Sindh Real Estate News and Land Insights

Karachi | ReNews Pakistan
The Sindh government plans to expand the number of properties covered by the urban property tax record from around 397,000 to 2.15 million, as part of efforts to broaden the property tax base and improve revenue collection.

The proposed $150 million Sindh Property Revenue Enhancement Programme includes digital and administrative reforms aimed at expanding the property tax base across 20 local councils in the province.

Under the proposed programme, $110 million has been allocated for Programme for Results, while $40 million has been earmarked for Investment Project Financing.

The programme is expected to focus on improving property records, expanding the number of taxable properties and strengthening the administrative systems used for urban property tax collection.

The expansion of the property tax database would bring a substantially larger number of urban properties into the formal tax record. Digital reforms are also intended to improve the identification and documentation of properties and address gaps in the existing tax base.

For local governments, a broader and more reliable property tax base could provide additional resources for municipal services and urban infrastructure, while improved digital records could strengthen the administration and monitoring of property related revenues.

Hyderabad : Renews Pakistan
Deputy Commissioner Hyderabad Zainul Abideen Memon has asked the Pakistan Infrastructure Development Company Limited (PIDCL) to cancel or withdraw the notice inviting tender (NIT) for the construction of a flyover at Labbaik Chowk in Latifabad, saying the project is not technically feasible in view of the available road width, right of way and traffic conditions.
In a letter sent to the CEO of PIDCL on Aug 30, the deputy commissioner questioned the proposed bridge, which is part of the federally funded urban infrastructure development package for Hyderabad.
Mr Memon said the proposed intervention was likely to aggravate the already growing traffic congestion and cause further inconvenience to the public.
He later confirmed that he had written the letter to PIDCL and said that a PIDCL official had asked him to raise the issue in writing.
The deputy commissioner also expressed concern that the district administration had not been consulted during the conception and planning of development schemes, including the proposed flyover. He said the lack of coordination could affect the planning and execution of important projects.
He requested PIDCL to cancel the NIT and identify alternative schemes in consultation with the district administration and other stakeholders.
The proposed Rs 800 million flyover is planned at Labbaik Chowk, commonly known as the late PPP leader Qamaruzzaman Shah's chowk because his bungalow was located at the site, where different units of Latifabad converge.
The roundabout is one of the busiest intersections in Hyderabad. It has recently become a hotspot for wedding halls and large commercial plazas being constructed on two corners of the roundabout, including one built in place of the late Qamar uz Zaman Shah's residence.
A notice inviting tender for the flyover has already been published in newspapers. The project was described as the first major project of the urban infrastructure development package to begin in Latifabad, subject to various procedural approvals.
Meanwhile, a separate development project being executed by PIDCL under the same federally funded package has led to the registration of a criminal case against a contractor in Latifabad.
An FIR was lodged at Hussainabad police station on Sept 15 by Fayyaz Kalyar, an official of the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC), against contractor Muzaffar Qureshi over alleged damage to an HMC drainage pipeline during PIDCL work in Latifabad.
The case was registered as Crime No. 266/26 under relevant sections of the Pakistan Penal Code. The complainant alleged that no permission had been obtained for the work that damaged HMC property.
The two disputes have emerged amid ongoing political friction between the MQM and PPP over development works in Hyderabad.
The works were identified by local party leadership and parliamentarians as part of the project the MQM had secured for Hyderabad soon after the formation of the PML-N-led coalition federal government.
MQM leaders and parliamentarians have repeatedly expressed a lack of trust in the PPP-led Sindh government regarding development works in their constituencies. They have also demanded that funds for the Karachi and Hyderabad packages be transferred to PIDCL instead of being placed at the disposal of the Sindh government.
The federal government accepted the MQM's request and transferred the funds to PIDCL.
In December 2025, MQM members of the Sindh Assembly from Hyderabad had opposed the transfer of 43 development schemes from the Local Government Project to the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation at the request of the city mayor.
MNA Wasim said the contractor had obtained bail in the case, which he said related to pavement work being carried out under PIDCL. He alleged that the administration and HMC were creating hurdles in the implementation of the works.
He also questioned the deputy commissioner's letter regarding the flyover and said Mr Memon would be responsible for any cost escalation resulting from delays in the bridge's construction.
Mr Wasim said funds for the project had been transferred to a non-lapsable account of PIDCL after the works were identified by the MQM.
“When we demand permission for some works, the same is not issued by Sindh government offices, including the HMC and the administration,” he said.
He said the Hyderabad civil administration had previously identified the same works for development, but the federal government had declined the request at the time.
According to the deputy commissioner, the Hyderabad district administration had identified works worth Rs4.98 billion. A pre-Central Development Working Party (CDWP) meeting was also convened for the technical assessment of 23 schemes relating to water supply, roads and drainage.
The DC said these works were initially to be executed by the provincial Local Government and Housing Department but were later dropped after PIDCL was provided funds by the federal government for Hyderabad's urban infrastructure development package.
“We did deny the issuance of the stakeholder consultation certificate sought by PIDCL, for want of consultation with the administration,” Mr Memon said, adding that the tendering process for PIDCL schemes was nevertheless under way.
Meanwhile, a traffic signal installation scheme is also being executed by the Sindh Mass Transit Authority at the same roundabout where the flyover has been proposed.
The traffic signal project is part of a Rs30 million scheme covering the installation of signals at Labbaik, Shahbaz and Giddu roundabouts.
The old roundabout at Labbaik Chowk has already been dismantled by the executing agency and lines have also been laid.
The Sindh government has separately provided Rs 8.02 billion in funds for the works.
So far, Rs 7.5 billion has been transferred to PIDCL for Hyderabad under the urban infrastructure development package, including funds for the previous and current financial years.