The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has recovered more than 43 acres of valuable railway land in Karachi, bringing to an end a land dispute that had dragged on for several years. The property, worth nearly Rs. 10 billion, has now been handed back to Pakistan Railways after a renewed investigation confirmed that it was still under illegal occupation.
According to officials, National Accountability Bureau Karachi retrieved 43.11 acres of land located at Survey Numbers 48, 49, 50, and 51 in Deh Khanto Juma Goth. The land belongs to Pakistan Railways and is valued at approximately Rs. 9.67 billion.
The case dates back to July 2019, when complaints surfaced that government-owned railway land had been taken over by private textile mills. NAB launched an inquiry at the time, focusing on alleged collusion involving officials from the Railway and Revenue Departments.
However, the investigation was temporarily halted following a ruling by the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The matter resurfaced in 2025 after Pakistan Railways formally requested NAB to reopen the case, stating that the land had not been fully cleared despite earlier court orders.
While railway authorities maintained that possession had been secured in 2021, NAB’s fresh findings showed that the textile mills continued to hold physical control of the land. After completing the inquiry, NAB officers moved to reclaim the property and ensured its transfer back to the railway department.
Officials confirmed that the land is now under the physical possession of Pakistan Railways, marking a significant recovery of public property in Karachi, where land disputes and encroachments have long been a challenge.
