Board of Revenue Submits Detailed Ownership Record for Gul Plaza Land

The Board of Revenue Sindh has submitted a comprehensive report clarifying the ownership and land record of the Gul Plaza plot in Karachi.

According to the Senior Member of the Board, the records were compiled based on information obtained from the District Registrar Karachi, Deputy Director Lands at the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, and the Assistant Collector (President). The plot in question is officially owned by the provincial government of Sindh, while the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation had limited administrative and financial powers over it.

The Gul Plaza land spans approximately 8,128 square yards and is registered as Plot No. 32, PR-1. Originally, the land belonged to Karachi Municipality, transferred under Resolution No. 6072 of the Bombay Government Revenue Department in 1873. In 1936, the land was leased to the East India Tramway Company Limited for 99 years, with the lease backdated to July 9, 1884. No additional agreements are on record besides the 1936 contract.

The Senior Member clarified that there is no record showing that the agreement was approved under the Tramways Act 1886 or any other law; it predates the Act. In 1950, the land was transferred to private ownership. At that time, the East India Tramway Company was registered in London under British law. In 1976, all shares were transferred to Anwar Ali, and in 1983, the plot was purchased by Messrs Genica Limited.

Under the City of Karachi Municipal Act 1933, tramway-related regulations were protected. The provincial government retained ownership of the land, while the municipality only had limited rights such as leasing and collecting revenue. There is no available record confirming or denying the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s ownership claims. Historical regulations, including the 1873 resolution, the Bombay Land Revenue Code 1879, and subsequent laws, governed such leases. However, there is no audit or review record regarding compliance with the original terms of use for Gul Plaza land.