Sindh Master Plan Authority has withdrawn its 2019 notification that had frozen changes in land use across Karachi, opening the way for a new regulatory phase in the property sector in the port city.
The move complies with the May 2026 order of the Federal Constitutional Court, which recalled Supreme Court directives from December 2018 and January 2019 that had halted the conversion of residential plots for commercial use.
The 2019 notification issued by the Sindh Building Control Authority had enforced that freeze.
Officials clarified that withdrawing the notification does not automatically permit commercialisation. Any change in land use will still require compliance with existing laws, master plans and approval from relevant authorities.
A two-member bench headed by Justice Aamer Farooq disposed of the case and overturned the earlier ruling that had barred conversion of residential plots into commercial properties in Karachi.
The bench specified that amenity plots, including parks, hospitals, schools, mosques, playgrounds and graveyards, remain excluded from conversion for commercial or residential purposes.
During the hearing, Justice Aamer said the court would not interfere in the functioning of institutions such as the Sindh Building Control Authority, and that affected parties retain the right to appeal High Court decisions.
Sindh Master Plan Authority senior director Shakeel Siddiqui, who signed the notification, told media that the new land-use regime takes effect immediately.
