KARACHI: Association of Builders and Developers of Pakistan (ABAD) Chairman Muhammad Hanif Gohar has said a corrupt system has paralysed the administrative structure in Sindh, with Karachi plagued by widespread extortion and land-grabbing.
He was speaking at a ceremony organised by the Diplomatic Business Club in honour of ABAD’s newly elected office-bearers.
Gohar described the failure to commercialise 26 roads despite Supreme Court orders as a matter of serious concern. He said that not a single builder had yet been able to get a plot commercialised, calling the situation alarming. He condemned the non-implementation of judicial orders and urged the relevant institutions to resolve the matter immediately, in accordance with legal requirements.
Extortion, land mafias and the corrupt system, he said, had created numerous difficulties for citizens as well as for builders and developers in the construction sector, and effective measures had become essential.
Protecting the businesses of builders and traders, and allowing them to operate without fear, was the responsibility of the government and law enforcement agencies, he added.
He called for comprehensive measures to start commercialisation in public institutions without bribery, so that builders do not face unnecessary obstacles in their lawful business activities.
Gohar said ABAD would continue to work to resolve the legitimate concerns of builders and developers. “ABAD has never remained silent on corruption,” he maintained, adding that the association had consistently raised its voice against injustices faced by the sector and that highlighting the business community’s problems to the authorities remained a key priority.
The ceremony was attended by ABAD Vice Chairman Khursheed Alam, Southern Region Chairman Moez Zaidi, former ABAD Chairman Muhammad Hassan Bakshi, Senior Vice Chairman Syed Afzal Hameed, Vice Chairman Tariq Aziz, Southern Region Chairman Ahmad Owais Thanvi, Diplomatic Business Club Chairman Muhammad Umar Shah, Patron-in-Chief Fayyaz Ilyas, and a large number of members.
Condolences over Peshawar school tragedy.
Gohar also expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of six girls, 20 boys and two female teachers in Peshawar’s Dir Colony, where a school roof reportedly collapsed. He prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured children and extended condolences to the bereaved families.
He said structural safety audits of school, hospital and office buildings were the responsibility of the district administration, and described the failure to identify dilapidated buildings and inspect them in time as serious administrative negligence. Governments, he stressed, must take practical and effective steps to prevent such tragedies in the future.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026