NAB and Sindh Government Agree on Joint Action Against State Land Fraud

Karachi: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the Sindh government have agreed to carry out joint action against fraud involving state-owned land, reaffirming their commitment to the recovery and protection of public assets.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and NAB Chairman Lieutenant General (R) Nazir Ahmed held an important meeting at the Chief Minister House, where both sides reiterated their resolve to work together for the recovery of illegally occupied government land.

During the meeting, the NAB chairman presented the chief minister with a detailed report and documents related to the recovery of state land and its handover to the Sindh government. A briefing informed the chief minister that investigations in 188 cases related to government land had been completed, resulting in the recovery of more than 461,000 acres from land grabbers.

The NAB chairman further briefed that 635 acres of evacuee land in Karachi had been recovered, along with 350 acres of reclaimed coastal land in Clifton Blocks I and II. Additionally, 400,000 acres of forest land in Thatta and Sujawal were retrieved from illegal occupation.

It was also shared that in Jamshoro, after the cancellation of 83 fake revenue entries, 1,040 acres of land were recovered. The NAB chairman appreciated the role played by the Sindh government in these recoveries.

The NAB chairman said that the success of land recoveries is clear evidence of effective cooperation between NAB and the provincial administration.

Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah thanked NAB for the recovery of public assets and said the reclaimed land would be used for public welfare projects. He announced that the land would be utilized for the development of parks and recreational facilities.

The chief minister stressed the need for the swift transfer and public-interest utilization of recovered government assets. He also decided to establish a task force on state land, headed by the Chief Secretary, to safeguard government land.

According to the Chief Minister’s spokesperson, the task force will include officials from the Board of Revenue, NAB, and the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, and will hold meetings every 15 days. The chief minister also directed the immediate approval of summaries related to forest and mangrove lands and decided to take effective measures to prevent future encroachments.