As many as 300 houses and shops were demolished during an anti-encroachment operation at the Afghan Camp along the Northern Bypass in the Gulshan-e-Maymar area of Karachi’s District West on Wednesday.
On the first day of the operation, more than 300 structures were razed. Police officials said they faced resistance from some individuals during the drive but remained determined to complete their task. Several people were taken into custody, and police emphasised that no one would be allowed to occupy government land illegally.
Authorities added that the operation would resume on Thursday morning and continue for the next few days with police personnel deployed in the Afghan Camp area around the clock. District West SSP Tariq Elahi Mastoi told The News that “an anti-encroachment and demolition operation was carried out at Afghan Camp, Northern Bypass and during the operation, Afghan nationals vacated approximately 1,350 houses and on the first day, around 300 vacant structures were demolished. The operation will continue daily until all illegal encroachments are removed.”
As per details, clashes broke out in the Afghan Camp area after police and government teams began demolishing vacated houses to prevent illegal occupation of land recently cleared by repatriating Afghan families.
According to police officials, angry mobs—many of whom were not residents of the camp attacked police personnel and heavy machinery with stones in an attempt to halt the demolitions. In response, police fired tear gas shells and aerial gunfire to disperse the crowd and regain control of the situation.
Several attackers were reportedly detained following violent assaults on police officers. SSP Mastoi said the operation was launched after reports emerged that certain individuals linked to land mafias, along with some locals and outsiders were attempting to occupy the vacated houses. He noted that some of them falsely claimed to have purchased the properties from Afghan refugees who had left, which was legally impossible.
He explained that the Afghan Camp was originally government property allocated to Afghan refugees for temporary residence. “Afghan citizens were neither allowed to buy nor allowed to sell this land — it belonged to the government and was to be returned once the refugees left,” he said.
The SSP added that when the repatriation of Afghan refugees began, criminal elements and land mafias tried to seize the vacated houses and shops. He said the camp contained about 3,000 houses accommodating roughly 15,000 residents.
“The repatriation of the remaining refugees is still under process, and as they leave, their houses and shops will also be demolished,” he added. “It is the responsibility of the police and other relevant departments to ensure that the government land is handed back to the state,” the SSP said. “So far, nearly 300 vacant structures have been demolished,” he added, emphasising that no individual had the right to buy or sell the land. “Those claiming ownership or sale rights are lying,” he asserted.
He said police would remain deployed until the operation was complete, and it was expected to continue for three to four more days. Earlier, West DIG Irfan Baloch had sent a letter to the Karachi police chief highlighting the growing threat of land grabbing in the area and recommending the formation of a committee comprising officials from the Malir Development Authority (MDA), deputy commissioner’s office, and police.
The letter suggested that a detailed land survey be conducted and that vacated plots be given to the MDA’s possession to prevent future encroachments. In the letter, DIG Baloch stated that the Afghan Camp, which was located on the MDA’s land within the jurisdiction of the Gulshan-e-Maymar police station, District West, comprised approximately 3,117 houses, including 200 to 250 belonging to Pakistani families.
Previously, about 15,680 Afghan nationals resided in the camp, of whom 14,296 had returned to Afghanistan, while the process was under way to repatriate the remaining 1,384 in phases. He warned that certain land mafia elements and illegal grabbers were attempting to occupy portions of the vacated land. In view of the sensitivity of the situation, he requested the formation of a special committee, including representatives from the MDA, deputy commissioner’s office, and police under the supervision of the Karachi commissioner to take preventive action and safeguard the land from illegal occupation.
According to DIG Baloch, over 3,000 houses had been built in the Afghan Camp area, accommodating around 15,000 Afghan nationals. “A majority of them have now repatriated to Afghanistan, while roughly 1,500 individuals remain,” he said, adding that the state land must be reclaimed and secured to prevent future illegal occupations.