Sindh CM, Chairman NAB join hands to recover state land worth billions of rupees

KARACHI (Jan 28): Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Lt. Gen (Rtd) Nazir Ahmed, reaffirmed their commitment to a `collaborative drive against fraud of state land in Sindh’.

The meeting, held at the CM House, was attended by a high-level delegation from both sides. The Sindh government’s side included Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, the Advocate General, PSCM Agha Wasif, Senior Member, Board of Revenue (SMBR) Khalid Hyder Shah, Chairman, CM Inspection, Bilal Memon, and Chairman, Anti-Corruption, Zulfiqar Shah. Representing NAB were DG Operations NAB HQ Mr Amjad Majeed Aulakh, DG NAB (Karachi), Mr Shakeel Ahmed Durrani, Director (Land) NAB Karachi, Syed Muhammad Aafaq, and Director Land Directorate NAB HQ Lt. Col. (R) Hamza Mumtaz.

The meeting served as a formal platform for NAB to hand over properties recovered from across the province back to the Government of Sindh.

Chairman NAB presented a detailed progress report on the recovery of state land, revealing that NAB is currently handling 188 cases (154 inquiries and 34 investigations) involving an estimated 461,488 acres.

Recoveries highlighted during the meeting included Karachi Urban Evacuee Land: measuring 635 acres valued at. Sea-bed Clifton Block I & II: 350 acres of reclaimed land.

Forest Land (Sujawal and Thatta): 400,000 acres. Deh Babar Bund & Hathal Buth (Jamshoro), approximately 1,040 acres recovered after the cancellation of 83 fake revenue entries.

Chairman NAB Lt. Gen (Rtd) Nazir Ahmed lauded the Sindh government, particularly Chief Secretary and the Sindh government for their unwavering support. "The success of these recoveries is a testament to the collaborative spirit between NAB and the provincial administration," the Chairman stated. He specifically praised the Board of Revenue (BOR) for its role in identifying and cancelling illegal allotments.

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah expressed his gratitude to NAB for its professional efforts in safeguarding public assets. "The restoration of land worth trillions is a major milestone for the people of Sindh," said the Chief Minister. He emphasised that the recovered land would be utilised for public interest projects, including parks and recreation centres.

The meeting concluded with a roadmap for the future, including the notification of a Task Force headed by the SMBR. This task force will comprise senior officers from the BOR, CM Secretariat, and NAB to hold fortnightly meetings and ensure the rapid disposal of restored state assets. CM Murad Shah also directed the expedited approval of summaries related to forest and mangrove land to prevent future encroachments.