More than 1,200 residential and commercial units demolished in Khema Basti, Afghanistan, during operation
A major anti-encroachment campaign entered its fifth day in Karachi, as authorities continued a large-scale demolition in the Afghan refugee settlement of Gulshan-e-Maymar, razing hundreds of illegal structures built on government land.
According to officials, more than 1,200 residential and commercial units have been demolished so far in the locality known as Afghan Khema Basti, which was established in 1984 and spreads over approximately 215 acres. The area, valued at billions of rupees, is under the jurisdiction of the Malir Development Authority (MDA).
Anti-encroachment director Amir Fazal Owaisi and SHO Zone 1 Shayan Anjum said the operation is part of the government’s broader policy to repatriate Afghan nationals and reclaim encroached public lands. The settlement previously housed more than 3,200 structures and housed thousands of Afghan refugees.
Read more: Demolitions of Afghan homes begin in Karachi’s Sohrab Goth
Coordinated teams from the Zone 1 Anti-Intrusion Force, the MDA and the district police participated in the Sunday phase of the operation. Heavy machinery was deployed to demolish the structures, while ensuring a strong police presence to prevent unrest.
DSP Manghopir Masroor Ahmed Jatoi said the settlement once housed about 15,000 Afghan refugees, of which more than 90% (approximately 14,000 people) have already returned to Afghanistan. “The remaining 800 to 1,000 residents are expected to leave in the coming days,” he added.
He confirmed that similar anti-encroachment actions were being carried out in other parts of Karachi against illegally residing Afghan nationals, in line with official policy.
Officials said the ongoing operation in Gulshan-e-Maymar will continue until all encroachments are removed and the land is fully recovered.
Meanwhile, several Afghan families remain in the settlement, packing their belongings as they prepare to leave. Many have been seen selling waste materials such as iron bars, doors and window frames from their homes to local traders, in addition to taking household items on their return journey to Afghanistan.
