Karachi, Pakistan (HRNW)- The Government of Sindh has taken a decisive step against the illegal regularization of slums (Katchi Abadis) by canceling several notifications issued during the tenure of the former Director General of the Human Settlement Authority. Under this move, the official slum status of Rehmanabad, Dildar Umrani Goth, and Yusuf Goth has been revoked.
According to the Human Settlement Department, these notifications were issued by Deputy Director General Jarrar Hussain while holding temporary charge. It was noted that Hussain overstepped his authority, as his temporary mandate was limited to day-to-day administrative tasks. Despite this, he issued notifications on December 31, 2025, declaring three large settlements as official Katchi Abadis.
The department further clarified that these actions were “malicious” and taken without obtaining mandatory No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from the original landowners or fulfilling legal requirements. Consequently, the Sindh government issued an office order on January 6, 2026, immediately canceling all such notifications.
The Secretary of Human Settlement has ordered formal proceedings and an inquiry against the officer involved. In a bid to reform the authority, Athar Hussain Mirani (BS-20) was appointed as the new permanent Director General on January 14, 2026. This crackdown is being viewed as a major effort to curb illegal land occupation and corruption within the province.
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