A KMC inquiry into land near Hill Park has challenged the existence of a disputed PECHS plot and raised questions over ownership documents. Officials have also alleged that a forged NOC was used in an attempt to justify construction.
KARACHI: An inquiry by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation has cast doubt on the legal status of a disputed plot near Hill Park, with Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab saying the land cited in ownership documents does not appear in the original approved layout plan of the Pakistan Employees Cooperative Housing Society.
The issue has emerged during an ongoing KMC probe into construction activity on land adjacent to Hill Park, a major public recreational area in Karachi. According to officials, the investigation has raised concerns about the authenticity of ownership papers, the status of the plot itself and whether public authorities were misled during efforts to advance the development.
Wahab said individuals linked to the construction had produced lease and ownership documents said to have been issued by PECHS. However, after examining official records, authorities found that the plot in PECHS Block 6 referred to in those documents was not present in the society’s original sanctioned layout plan.
Attributing the finding to the records under review, the mayor said: “The land records currently under review have failed to establish the existence of the disputed plot in the original layout.”
He also said KMC had not allotted any part of Hill Park land to any person or organisation. Wahab added that Hill Park spans about 56 acres under a 1974 government notification and remains public land under KMC control.
Documents and ownership claims under scrutiny
According to the mayor, the investigation is continuing through surveys and document checks to establish the full facts, including scrutiny of papers that investigators suspect may have been fabricated. He said legal proceedings would be initiated if the inquiry finds that the PECHS layout was unlawfully altered or that encroachment took place on Hill Park land.
As part of the inquiry, Wahab released copies of documents circulated by parties asserting ownership over the land. One agreement carries signatures attributed to retired Lieutenant Colonel Naseemuddin through his attorney, retired Major AM Waqar. The document states that a 500-square-yard residential plot had been allotted under a decision of the society’s managing committee, with an initial premium of Rs7 per square yard.
KMC officials maintain that if the plot cannot be traced in the original layout plan, then the legal standing of later allotment, transfer and ownership papers also comes into question.
Forged NOC allegation and official correspondence
The inquiry has also brought up what KMC officials described as an attempt to pressure Hill Park authorities through a forged no-objection certificate. According to official records cited in the inquiry, a fake NOC dated April 21 was allegedly circulated to support construction activity near the park.
After complaints were received, KMC’s Land Department wrote to the director general parks on April 28, informing him that the document was fraudulent. Officials said that following the identification of the forged NOC, people associated with the disputed land approached the Land Department for formal approval.
In response, the department issued a conditional NOC on April 30. According to officials, that document clearly barred any construction on government land or within the park’s boundaries.
The investigation further found that on May 18, KMC’s Land Department wrote to the PECHS secretary seeking details of ownership of the disputed plot. In that letter, Sohail Iqbal Siddiqui was identified as the purported owner, while Syed Wajahat Hussain was listed as holding power of attorney. KMC has since formally contacted the SSP East and sought legal action against those allegedly involved in misleading public institutions.
