Bahria Town to submit proposals to purchase land

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Survey of Pakistan to hold a meeting to exactly demarcate Karachi Bahria Town and submit a report.

A three-member implementation bench of the apex court in the Bahria Town Karachi case judgment, headed by Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed heard the case. The NAB prosecutor general told the court that investigation into the Bahria Town Karachi has been completed.

Barrister Ali Zafar, counsel for Bahria Town, claimed that the land developer is only in possession of 16,000 acres land and the management of Bahria Town is ready to purchase it as per market value.

He said the NAB has added some 7,318 acres of land to Bahria Town, adding that the same is cultivated by the lease holders and it has nothing to do with Bahria Town. He submitted that Bahria Town will submit its proposal on the next date of hearing.

Ali Zafar further said that 1,666 acres of land belongs to Jamshoro and it has nothing to do with the Malir Development Authority. On the question of market value, Ali Zafar said the court should determine the market value keeping in view the interest of third parties and investors.

The court directed the NAB and Survey of Pakistan to hold a meeting to demarcate the exact boundaries. The court recalled that the in its judgment, Justice Faisal Arab had given his additional note wherein he had determined the price of one acre of land at Rs35 million which could be increased up to 40 percent as per the 2018 market rate.