News Analysis |
A group of land mafia grabbed and sold President Arif Alvi’s 400 square yard plot in Karachi. In 2017, Arif Alvi submitted an application to Karachi Development Authority (KDA) but he failed to retrieve his plot. He alleged that KDA had sold his plot through china-cutting—which means that the number of Alvi’s plot was changed and it was sold after cutting it into parts.
President of Pakistan had purchased the plot in Block-10, Gulistan-e-Johar, for Rs 50, 000 in 1978. He declared the plot in his nomination papers with the Election Commission of Pakistan and his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
Commenting on the issues, Alvi said that China cutting has affected many individuals and some corrupt elements are supporting land mafia in this illegal practice. Normally, land grabbers take hold of an 800-yard plot, then would cut it down into 100, or 80 yards plots and sale it.
The government of Sindh has failed to make inroads to resolve the issue. In this criminal act, politicians, criminals, government officials and property dealers collude to make a nexus that is difficult to break.
KDA has the huge pile of such complaints, which accumulated over the years and the authorities are yet to resolve the issues. Director General KDA Sami Siddiqui has arguably turned a blind eye towards the issue.
China-cutting is not only limited to the individual plots, rather the land grabbers even carve out the community centers, government plots, big amenity plots, parks or even cemeteries into smaller plots up to 100 yards or in some case, even below this and sale them.
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Over the years, governments took steps and bulldozed the illegal structures built on amenity plots. The plots which can be seen in the Google satellite images as grounds, and parks etc., were illegally converted into small parts and now they contain concrete buildings and residential housing. For example, in 2004 images, Bagh-e-Korangi was a massive green park, but in 2017, it was replaced with houses.
A group of land mafia grabbed and sold President Arif Alvi’s 400 square yard plot in Karachi. In 2017, Arif Alvi submitted an application to Karachi Development Authority (KDA) but he failed to retrieve his plot.
Similarly, areas in New Karachi, five-D, Gulshan-e-Iqbal block -7 and Block 10, Baldia Town, Khuda ki Basti, Banaras Colony, Ittehad Town, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Gulshan-e-Maymar, Kunwari Colony, Pehlwan Goth, Scheme 33, Ibrahim Hyderi, Keamari, Surjani Town, Sohrab Goth, Ahsanabad and North Nazimabad etc. have witnessed encroachment and constructions after China cutting.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), Justice Mian Saqib Nisar has taken a stand against the corrupt mafia and assured the public that judges would dispense justice. Future of the people, who bought these plots and built houses, hangs in a balance.
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