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Karachi
The Supreme Court of Pakistan has identified land grabbing in Karachi as a main factor behind the deteriorating law and order situation in the city. A five-member bench passed an interim order on December 4, directing the Sindh chief secretary to ensure the completion of the revenue record about state land transactions. The bench observed that the board of revenue, abusing its authority, had allowed transactions relating to the transfer of state land, which caused a huge financial loss to the exchequer.
In a recent interview with The News, Dr Noman Ahmed, professor and chairman of the Department of Architecture & Planning, NED University of Engineering & Technology, dwelt at length about a study on the question of land in Karachi conducted by noted architect and town planner Arif Hasan, Prof Ahmed himself and others, and pointed out how the land mafia operated in the city. Excerpts follow:
Q: What has been the outcome of the land study conducted by Arif Hasan, you and your other colleagues?
A: The land study which was done to document and analyse the existing trends of land transaction, regulation, distribution, management and ownership patterns is being finalised.
Q: What additional input is being given to finalise the study?
A: Extensive field work has been done to various chosen locations in Karachi to understand the complex dynamics of land and their consequent repercussions on society at large. Many useful findings have come to light during the course of the study. It has been found that land has become an increasingly contested commodity which is traded both through formal and informal mechanisms in a very rigorous fashion.
Q: What are your observations about the land market in Karachi?
A: The land market in Karachi is not an open opportunity enterprise and is deeply affected by clandestine influence exercised by political groups, real estate investors, members of various secret mafias and other concerned stakeholders. The state functionaries are either unable to regulate this laissez-faire transactions or become collaborators in the lucrative deals. The poor and the vulnerable cross section of society have very little opportunity to obtain land for housing. The peri-urban settlements towards the east, west and north of Karachi often provide them with limited opportunity for shelter. However, they are controlled and managed by strong armed groups that do not allow any kind development or regularisation until their interests are safeguarded.
Q: Do you agree that transparency is compromised in issues related to land?
A: Absolutely! Transparency and fairness in transactions is greatly compromised due to inappropriate record keeping of land assets and apparent tampering with records from time to time. The digitalisation of record which was proposed on several counts has not been fully implemented.
Q: What is the solution?
A: According to many experts, land deeds and transactions are a source of enormous corruption. They can be streamlined through very simple means if the public sector departments and government prepare an authentic and verifiable list of their land assets. A sizeable part of this apparent corruption can be stamped. Secondly, the revision of property taxation can generate an enormous amount of local revenue which can be invested in the much-needed city infrastructure. Thirdly, the horizontal growth and consequent land utilisation should be stopped as it becomes very inefficient in terms of infrastructure, pricing and service utilisation, and finally the government should consider linking up ownership with timely occupancy of land asset.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan has identified land grabbing in Karachi as a main factor behind the deteriorating law and order situation in the city. A five-member bench passed an interim order on December 4, directing the Sindh chief secretary to ensure the completion of the revenue record about state land transactions. The bench observed that the board of revenue, abusing its authority, had allowed transactions relating to the transfer of state land, which caused a huge financial loss to the exchequer.
In a recent interview with The News, Dr Noman Ahmed, professor and chairman of the Department of Architecture & Planning, NED University of Engineering & Technology, dwelt at length about a study on the question of land in Karachi conducted by noted architect and town planner Arif Hasan, Prof Ahmed himself and others, and pointed out how the land mafia operated in the city. Excerpts follow:
Q: What has been the outcome of the land study conducted by Arif Hasan, you and your other colleagues?
A: The land study which was done to document and analyse the existing trends of land transaction, regulation, distribution, management and ownership patterns is being finalised.
Q: What additional input is being given to finalise the study?
A: Extensive field work has been done to various chosen locations in Karachi to understand the complex dynamics of land and their consequent repercussions on society at large. Many useful findings have come to light during the course of the study. It has been found that land has become an increasingly contested commodity which is traded both through formal and informal mechanisms in a very rigorous fashion.
Q: What are your observations about the land market in Karachi?
A: The land market in Karachi is not an open opportunity enterprise and is deeply affected by clandestine influence exercised by political groups, real estate investors, members of various secret mafias and other concerned stakeholders. The state functionaries are either unable to regulate this laissez-faire transactions or become collaborators in the lucrative deals. The poor and the vulnerable cross section of society have very little opportunity to obtain land for housing. The peri-urban settlements towards the east, west and north of Karachi often provide them with limited opportunity for shelter. However, they are controlled and managed by strong armed groups that do not allow any kind development or regularisation until their interests are safeguarded.
Q: Do you agree that transparency is compromised in issues related to land?
A: Absolutely! Transparency and fairness in transactions is greatly compromised due to inappropriate record keeping of land assets and apparent tampering with records from time to time. The digitalisation of record which was proposed on several counts has not been fully implemented.
Q: What is the solution?
A: According to many experts, land deeds and transactions are a source of enormous corruption. They can be streamlined through very simple means if the public sector departments and government prepare an authentic and verifiable list of their land assets. A sizeable part of this apparent corruption can be stamped. Secondly, the revision of property taxation can generate an enormous amount of local revenue which can be invested in the much-needed city infrastructure. Thirdly, the horizontal growth and consequent land utilisation should be stopped as it becomes very inefficient in terms of infrastructure, pricing and service utilisation, and finally the government should consider linking up ownership with timely occupancy of land asset.
Posted in: Karachi News
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