Karachi Crackdown Targets Illegal Parking and Plot Leases

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The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has initiated a citywide crackdown on two major issues affecting the city’s governance: unauthorized parking fee collection and the illegal leasing of plots in Orangi Township. The operation follows directives from Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, who recently announced that all parking on public roads across Karachi would be free of charge.

To implement this policy, KMC has filed three First Information Reports (FIRs) against individuals caught illegally collecting parking fees. These cases were registered at Kharadar police station on July 10, Bahadurabad on July 28, and Boat Basin on July 29. Offenders were reportedly caught in the act and were found issuing unauthorized receipts. The illegal operators have been handed over to law enforcement for prosecution.

Mayor Wahab has urged the public not to pay parking fees on public roads under any circumstances. He encouraged citizens to report violations by calling the KMC helpline at 1339. In addition, the City Warden Department has been instructed to regularly patrol designated parking areas to ensure full compliance with the no-fee policy.

In a separate but related initiative, KMC has begun canceling over 320 plots in the Orangi Township Project that were found to have been illegally leased. This action comes after an internal investigation revealed serious irregularities that occurred during the tenure of a previous project director. According to official documents, 26 plots were allocated to one individual in 2019, while approximately 180 were granted to family members or close associates.

The current Project Director, Faisal Rizvi, has submitted additional records pointing to more than 500 questionable allotments in total. Based on these findings, KMC has forwarded the case documents to the Director General of Anti-Corruption for legal review and further action.

The crackdown on illegal plot leasing is being carried out in phases. Earlier reports from credible sources noted that KMC had revoked more than 170 leases by mid-July, and this number has since grown as the investigation progresses.

KMC officials stated that both operations are part of broader efforts to improve transparency and accountability in municipal management. By tackling unauthorized practices in public parking and land allotment, the city administration aims to restore public confidence in local governance and ensure that urban resources are managed fairly and lawfully.