3,500 Government Houses in Karachi Are Still Under Illegal Occupation

The Ministry of Housing has disclosed detailed figures on illegal occupations of government-owned houses across major cities, presenting the data in the National Assembly. According to the ministry, Karachi currently has 3,500 government houses under illegal occupation. Since 2019, authorities have managed to reclaim only 700 of these properties, leaving the vast majority still occupied. In contrast, Islamabad and Lahore have no government houses presently under illegal possession. The ministry stated that 742 houses in the two cities were previously reclaimed from illegal occupants. So far, Rs 40. million have been recovered from unauthorized occupants, and legal cases have been registered against those resisting eviction. The ministry also provided an overview of the total government housing stock: 17,492 houses in Islamabad, 1,943 in Lahore, and 7,882 in Karachi. Housing Minister Riaz Pirzada further revealed that in Karachi alone, 2,200 houses were illegally allotted, and in many cases, the original files have gone missing. He added that the Intelligence Bureau, Rangers, and police are actively assisting in vacating the occupied properties.