
Three of the best-known "KDA schemes" are no longer KDA's to verify.
| Scheme | Now with | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 25 / 25-A, Shah Latif Town | Malir Development Authority | Allotments, transfers and possession through MDA |
| 42, Hawksbay | Lyari Development Authority | Allotments and leases through Lyari DA; subject to a 2026 PAC inquiry |
| 45, Taiser Town | Malir Development Authority | Notified by KDA over 20,570 acres in 1986, transferred to MDA in 1996 |
A seller who offers a "KDA plot" in one of these schemes may be using an old name. Verify with the authority that holds the file today.
What the FBR values say about each scheme
The FBR's 2024 Karachi valuation table names several KDA schemes directly. The spread between them shows how differently the market treats old central schemes and newer outer ones.
| FBR row | Residential open plot, per sq ft |
|---|---|
| K.D.A. Scheme No. 1 and 1-A | Rs8,200 |
| K.D.A. Officers Housing Society | Rs8,200 |
| Air Force Officers Cooperative Housing Society, Scheme 33 | Rs5,000 |
| Chandni Chowk, KDA Scheme 7 | Rs2,600 |
| Scheme 33, excluding Metroville-III | Rs1,100 |
| Landhi Township, KDA | Rs1,100 |
| Shah Latif Town, Scheme 25 | Rs500 |
| Surjani Town, KDA Scheme 41 | Rs400 |
Many larger schemes, such as Gulshan-e-Iqbal and Gulistan-e-Jauhar, are valued block by block in the FBR table rather than as a single scheme row.
How to identify a plot's scheme
- Read the allotment or lease. The scheme number, sector or block and plot number should all appear.
- Check the transfer order or mutation for the same reference.
- Ask KDA's land department to confirm the scheme and current record, using its land forms and service counters.
- For schemes 25, 42 and 45, check with MDA or Lyari DA instead.
- Get the layout plan to confirm the plot is residential and not an amenity.
Our guide to the KDA transfer procedure and fees explains how the scheme reference is used when ownership changes.
Older schemes vs newer schemes
| Factor | Older central schemes (1, 2, 5, 7, 13, 16, 24) | Newer outer schemes (33, 36, 41, 45) |
|---|---|---|
| Development | Fully built up | Partly built, with open plots remaining |
| Leases | Usually executed decades ago | Often still pending on some plots |
| Main buyer risk | Old record gaps, amenity conversions, portions | Possession, encroachment, missing utilities |
| Liquidity | High | Lower, varies by block |
| Official value | Higher | Lower |
Neither type is automatically safer. Older schemes carry records and land-use risks built up over decades; newer schemes carry delivery and possession risks. The checks differ, and buyers should match their checks to the scheme.
Amenity plots in older schemes
The older and denser a scheme, the more pressure on its parks, playgrounds and school sites. Older schemes such as 1, 2, 5, 7, 13, 16, 24 and 36 contain many of the amenity plots at the centre of Karachi's encroachment and china-cutting disputes.
Our guide to KDA amenity plots and buyer risk explains how to make sure a plot was never meant to be a park.
What the numbers show: Milkiyat.com findings
Central KDA land is valued about 20 times outer KDA land. KDA Scheme 1 at Rs8,200 per square foot against Surjani Town at Rs400: 8,200 ÷ 400 = 20.5 times.
A 120-square-yard plot ranges from under Rs0.5 million to almost Rs9 million on paper. 120 square yards = 1,080 square feet. In Scheme 1: 1,080 × 8,200 = Rs8.86 million. In Surjani Town: 1,080 × 400 = Rs432,000.
Three well-known schemes are no longer KDA's. Schemes 25, 42 and 45 have moved to MDA or Lyari DA: 3 of the schemes listed here.
Taiser Town spent a decade with KDA before transfer. Notified in 1986 and transferred to MDA in 1996: 10 years.
The oldest scheme here is nearly 70 years old. Scheme 7's notification dates from 1957: 2026 − 1957 = 69 years.
Checklist before you pay
| Check | Where |
|---|---|
| Scheme, sector and plot number on the documents | Allotment, lease, transfer order |
| Which authority holds the scheme today | KDA, MDA or Lyari DA |
| Record in the seller's name | That authority's land department |
| Plot's use on the layout plan | KDA master plan or land department |
| Lease status | KDA |
| FBR valuation row for the area | FBR Karachi table |
Frequently asked questions
Q1. How many KDA schemes are there in Karachi?
A. KDA has notified dozens of numbered schemes since 1957, plus townships and older quarters. It does not publish a complete list online, so confirm any scheme with KDA directly.
Q2. Which scheme is Gulshan-e-Iqbal?
A. Gulshan-e-Iqbal is KDA Scheme 24.
Q3. Which scheme is Gulistan-e-Jauhar?
A. Gulistan-e-Jauhar is KDA Scheme 36, notified in 1985.
Q4. Is Taiser Town a KDA scheme?
A. It was notified by KDA as Scheme 45 in 1986 and transferred to the Malir Development Authority in 1996. Verify Taiser Town plots with MDA.
Q5. Who holds Hawksbay Scheme 42?
A. The Lyari Development Authority.
Q6. What is Scheme 33?
A. A large KDA scheme along the Super Highway, including Gulzar-e-Hijri and many cooperative housing societies.
Q7. How do I find which scheme my plot is in?
A. Check the allotment letter, lease or transfer order for the scheme number, and confirm it with the land authority that holds the scheme today.
This directory is for general information and is compiled from public records that may be incomplete. Scheme boundaries, names and authorities can change, and buyers should confirm every scheme, plot and record directly with KDA, MDA or Lyari DA before paying.