Living in a safe and peaceful society is the bare minimum required by anyone before investing to buy a new house or plot anywhere. However, focusing on these two things alone can cause a lot of problems in the future if the society you invest in has not yet been approved by SBCA.
Last year, after the demolition of a Nasla Tower, built upon encroached land which was designated for a service road, the government issued a notice against the illegal housing societies. Later on, a list was released by the SBCA documenting all the illegal housing societies based in Karachi.
Since this list singles out all the illegal housing societies in Karachi, new investors can refer to this document to safely invest anywhere without the risk of a loss in the future.
With a huge number of illegal structures razed all over Karachi this year, it is important to check the status of any property or society before you invest in them. Buying properties whether they’re commercial or residential, built upon encroached land will only cause major losses in the future.
Multiple laws have been enforced and severe measures have been taken against the rapidly increasing number of illegal housing societies in Karachi. Recently, the provincial government has directed all real estate projects located in the city to set up boards displaying QR codes, that can help determine their legal status.
SBCA has also advised the general public not to engage in the sale, booking, purchasing, or any transaction with the builders and developers mentioned at the end of this blog, as they could not attain the No Objection Certificate (NOC). Added to that, there is a risk that you could lose your money if you haven’t checked the NOC issued by SBCA beforehand. Therefore, always check the SBCA approval before purchasing any housing project.
If you aim to invest in SBCA-approved societies, the investment will be beneficial for future generations as well. Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) has issued a list of legal and verified housing societies on their online website as well. People can buy these housing societies without fraud or scams since the relevant government departments have confirmed their status.
It is also recommended by the SBCA to obtain a forwarding letter (Letter of Redelivery) as well, which will ensure transparency of the transaction. A document issued by the housing cooperative shows that the land in question belongs to the seller.
In addition, the buyer should visit the master planning group office to review the social plan; the last step is to obtain the building permit from the SBCA.
Asma Ghafoor, the IT Director at SBCA, stated that the authority has an e-portal system that connects all the land-owning agencies of Karachi. Furthermore, she said that when the building plan of any plot comes to the Single Window Facility for authorization, its verification is required by SBCA. The verification is performed using its layout plan by the Master Plan Department, of the relevant land-owning agency.
According to the information received by the resources in this regard, on the particular direction of Director General SBCA, the Director Design Section has released a list of 19 illegal projects in the city where the sale and purchase of projects from the public are being made through an advertising campaign on various media or charging in the name of booking.
The list released by SBCA in 2021 consists of the following housing societies:
- AGS Employees Cooperative Housing Society
- Ahsanabad Cooperative Housing Society
- APP Employees CHS
- CP and Berar CHS
- Gulistan-e-Zarrin CHS
- Gulshan-e-Jiwan CHS
- Muslamanan-e-Punjab CHS
- Pakistan Aircrew CHS
- Allahabad CHS
- Ablagh-e-Aama Cooperative Housing Society
- Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation CHS
- Pakistan Council of Scientific CHS
- Evacuee Trust Property Employees CHS
- Firdous CHS
- PIA Employees CHS
- PIDC Employees Multipurpose CHS
- Quetta Town CHS
- Qureshi Cooperative Housing Society
- Al-Rizwan Cooperative Housing Society
- Rub Razi CHS
- Saadabad CHS
- Sultanabad CHS
- Television Employees CHS
- Al-Falah Cooperative Housing Society (Malir Halt)
- The Alfalah Cooperative Housing Society
- Al Madina CHS, Al Manzar CHS
- Al-Ahmed CHS
- Al-Ghaffar Nagori CHS
- Atiba CHS (Bostan Heights)
- Bagh-e-Yousuf CHS
- Shah Wilayat CHS
- Sindh Provincial Employees CHS
- Barlas Moon City CHS
- Bhopal Homes CHS
- Chapal Luxury Villas-I, II and III CHS
- The General Construction Cooperative Housing Society
- Gulshan-e-Bilal CHS
- Gulshan-e-Quddus (Al Azim) CHS
- Gulshan-e-Surjani CHS
- Humair Town CHS
- Jamiyat Punjabi Suadagaran CHS
- Burhani Garden CHS
- Burhani Town CHS
- Chapal Cooperative Housing Society
- Marina Garden CHS
- Merry Land (Garden City) CHS
- Mnasmr (Heaven Pride) CHS
- Gulshan-e-Taufeeq CHS
- Khayaban-e-Muhammad CHS
- KN Gohar Green City CHS
- Javedan (Naya Nazimabad) CHS
- Karim Town (Gulshan-e-Ellahi) CHS
- Pearl Villas CHS
- PS City Phase I&II CHS
- Rafi Pride-II CHS
- Modern Developers CHS
- Pakistan Steel (Gulshan-e-Hadeed) CHS
- Mominabad Phase-II CHS
- The Pak Construction Cooperative Housing Society
- Saima Green Valley CHS
- Gulshan-e-Shiraz CHS
- Safari Associates CHS
- Ruknuddin Khan CHS
- Sherwani Royal City CHS
- The South Construction CHS
