I AM an overseas Pakistani and booked 500 square yards plot of land in Bahria Paradise in Bahria Town Karachi in 2017. The land was allotted to us in Precinct 58 (plot No. 4, street/road 20).

In 2020, we came to know that the allotted land falls outside the boundary wall of the said society. On inquiry, we were asked by the developers to deposit full amount so that a new plot of land could be allotted to us. We paid the full amount and were told that the land would be allotted in July 2021.

Since then, we have been writing to, calling and visiting the developers for an update, but there has been no response. The money I paid to the real estate company was legally transferred to Pakistan through proper banking channels. Considering the currency devaluation and the cost of capital, my investment in the land is almost Rs20 million.

Having invested that much money, I still do not have a land on the ground, and the company is telling me the same story for over two years now. Intriguingly, we have received numerous calls from individuals claiming to be real estate agents who ask us to get our file merged into other projects at face value, or sometimes at a 30-40 per cent discounted price.

While the developers are currently busy advertising on national media the project’s Phase II, we have no clue where to go and whom to ask for help.

Intakhab Shah
Jubail, Saudi Arabia

Published in Dawn, January 24th, 2023