KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan has demanded strict action by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against all those officials who issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) for illegal construction on plots carved out of the Hill Park land.
Speaking at a press conference at Hill Park, senior party leader Dr Farooq Sattar declared that his party decided that Karachi will no longer be left at the mercy of land grabbers.
“Hill Park is part of Karachi’s natural beauty. We should make it greener, plant more trees on it, which is KMC’s responsibility. However, what is happening here is the exact opposite of that,” he said.
“Despite a boundary wall being built, no construction was able to take place because it was not in the master plan,” he said about the illegal construction in Hill Park.
Karachi will no longer be left at land-grabbers’ mercy, vows Farooq Sattar
Dr Sattar questioned as to how an NOC was issued “in the first place”, urging the Sindh government to launch an inquiry and suspend the officials responsible.
It may be noted that on April 30 the director-land of the KMC had issued a conditional NOC, stating that the plot No 39-G-4, Block 6, PESCHS, “does not vest with KMC and pertains to PECHS”. It said the department had no objection to construction as per rules if the concerned society had no objection.
Dr Sattar claimed that the encroachment was part of the city’s larger “land grabbing mafia”, which he alleged the Sindh government has “allowed” to operate.
The MQM-P leader also mentioned a high court order which stipulated that the “hills cannot be used for commercial or residential purposes”, adding that the construction was also in violation of the PECHS layout.
Accompanied by other party leaders including former Karachi mayor Wasim Akhtar, he said that the NOC was issued despite the fact that there was absolutely no record of these plots in the PECHS master plan.
Lashing out at the officials of KMC and PECHS, he alleged that the NOC was issued in exchange for substantial sums of money.
He warned that “if the hill is sold today, the mafia will sell the entire park tomorrow”.
He demanded that the NAB take action against the officials in question.
Commenting over the issue of alleged allotment of land beneath the Clifton’s Lilly Bridge, Dr Sattar criticised the Jamaat-i-Islami for its alleged silence over the issue.
He alleged that Leader of the Opposition in the City Council Advocate Saifuddin of the JI served as the legal adviser to PECHS.
Speaking on the occasion, former mayor Akhtar said that the MQM fought legal battles in courts and succeeded in demolishing four-story illegal buildings in Bagh Ibne Qasim and along Nehr-i-Khayyam, while also removing encroachments from Kidney Hill Park and Empress Market.
He said that encroachments were once again being carried out openly on the lands of Nehr-i-Khayyam, Beach View Park and Benazir Bhutto Park.
Addressing the establishment, he urged them to intervene immediately in this serious matter.
‘Construction work halted a week ago’
In a statement issued on Saturday night, a KMC spokesperson said that the construction work was halted a week ago following a public complaint.
The spokesperson noted that legal action had been initiated as its land department “sent a letter to the police asking that the construction be stopped and action should be taken against those responsible”.
The statement added that Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab had issued instructions to relevant officers to take action.
At a media interaction on Sunday, Mayor Wahab stressed that Hill Park “had always been KMC’s property and will continue to remain as such”.
JI calls for official record
Referring to Hill Park and other public properties, the JI called for all official records, approvals and agreements to be made public.
In a statement, UC chairmen belonging to the JI said: “If everything related to Hill Park’s land is lawful, then why did the KMC issue a no-objection certificate?”
They demanded details of any approvals, land-use changes or commercial utilisation of public spaces be disclosed immediately.
Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2026