A parliamentary panel on Thursday expressed its serious concern over irregular transfer and seizure of 1325 acres land of Karachi Port Trust (KPT) by encroachers. Performance Audit Report 2003-04 on Estate Management at KPT showed serious reservations over irregular transfer of land to certain organisations and Government of Sindh or its encroachment but the KPT had not been able to get back its land in spite of lapse of a considerable long period of time.
The sub-committee of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) examined the audit report of Ministry of Ports and Shipping for year 2003-04. An area of land measuring 682 acres was encroached by Defence Housing Authority (DHA) in Clifton out of which an area of 207 acres had been recommended for leasing out to DHA at Rs 2.50 per square meter. However, the remaining area measuring 475 acres has not been returned to KPT.
Chairman KPT, Vice Admiral Shafqat Javed, informed the committee that it is a reclaimed land but very precious and was transferred to DHA in a out-of-court settlement. He further stated that the land of 475 acres was initially encroached by DHA which was subsequently given to the Authority on a 99-year lease. In another case, Government of Sindh has launched a scheme by the name of K-28 Trans Lyari and an area of land measuring 270 acres belonging to KPT has unauthorizedly been allocated by the Government of Sindh to 76 different parties without getting the land properly transferred in the name from KPT. The said land was reserved for port-oriented activities including containers yards, workshops, shops and buildings. A suit has been filed by the KPT in the court of law for recovery of land.
In 1992, on the request of the then Chief Minister Sindh, the then Prime Minister directed KPT to transfer land measuring 75 acres of land at China Creek in front of Bath Island to the Government of Sindh. After change of Government, the then Prime Minister directed the then Chief Secretary Sindh to return the land to KPT but the order was not compiled with. The land has been allocated to 10 different parties. The case is pending in a court of law.
Around 500 acres of land has been occupied by Karachi Water and Sewerage Board at Hawksbay for the purpose of setting up of a treatment plant according to the terms of a memorandum of understanding signed between KPT and the Board on 25 September 1994 whereby the Board had agreed to provide 550 acres of land to KPT in lieu of land given by KPT but no land has been given by the Board to KPT. In 1978, the then Prime Minister directed KPT to lease out the area measuring 4.7 acres to bona fide parties of Baba Bhit Shah for residential purposes. Deputy Commissioner issued 'Sanads' to the occupants, though the land was not transferred by KPT to Sindh Government.
Since 1960 as many as 11 Katchi Abadies have unauthorizedly been established by encroachers at different locations on a total area of 583.56 acres of KPT land but no evidence of any concrete efforts having been made by the KPT management to get the land vacated, the audit has observed. In its report, the audit further observed that the limits of KPT land were notified on October 5, 1991 published in the Gazette of Pakistan but the management had neither notified the boundary schedule nor geographical power system for demarcation. Resultantly, several encroachments have been made by different agencies, individuals besides construction of Katchi Abbadies on KPT land. In a ruling, Convenor Committee Syed Naveed Qamar said the KPT should take proper steps to save the billions of rupees land from encroachers and directed to submit the progress being achieved in court cases.
The committee was further informed that as per section 27 of the KPT Act, all the rights, titles and interest of the state of Pakistan should be mentioned in Schedule 'A' of KPT. Schedule 'A' is required to be completed and updated from time to time but the same has not been done since 1886 though assets have been increased manifold. For example, as per Schedule 'A' total land under the possession of KPT has been shown as 369 acres whereas, in 2003-04 the total area under possession of KPT was 119,841.39 acres.
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