KARACHI: Pakistan Railways (PR) claimed to have recovered 2.72 acres of its valuable land during an anti-encroachment operation in the metropolis on Saturday.
Officials said 12 people were arrested during the operation and an FIR was registered against them.
According to a press statement issued by PR after the operation, the 2.72 acres of railway land is located on the Old Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) alignment, at Deh Dozan, near Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) Hospital (Ojha Campus) and behind King Classic Apartments.
Officials said the recovered land is estimated to be worth more than Rs1.42 billion.
According to PR records, the said land is part of the designated corridor of the KCR, which is legally owned by PR. According to reports, a residential project by a private builder was being carried out on the land and illegal occupation of railway land was established.
The PR took action after a court refused to extend its stay order on May 25 in a case (108/2026).
It said that the action was in accordance with the law and regained possession of the land with the cooperation of the Railway Police and the district administration.
The operation, which was carried out on the special instructions of Divisional Superintendent PR Karachi, Jamshed Alam, is being described as a major success in the ongoing campaign against the protection of railway land against the encroachment mafia, as a result of which assets worth billions of rupees of the national treasury have been secured.
According to a spokesperson for PR, under the vision of Railways Minister Mohammad Hanif Abbasi, a campaign is underway across the country to free railway land from the encroachment mafia, as illegal encroachment of national assets will not be allowed under any circumstances.
The operation was carried out under the supervision of SP Pakistan Railways Karachi Muhammad Amin Alam with the Divisional Executive Engineer Malik Muzammil Hussain, Deputy Director Property and Land Ms Uzma, Assistant Executive Engineer-I Mumtaz Ali Phul, DSP Railway Police Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah, SHO Asad Khan Swati, SHO Cantt Asghar Ali Brohi, SHO Asad Anar, and relevant railway officers and staff were also present.
Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2026
