KARACHI: A new land scam has surfaced in Karachi’s Hawksbay Journalist Colony, where 14 residential plots – including nine allegedly allotted to Karachi Press Club (KPC) members – were illegally distributed and sold for millions of rupees, according to documents and official correspondence obtained by Dawn.
Sources within the Lyari Development Authority (LDA) have confirmed that former LDA Secretary and Director of Land, Subah Ahmed, along with four other officials, has been taken into custody after it emerged that files related to these plots had gone missing from official records. A letter from the Director General (DG) LDA has formally acknowledged the irregularities.
According to the correspondence, plots originally reserved for public amenities and green belts in Hawksbay Sector-3 were reclassified and allotted to select individuals, including journalists. Each 400-square-yard plot – valued at several million rupees in the open market – was transferred for as little as Rs270,000 to certain KPC members under what officials have termed an “oral understanding.”
How the Plan Was Altered: The scam, investigators say, began when the layout plan of the Journalist Colony was secretly altered. The changes allowed for the conversion of community-use spaces into residential plots. These plots were then allotted to handpicked individuals allegedly in collusion with Karachi Press Club officials during the tenure of its then secretary, Rizwan Bhatti.
Five of the 14 plots, measuring 460 square yards each, were reportedly sold commercially for nearly Rs80 million. The remainder were transferred to journalists at nominal rates.
Official records show that the allotments were processed between July and August 2022, while a letter dated November 22, 2022, written by Mr Bhatti himself, recommended cancellation of these plots “without authorization from the competent authority” – a move believed to have been made to preempt controversy during the KPC elections.
Files Missing, Signatures Forged: An internal LDA letter (No. LDA/LAND/ADMIN/2025/2850, dated July 23, 2025), signed by Director Land Yawar Mehdi, confirms that records of the disputed plots have disappeared from both physical files and computer systems. The matter has since been referred to the DG LDA, the Additional Chief Secretary for Local Government, and other investigative agencies, including NAB Karachi and the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE).
The letter alleges that “files were deliberately removed from official custody” and that the land transfer was carried out “without observing departmental rules or obtaining mandatory approvals from the Engineering, Finance, and Encroachment departments.”
Who got the plots: A list of beneficiaries, as obtained from internal memos, includes:
Waseq Shakeel (CNIC 42201-0513925-1) – Plot B-272/2
Shafiq Ahmed (CNIC 42401-2728007-9) – Plot B-272/3
Mukhtar Ahmed Narejo (CNIC 42501-0570754-1) – Plot B-337/1
Shoaib Ahmed Jatt (CNIC 42101-8303364-7) – Plot B-526/1
Abdul Rehman (CNIC 42301-0307265-5) – Plot B-547/1
Hammad Hussain (CNIC 42101-1876892-1) – Plot B-622/1
Syed Nabeel Akhtar (CNIC 42301-6665694-9) – Plot B-337/2
Syed Ali Hasan (Plot B-348/1)
Muhammad Akhtar (CNIC 42401-6914424-3) – Plot B-272/
The plots were distributed without a formal ballot, in violation of allotment procedures, according to a complaint filed by Aamir Sheikh, president of the Hawksbay Real Estate Welfare Association. Mr Sheikh’s letter, dated July 10, 2025, alleges that “ten preferred journalists were granted plots in 2022 without following any legal process.”
He further noted that “the value of these plots ranges from Rs50 to Rs60 million each,” and that all corresponding files “have been deleted from both physical and digital records.”
Silent Understanding between LDA and Club Officials
Sources claim that under a verbal agreement, the LDA allotted nine plots to Karachi Press Club members and retained five for the authority itself – a quid pro quo arrangement that allowed both sides to benefit. The deal was executed quietly, with the plots located mostly on corners or green-belt zones.
During that period, allotment challans show payments ranging from Rs100,000 to Rs270,000, amounts far below the prevailing market rate.
Inquiry Demanded, Accountability Absent: Despite written complaints and documentary evidence, insiders say no disciplinary action has been initiated against the involved LDA officials. Neither the engineering nor the finance departments were consulted before the plots were transferred.
Calls for a formal inquiry have since been made by several journalist associations and civic watchdog groups, describing the scandal as “a betrayal of public trust and a misuse of authority within both LDA and the Press Club.”
“Plots meant for public utility cannot be converted for private gain,” a senior official in the Sindh Local Government Department told Dawn on condition of anonymity. “If proven, this would amount to criminal misconduct.”
As the matter now lies with multiple agencies, including NAB and ACE, questions remain unanswered:
Who authorized the plan change? Why were files erased from record? And how deep does this nexus between land officials and journalists truly run?
Until investigations conclude, the 14 plots of Hawksbay Sector-3 stand as another symbol of Karachi’s long and tangled history of land manipulation – where privilege and access often decide who gets the city’s most valuable real estate.
He further noted that “the value of these plots ranges from Rs50 to Rs60 million each,” and that all corresponding files “have been deleted from both physical and digital records.”
Silent Understanding between LDA and Club Officials
Sources claim that under a verbal agreement, the LDA allotted nine plots to Karachi Press Club members and retained five for the authority itself – a quid pro quo arrangement that allowed both sides to benefit. The deal was executed quietly, with the plots located mostly on corners or green-belt zones.
During that period, allotment challans show payments ranging from Rs100,000 to Rs270,000, amounts far below the prevailing market rate.
Inquiry Demanded, Accountability Absent: Despite written complaints and documentary evidence, insiders say no disciplinary action has been initiated against the involved LDA officials. Neither the engineering nor the finance departments were consulted before the plots were transferred.
Calls for a formal inquiry have since been made by several journalist associations and civic watchdog groups, describing the scandal as “a betrayal of public trust and a misuse of authority within both LDA and the Press Club.”
“Plots meant for public utility cannot be converted for private gain,” a senior official in the Sindh Local Government Department told Dawn on condition of anonymity. “If proven, this would amount to criminal misconduct.”
As the matter now lies with multiple agencies, including NAB and ACE, questions remain unanswered:
Who authorized the plan change? Why were files erased from record? And how deep does this nexus between land officials and journalists truly run?
Until investigations conclude, the 14 plots of Hawksbay Sector-3 stand as another symbol of Karachi’s long and tangled history of land manipulation – where privilege and access often decide who gets the city’s most valuable real estate.
