Residents of 5,000 residential units in 50 different housing projects of Karachi are waiting for lifting of ban on sale, lease and sub-lease of their apartments/flats for the last seven years.
The ban on the units was imposed under Freezing Ordinance-2001 some seven years back and could not be lifted despite Sindh government's principle decision in this regard, sources in Sindh Land Utilisation Department told Business Recorder here on Monday.
According to sources, Sindh government in 2001, through an ordinance had frozen the lease of 1,000 acres of land granted during previous regime of Pakistan People's Party on which these projects were constructed besides prohibiting sub-lease and sale of these lands.
Giving reasons of freezing the land lease, the ordinance made it clear that the land was allotted at prices lesser to market rates. It was said in the ordinance that until the market price of the land was not collected, the ban should remain intact. Under the imposed ban, the residents cannot sale their flats while the projects, which were not granted sub-lease, are still unable to get ownership rights, sources maintained.
The sources said that the Association of Builders and Developers (Abad) had rejected to pay the differential amount as calculated by the department saying that it was not their responsibility as they had already constructed residential projects and sold them where people had already settled.
A land committee was established led by a Sindh High Court judge that held a number of meetings with other government organisations to settle down the dispute. However, the matter remained in doldrums for last six years putting residents of over 5,000 flats in immense problems, sources added.
After years long negotiations, in late 2007, both the parties got consensus on a solution of the matter. It was decided between Secretary Land Utilisation and representatives of builders that differential amount would be collected from the flat owners after its equal distribution, sources informed.
The official approval of ban repeal and mechanism to collect the amount had to be decided in the final meeting of the Land Utilisation Committee that was scheduled on October 31, 2007.
But, neither the meeting of the committee was held on the said date due to the deteriorating law and order situation in the province at that time following the October 18 blasts, nor the matter was put up in coming months, sources maintained. The decision, if implemented, will generate billions of rupee income for the provincial government besides providing ownership rights to flat owners, they added.
Most of the residents of these banned projects were of the view that they were suffering only because the last PPP government allotted the land for their projects and they were being politically victimised by the past government.
But no stepts have been taken by this new government so far to facilitate these hundreds of families, who neither have been given the rights of their flats nor they could sale them.
The projects where the ban was imposed include Prince Alloy S. Khan Apartment, Prince Alloy S. Khan Cottages, Sara Town, Sara Shopping Centre, N.N Heights, Savana City, Rupali Residency, Bismillah Market, Rufi Rose Petals, Lakhani Excellency, Bismillah Centre Karimabad, Rufi Greenland, Rufi Spring Flower, Park Shoppers Gallery, Rabia Flower, Rabia Petals, Valley Homes, Memon Bara Market, Bliss Towers, Pioneer Pak City, Rufi Fountain, Rufi Fountain-2, Pak Avenue, Haroon Royal City, Rufi Dreamland, Rufi Dreamland-2, Rufi Merryland, Dawood Regency, Dawood Bungalows, Rufi Shop, Sara Excellency, Pacific View, Prem Villas, Pink Residency, Fancy View, Classic View, Civic View, Lakhani Pride, Samia Heights, Ittehad Terrace, Sara Residency, Dawood Pride, Ghaziani Castle, Madina Blessing, Rahim View, Salima Garden, Chapel Garden, Chapel Sun City and Chapel Sun City-2.