The Sindh government is considering an application by the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) seeking up to 6,000 acres of seafront land in Karachi, Dawn reported on Sunday.
The DHA has sought land "preferably on the beachside" for the development of its housing plan "to meet its primary objective of providing relief to families of martyrs and armed forces personnel."
In December 2023, it requested Sindh's caretaker government to request "allotment of land for DHA Karachi for future expansion."
In a letter to the Sindh chief minister, the DHA administrator explained the grounds for the expansion proposal while thanking the provincial government for previous assistance for the authority's numerous initiatives.
“With bifurcation of DHA Karachi and DHA City Karachi, the requirement of additional land has become imperative for DHA Karachi to meet its primary objective of providing relief to Shuhada families and armed forces personnel,” he stated in the letter. “It is requested that DHA Karachi may be leased an area of compact piece of land measuring 5,000–6,000 acres of land for its expansion in vicinity of Hawksbay area,” it added.
The caretaker government responded quickly to the DHA application, as the CM Secretariat wrote to the Senior Member Board of Revenue (SMBR) in January 2024, urging that the department analyze the authority's development plan.
The practice continued even after the Pakistan Peoples Party's elected government began its fourth term in the province.
In a letter dated April 8, the provincial government's land utilization department asked the deputy commissioner of District West to provide a full report as well as a site sketch of the coastal area.
In the 1980s, the DHA began its Karachi housing plan on only 76.2 acres of land. However, throughout time, it has grown to become the largest and most prominent residential estate.
According to the authority's website, "DHA has attained a valuable status, serving as a benchmark for providing unparalleled living standards in Pakistan." Pakistan Defence Officers Housing Authority now owns and maintains 8,797 acres, which serve numerous households. It has 81,489 members, including military officers, civilians, and legal successors of deceased members."