Guide
Which Karachi Areas Fall Under Cantonment Boards?
By Maham Imtiaz
Real Estate AnalystVerified author
10 min read
Nearly a million Karachi residents live inside a cantonment, and many of them do not know it until they apply for a building plan or pay property tax. Karachi has six cantonment boards: Clifton, Karachi, Faisal, Malir, Korangi Creek and Manora. Inside their limits, building control, property tax and many municipal services sit with the board under federal law, not with SBCA, KMC or the Sindh Excise department. Some of the areas inside them, such as KDA Officers Society or Capital Cooperative Housing Society, sound like ordinary city or KDA neighbourhoods.
Knowing whether a property is in a cantonment decides which records you check. Our guide on how to verify property in Karachi explains that the building layer and tax records depend on who has jurisdiction, and inside a cantonment that is the board, not SBCA.
This directory lists each of Karachi's six cantonment boards, the localities reported inside each, their 2023 census populations by district, and how to confirm whether a specific plot falls inside cantonment limits.
Karachi's six cantonments at a glance
| Cantonment board | 2023 population | Districts it spans | Best-known areas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faisal | 350,518 | Karachi East, Malir, Korangi | Drigh Road area, Askari-IV, KDA Officers Society, Gulshan-e-Jamal |
| Clifton | 245,943 | Karachi South, Korangi | DHA Phases 1 to 8, Clifton |
| Malir | 217,489 | Malir, Karachi East | Malir Cantonment, Askari-V, Falcon Complex, DOHS |
| Karachi | 86,338 | Karachi South, Karachi East | Saddar cantonment area, Garden area edge |
| Korangi Creek | 69,584 | Korangi, Malir | Korangi Creek |
| Manora | 2,956 | Keamari | Manora island |
| Total | 972,828 |
Populations are from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics' 2023 census table for Sindh, which lists each cantonment by sub-division. The totals here add those entries.
Faisal Cantonment
Karachi's most populous cantonment grew around the RAF base at Drigh Road, founded in 1925 and renamed Faisal in 1947. Its boundaries were changed in 1988 and 1995.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| 2023 population by sub-division | Gulshan-e-Iqbal 289,473; Airport 30,981; Shah Faisal 30,064 |
| Localities reported inside | Askari-IV, KDA Officers Cooperative Housing Society, KDA Scheme 1-A (Extension), Gulshan-e-Jamal, Gulshan-e-Amna, Sindh Baloch Cooperative Housing Society, Millat Colony, Pak Sadat Colony, Rehmanabad, Old Iqbalabad, T and T Colony, Malir Halt, Haidri Goth, Khosa Goth, Massan Ghat |
The surprise for many buyers is that KDA Officers Society and part of KDA Scheme 1-A sit inside Faisal Cantonment. A plot there may carry a KDA lease while its building plan and property tax fall to the cantonment board.
Clifton Cantonment
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| 2023 population by sub-division | Civil Lines 196,813; Saddar 43,507; Korangi 5,623 |
| Localities | DHA Phases 1 to 8 and Clifton |
| Land authority inside | DHA Karachi for DHA plots; KDA for Clifton's KDA-leased plots |
Clifton Cantonment Board is Karachi's most active prime-property board. In DHA, plot allotment and transfer sit with DHA Karachi, while the board handles municipal services and property tax. In Clifton's KDA blocks, the lease comes from KDA and building control from the board.
Malir Cantonment
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| 2023 population by sub-division | Airport 106,089; Gulzar-e-Hijri 88,335; Murad Memon 23,065 |
| Localities reported inside | Cantonment Bazar area, DOHS 1 and 2, Askari-V, Falcon Complex (Air Force Officers Housing Scheme Phase I), Air Force Officers Housing Scheme New Malir, Tipu Sultan Cooperative Housing Society, Gulshan-e-Roomi, Saadi Town, Capital Cooperative Housing Society, Sumaira Bungalows, Gulshan-e-Umair |
Malir Cantonment's Gulzar-e-Hijri sub-division share shows that part of the Scheme 33 belt falls inside cantonment limits. A society plot there may need its land checked with the society and its building checked with the board.
Karachi Cantonment
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| 2023 population by sub-division | Saddar 68,097; Jamshed Quarters 15,577; Civil Lines 2,664 |
| Boundaries described | Garden area to the north, Karachi Cantonment railway station to the south, FTC bridge to the east, Arts Council and Sindh Assembly side to the west |
| Established | 1839 as a British military base |
Karachi Cantonment covers much of the old cantonment around Saddar. Its board handles sewerage, sanitation, roads, building control and transfers of immovable property in its area.
Korangi Creek and Manora
| Korangi Creek | Manora | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 population | 69,584 | 2,956 |
| Sub-divisions | Korangi 52,186; Ibrahim Hyderi 17,398 | Keamari |
| Private market | Limited, mostly defence housing | Very limited |
Where each cantonment sits on the map
| Cantonment | Position in the city | Main roads and landmarks nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Clifton | South, along the coast | Sea View, Khayaban-e-Ittehad, Korangi Road edge |
| Karachi | Central south | Saddar, Shahrah-e-Faisal start, FTC |
| Faisal | Central east | Shahrah-e-Faisal, Drigh Road, PAF Base Faisal |
| Malir | East | Near the airport, stretching towards the Gulzar-e-Hijri side of the Super Highway |
| Korangi Creek | South-east | Korangi Creek, near the Korangi industrial area |
| Manora | South-west, across the harbour | Manora island |
The cantonments form a broad belt from the coast through the city centre to the east. Most of the west and north of Karachi lies outside any cantonment.
Why the population figures differ
The Commissioner Karachi's office lists 2023 populations of 240,320 for Clifton Cantonment and 70,761 for Karachi Cantonment. The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics' sub-division table, added up, gives 245,943 and 86,338. The difference is likely in how parts of each cantonment that cross into other sub-divisions are counted. This guide uses the Bureau's figures because they cover all six cantonments.
What the board controls inside its limits
| Function | Inside a cantonment | Outside |
|---|---|---|
| Building plan approval | Cantonment board, or DHA inside DHA | SBCA |
| Property tax | Cantonment board | Sindh Excise and Taxation |
| Water, sanitation, local roads | Cantonment board | Water corporation, KMC, towns |
| Land record | Board, Military Lands, DHA, or KDA as lessor | KDA, MDA, societies, Board of Revenue |
| Height clearance | Security NOC from Station Headquarters | Agency NOCs above set heights |
Cantonment property tax is assessed and collected by the board, not the province. Our guide to property taxes in Pakistan in 2026 explains how provincial and federal taxes sit alongside these local charges.
How to check whether a plot is in a cantonment
- Read the title documents. Cantonment, DHA or Military Lands references are the clearest sign.
- Check the last property tax bill. A bill from a cantonment board, not Sindh Excise, confirms the board's jurisdiction.
- Check utility bills. Some boards run their own water supply, and Malir Cantonment also its own electricity.
- Ask the board directly with the plot's address and survey or plot number.
- Do not rely on the area's name. KDA Officers Society, Capital Society and Saadi Town are all reported inside cantonment limits.
- Confirm boundaries on the ground where a plot sits near a cantonment edge.
Plots near a boundary are the easiest to misjudge. Our guide on how to verify a property's location before paying a token explains how to match a plot's papers to its position on the ground.
Where the lines cause confusion
| Situation | What it means |
|---|---|
| KDA lease inside Faisal or Clifton Cantonment | Land from KDA; building and tax from the board |
| Society plot inside Malir Cantonment | Land from the society and Registrar; building from the board |
| DHA plot | DHA for land and transfer; board for tax and services |
| Plot on a boundary road | Confirm which side of the line it falls |
| Older documents | Boundaries changed in 1988 and 1995 in Faisal Cantonment |
What the numbers show: Milkiyat.com findings
About 973,000 Karachi residents live in cantonments. 245,943 + 86,338 + 350,518 + 217,489 + 69,584 + 2,956 = 972,828.
Faisal Cantonment holds over a third of them. 350,518 ÷ 972,828 = about 36%.
Malir Cantonment grew about 62% in six years. From 134,106 in 2017 to 217,489 in 2023: 83,383 ÷ 134,106 = about 62%.
Clifton Cantonment shrank by about a fifth. From 304,994 in 2017 to 245,943 in 2023: 59,051 ÷ 304,994 = about 19.4% fewer residents.
Manora's population roughly halved. From 5,874 in 2017 to 2,956 in 2023: about 50% fewer.
Most of Faisal Cantonment is in one sub-division. 289,473 ÷ 350,518 = about 83% in Gulshan-e-Iqbal sub-division.
Five of six cantonments cross a district boundary. Only Manora sits in a single sub-division: 5 of 6 span two or more.
Checklist before you pay
| Check | Where |
|---|---|
| Is the plot inside a cantonment? | Board office, tax bill, title papers |
| Which board? | Board office |
| Land record holder | DHA, KDA, society or Military Lands |
| Approved plan and completion | Board, or DHA inside DHA |
| Property tax clearance | Board |
| Security NOC for upper floors | Station Headquarters, through the board |
Frequently asked questions
Q1. How many cantonment boards are there in Karachi?
A. Six: Clifton, Karachi, Faisal, Malir, Korangi Creek and Manora.
Q2. Which is the largest cantonment in Karachi by population?
A. Faisal Cantonment, with 350,518 residents in the 2023 census.
Q3. Is DHA Karachi in a cantonment?
A. Yes. DHA Phases 1 to 8 fall within Clifton Cantonment. DHA handles land and transfers, while the board handles property tax and municipal services.
Q4. Is KDA Officers Society in a cantonment?
A. It is reported as part of Faisal Cantonment. Confirm with the board, since the plot may carry a KDA lease while the board controls building and tax.
Q5. Does SBCA approve buildings in cantonments?
A. No. Inside cantonment limits, the board, or DHA within DHA, approves building plans.
Q6. Who collects property tax in a cantonment?
A. The cantonment board, not the Sindh Excise and Taxation department.
Q7. How do I confirm whether my plot is in a cantonment?
A. Check the title documents and property tax bill, then ask the board directly with the plot's address and number.
This directory is for general information. Cantonment boundaries, locality lists and jurisdiction can change, and buyers should confirm any plot's status directly with the relevant cantonment board, the land authority and a qualified lawyer before paying.