Sindh Real Estate News and Land Insights

Karachi | ReNews Pakistan
The Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) has rejected the government’s proposed smart lockdown and refused to implement the announced petrol relief package, saying that the government should provide relief from its own funds instead of placing the financial burden on dealers.
PPDA representatives said they fear that payments may get delayed as previous commitments were not fulfilled, therefore dealers cannot provide petrol on credit under the government’s subsidy plan.
Speaking at a press conference in Karachi, PPDA Chairman Malik Khuda Bakhsh, along with Vice Chairman Tariq Hassan, Anwar Kamal, Sindh President Ameer Khan and Karachi President Saeed Khan, said dealers cannot sell petrol at a reduced price of Rs100 under the announced relief package.
He warned that if pressure was applied on dealers, petrol pumps could be closed. He said the government should arrange funds for the relief package itself instead of blocking the money of petroleum dealers.
The association also rejected the proposed smart lockdown plan, saying dealers are concerned about financial losses and uncertainty regarding payment mechanisms.
PPDA officials said they had not been taken into confidence before the announcement of the package and were not informed about how and when their payments would be returned.
Vice Chairman Tariq Hassan said dealers had been trying to contact the government for the last three days but communication was not effective.
The association said its 14,000 dealers across Pakistan would not sell petrol under the relief package from Wednesday night.
Dealers suggested that allowing oil marketing companies to directly import petroleum products could help resolve the issue.

Karachi | ReNews Pakistan
The Karachi Development Authority has announced plans to fully digitise its land records and introduce a modern barcode based file tracking system to improve transparency and monitoring.
The development was discussed on Wednesday during a meeting at the Civic Centre between KDA Director General Asif Jan Siddiqui and a delegation of the Competition Commission of Pakistan led by its member Bushra Naz Malik.
The meeting focused on institutional matters, transparency and measures aimed at protecting citizens’ interests in land-related cases.
Bushra Naz Malik briefed the KDA director general on the role of the Competition Commission of Pakistan in promoting fair competition, preventing anti competitive practices and safeguarding consumer rights.
She said the commission would continue efforts to raise public awareness and address complaints related to land matters.
Asif Jan Siddiqui said the KDA is digitising its land records in phases and developing a secure digital archive to facilitate public access. He said the digital system would allow citizens to access property-related information remotely while improving record preservation and reducing delays and irregularities.
He added that the authority would also introduce a modern barcode-based mechanism to electronically track the movement of files. The system is expected to help monitor file progress, identify delays and ensure timely action on land related matters.
Siddiqui said transparency, merit and fair competition were essential for establishing a credible and reliable institutional system.
Senior officials from both institutions also attended the meeting.

Karachi | ReNews Pakistan
Cherat Cement Company Limited has announced its intention to acquire at least a 30 percent stake in Nimir Industrial Chemicals Limited.
Nimir Industrial Chemicals Limited disclosed to the Pakistan Stock Exchange on Thursday that it had received a public announcement of intention from Cherat Cement Company Limited through KTrade Securities Limited to acquire at least 30 percent of its ordinary shares.
The proposed acquisition remains subject to regulatory approvals, finalization of commercial terms, completion of due diligence and execution of the required agreements.
According to the acquisition document, the public announcement of intention may be withdrawn if the required regulatory approvals are not obtained.
Cherat Cement stated that its Chief Executive Officer, Azam Faruque, is the ultimate controlling shareholder of the company. It further disclosed that Cherat Cement currently has no existing shareholding in Nimir Industrial Chemicals and that no shares in NICL are controlled by persons acting in concert with the company.
Nimir Industrial Chemicals has approximately 110.59 million issued ordinary shares, according to the acquisition document.
The company’s major shareholders include Zafar Mahmood, who holds 19.72 percent, followed by Muhammad Yahya Khan with 11.89 percent and Khalid Mumtaz Qazi with 11.53 percent.
If completed, the proposed acquisition would give Cherat Cement a significant stake in Nimir Industrial Chemicals. However, the current announcement represents an intention to acquire the shares and does not constitute confirmation of a completed transaction.
The proposed deal will depend on the completion of regulatory approvals, due diligence, commercial negotiations and the execution of definitive agreements.