Parliamentary Committee Told That 340 Acres Have Been Recovered Over the Last Three Years

Pakistan Railways is facing a major land encroachment challenge in Karachi Division, where 954 acres of railway land have been occupied by private individuals, according to a briefing given to the National Assembly Standing Committee on Railways.

The committee was informed that Pakistan Railways owns a total of 19,594 acres of land in Karachi Division. Around 954 acres of this land were reported to be under encroachment by private individuals.

Officials also informed the committee that approximately 340 acres had been recovered during the previous three years.

The issue of railway land encroachment has raised concerns about the protection and management of public assets. During the meeting, the committee discussed difficulties faced by Pakistan Railways in removing illegal occupation, including problems related to the transfer of land titles from provincial governments to the railway department.

The committee recommended that provincial chief secretaries be given one month to complete the transfer of railway land titles to Pakistan Railways. It also warned that the matter could be taken up with them in a future meeting if the issue remained unresolved.

At the national level, Pakistan Railways owns 168,858 acres of land. A separate government briefing in September 2026 reported that 2,826 acres had been recovered from encroachment during the six financial years from 2020-21 to 2025-26, with an estimated value of Rs21.178 billion.

The figures highlight the continuing challenge of protecting railway land and recovering property occupied without proper authorisation.