KARACHI, Sept 5: The city government appears to be quite within its rights to reconstruct and renovate the Boat Basin park considering that the now defunct Karachi Development Authority paid over Rs1.1 million to the Karachi Port Trust in Oct 1994 to acquire the parkland measuring around 229 acres.

Documents obtained by Dawn make it abundantly clear that the ownership of the land cannot be disputed after a payment of Rs1,108,343 by the city government’s predecessor to the KPT for the 228 acres and 4,823 square yards of the Boat Basin park. An acre equals 4,840 square yards.

Sources told Dawn that both the city government and the KPT – the former headed by a Muttahida Qaumi Movement nazim and the latter run by an MQM minister – were determined to turn to Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad – another MQM appointee – for the resolution of the stand-off.

However, senior KPT officials based their claim to the parkland on their assertion that the KDA defaulted on the payment.

According to the documents, the Boat Basin park is part of KDA Scheme 5, Kehkashan Clifton, which was initiated in 1964 on the orders of the then governor of West Pakistan. An area of 638 acres and 1590 square yards of KPT land was also involved as it fell within Scheme 5.

The park was constructed by KDA which maintained it till 1994. However, through a notification issued on July 7, 1994, the Sindh government transferred Scheme 5 with its parks, playgrounds and roadside plantation to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) from the KDA.

There was a dispute between the KMC and the KPT over the ownership of the land measuring 228 acres and 4823 square yards. The governing body of the KDA took up the matter in its meeting on Oct 24, 1982 and agreed to refer the matter to the deputy commissioner concerned for seeking necessary clarification about the ownership issue. After an exchange of lot of correspondence and a lapse of considerable period, the DC South rejected the KMC’s claim and through a letter dated March 31, 1988 decided that the land in question was owned by the KPT.

However, after the transfer of Scheme 5 to the KMC, the KPT wrote a letter dated Sept 22, 1994 to the director-general of the KDA, reminding him of the fact that the trust had provided an area of 638 acres and 1,590 square yards in connection with Kehkashan Clifton at an agreed price of Re1 per square yard. The letter said that the KDA had to pay a total amount of Rs3,089,510 but till 1994 it had paid an amount of Rs1,860,060 and the balance amount of Rs1,219,450 was yet to be paid.

After receipt of the letter, the same day -- ie on Sept 22, 1994 -- the governing body of the KDA held a meeting to discuss the matter of compensation for the KPT land in KDA Scheme 5, Kehkashan. According to the Resolution No 119, the meeting decided to pay Rs1,108,347 on account of cost of land No C measuring 228 acres (Boat Basin park). The payment of Rs1,108,343 in respect of the said piece of land was made to the KPT through a cheque dated Oct 9, 1994.

The sources said that after the payment of the remaining amount, the KPT never raised the issue of ownership of the piece of land where the Boat Basin park was built.

They rejected the claim that the KPT cancelled the allotment of the land due to the default of payment by the KDA.

“The KDA made full payment of the land, which was transferred to the KMC and now it is owned by the city government,” said a senior official.

The sources alleged that the KPT wanted to grab the parkland in order to use it for a commercial venture.

However, the General-Manager, Administration, KPT, Brig Shahid Saleem, told Dawn that according to KPT record, the KDA failed to pay the agreed amount to the trust after which the KPT reacquired the land. “This is still a disputed area but this matter should be resolved mutually. The KDA acquired this land for Scheme 5 but built a park there. They had defaulted and the land has now been resumed,” he added.