Guide
Land Grabbing in Karachi: How to Spot Encroached Land
By Maham Imtiaz
Real Estate AnalystVerified author
10 min read
Land grabbing in Karachi rarely looks like a crime at the point of sale. It looks like a plot with a fresh boundary wall, a seller with a stamp-paper agreement, and a price slightly below the market. Behind it may be a park carved into plots, an allottee's plot occupied while they waited for possession, a goth claim stretched far beyond its sanction, or a forged entry in the revenue record. In January 2026, NAB told the Sindh chief minister it was handling 188 land cases across Sindh covering about 461,488 acres. Karachi's development authorities run recovery drives every year, and land cleared once is often occupied again.
Spotting encroached land is part of the land layer. Our guide on how to verify property in Karachi explains that title and possession must both be confirmed, and encroached land fails one or the other, sometimes both.
This guide explains how land grabbing works in Karachi, the law against it, the warning signs on the ground and in the papers, the checks that catch it, and what to do if your own plot is occupied.
The scale of the problem
| Recovery or case | Figure reported |
|---|---|
| NAB land cases across Sindh, January 2026 | 188 cases (154 inquiries, 34 investigations) covering about 461,488 acres |
| Karachi urban evacuee land recovered | 635 acres |
| Clifton Blocks I and II recovered | 350 acres |
| MDA recovery drive, 2020 | About 1,200 of roughly 5,000 grabbed acres recovered in two months |
| KDA, North Karachi | About Rs8 billion of encroached land and 350 properties under scrutiny |
| Fake revenue entries cancelled, Jamshoro | 83 entries; 1,040 acres recovered |
In July 2026, Sindh's cabinet land committee ordered departments to prepare a final list of allottees whose plots had been occupied, and to use police to restore them to genuine owners.
How land is grabbed in Karachi
| Method | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| China cutting | Parks, playgrounds and school sites cut into plots and sold |
| Occupation of allotted plots | Plots in Taiser Town, Shah Latif Town, Hawksbay and societies occupied before the allottee takes possession |
| Expanded goth claims | A small genuine goth used to claim far more land |
| Forged sanads, allotments or NOCs | Documents never issued by the office whose name they carry |
| Fake revenue entries | Changes to the deh record that create title where none existed |
| Overlapping grants | Two bodies granting the same land, such as a society's land and an industrial estate |
| Holding over | Lessees or licensees staying on government land after their term ends |
Most of these methods leave traces either on the ground or in the papers, which is why both have to be checked.
The law against encroachment
Sindh's main law is the Sindh Public Property (Removal of Encroachment) Act 2010. Its definition of public property includes land controlled by the government, local councils, autonomous bodies and registered cooperative societies.
| Provision | What it says |
|---|---|
| Removal order, section 3 | Encroachment must be removed within not less than two days of the order |
| Review, section 4 | Petition within three days; decided within fifteen |
| Eviction, section 5 | Force may be used; the structure vests in the public body |
| Costs, section 6 | Demolition costs recoverable as land revenue |
| Punishment, section 8(1) | One to ten years' imprisonment, a fine equal to the property's market value, or both |
| Abettors, including officials, section 8(2) | One to five years, a fine up to Rs500,000, or both |
| Civil courts barred, section 11 | Disputes over public property go to the Anti-Encroachment Tribunal |
| Tribunal, sections 12 to 14 | Exclusive jurisdiction over whether property is public or a lease has ended |
| Special Courts, sections 25 to 27 | Try offences on a complaint by an authorised officer; appeal to the High Court |
The Act gives the encroacher no compensation. A buyer who pays for encroached public land can lose both the land and any structure on it.
What the courts tell owners to do
When a cooperative society told the Sindh High Court that its amenity plot in Scheme 33 had been occupied in 2023, the court in September 2025 sent it to the remedy under the 2010 Act: first the competent authority, then the Anti-Encroachment Tribunal if the authority fails to act. In 2026, the High Court also held that the Tribunal cannot decide disputes outside its jurisdiction, such as competing claims to official accommodation, which belong with the allotting authority.
| Situation | Forum |
|---|---|
| Public or society land occupied | Competent authority, then Anti-Encroachment Tribunal |
| Dispute over who owns private land | Civil court |
| Forged documents | Police, anti-corruption or the courts |
| Development authority plot occupied | The authority's anti-encroachment directorate |
Warning signs on the ground
| Sign | What it may mean |
|---|---|
| Fresh boundary wall on an old plot | Recent occupation or a claim being staked |
| People living on a "vacant" plot | Possession not with the seller |
| Plot facing a park in the layout, now built | China-cut amenity land |
| Demolition debris on nearby plots | Recent anti-encroachment drive; land may be reoccupied |
| Court notice or stay board on the land | Litigation |
| Local "guarantor" offering possession for a fee | Possession controlled by grabbers, not the title holder |
| Plot size larger than in the allotment | Extra land added from roads or amenities |
Warning signs in the papers
| Sign | What it may mean |
|---|---|
| Sale on stamp paper only | No registered title |
| Sanad, allotment or NOC with no date or number | Possible forgery |
| Seller not the allottee or registered owner | Broken chain |
| Area in documents larger than the layout plan | Land added from elsewhere |
| Revenue entry recently changed | Possible fake entry |
| Price far below nearby plots | Seller knows the land is disputed |
Development authorities clear encroachments regularly, but buyers should not assume clearance is permanent. Our report on how KDA reclaimed land from illegal structures in Surjani Town explains why a pattern of drives matters.
How to check a plot before paying
- Confirm the land holder: KDA, MDA, Lyari DA, a society, a cantonment or the Board of Revenue.
- Match the plot to the layout plan and confirm it is not an amenity, road or green belt.
- Check the deh and survey number with the Board of Revenue for recent changes.
- Verify every document with the office that issued it.
- Visit the plot and speak to neighbours about who has occupied it.
- Search for court cases on the plot, sector or deh.
- Ask the authority about encroachment drives in the sector.
- Pay only after possession is handed over, with the plot vacant and demarcated.
If your own plot is occupied
- Collect your documents: allotment, transfer, lease and possession order.
- Apply in writing to the land authority's anti-encroachment directorate.
- Lodge a police complaint if there is trespass or forgery.
- Approach the Anti-Encroachment Tribunal if the authority does not act within a reasonable time.
- Seek a civil remedy if the dispute is over private ownership.
- Keep records of every application and response.
What the numbers show: Milkiyat.com findings
NAB's Sindh land cases average about 2,450 acres each. 461,488 ÷ 188 = about 2,455 acres per case.
MDA's 2020 drive recovered about a quarter of grabbed land. 1,200 ÷ 5,000 = 24%.
The North Karachi land averages about Rs23 million per property. Our report on how KDA targeted Rs8 billion of encroached land in North Karachi gives the totals: Rs8 billion ÷ 350 = about Rs22.9 million.
An encroacher can be fined the full market value. On a 120-yard plot valued at Rs5 million, the fine could reach Rs5 million, on top of up to 10 years in prison.
An official who helps faces up to five years. Abettors, including public servants, face 1 to 5 years and up to Rs500,000.
The review window is three days. A person served a removal order has 3 days to seek review, and the authority 15 days to decide.
Checklist before you pay
| Check | Where |
|---|---|
| Land holder confirmed | Land authority or Board of Revenue |
| Plot not on amenity or road land | Layout plan |
| Revenue record unchanged | Board of Revenue |
| Documents verified at source | Issuing office |
| Plot vacant and demarcated | Site visit and neighbours |
| No litigation | Sindh High Court and tribunals |
| Possession handed over | Authority and site |
Frequently asked questions
Q1. How common is land grabbing in Karachi?
A. Common enough that NAB reported 188 land cases across Sindh in 2026 covering about 461,488 acres, and Karachi's development authorities run regular recovery drives.
Q2. What is the punishment for encroachment in Sindh?
A. Under the 2010 Act, one to ten years' imprisonment, a fine equal to the market value of the encroached property, or both.
Q3. Is society land protected under the encroachment law?
A. Yes. The Act's definition of public property includes land controlled by registered cooperative societies.
Q4. Where do I go if my plot is occupied?
A. First the land authority's anti-encroachment directorate, then the Anti-Encroachment Tribunal if it fails to act. Private ownership disputes go to the civil courts.
Q5. How can I tell if a plot is encroached?
A. Look for occupants on site, fresh boundary walls, a plot facing an amenity in the layout plan, documents that cannot be verified, and prices far below the market.
Q6. Will I get compensation if I bought encroached land?
A. No. The Act provides no compensation to encroachers, and buyers from encroachers get no better title than the seller had.
Q7. Does a recovery drive mean the land is safe?
A. Not necessarily. Land cleared once is often reoccupied, so check the plot's current status before paying.
This guide is for general information. Land records, encroachment status and laws change, and buyers should verify every plot with the land authority, the Board of Revenue and a qualified lawyer before paying.