Bahria Town Karachi

This article is about a neighbourhood in Karachi. For the developments in Rawalpindi and Lahore, see Bahria Town Rawalpindi and Bahria, Lahore. For Developer of the Community, see Bahria Town.
Bahria Town Karachi
بحریہ ٹاؤن کراچی
Gated community
Interactive map of Bahria Town Karachi
Coordinates: +) 25°00′N 67°19′E / 25.000°N 67.317°E / 25.000; 67.317
CountryPakistan
StateSindh
DistrictMalir
Established2014
Government
 • TypePrivately owned and managed
Area
 • Total
186 km2 (72 sq mi)
Population
 (2022)
 • Total
100,000 +
 • Density540/km2 (1,400/sq mi)
Time zonePST
Size46,000 acres[1]
Websitewww.bahriatown.com

Bahria Town Karachi is a privately owned gated community located in northeast of Karachi, Pakistan.[2] The suburb is being developed by Malik Riaz and his Bahria Town Group, and is located just off the M-9 Motorway and occupies over 46,000 acres (72 mi2; 19,000 ha). Construction began in 2014.[2]

The community includes the Grand Jamia Mosque, which is planned to be the world's third largest mosque,[3] and the Rafi Cricket Stadium, the country's largest, designed by GMW Architects. Bahria Town has the Danzoo which is the largest zoo in Karachi. It has Bahria Adventura which is the largest theme park in Karachi. It has multiple schools, colleges, universities, hospitals, parks, monuments, cinemas and shopping malls.[4][5][6][7] The community is divided by the 25-kilometre-long (16 mi), 400-foot-wide (120 m), 18-lane, Jinnah Avenue.[8][9] The community will be energy independent with a coal-fired and an LNG-powered electricity generation plant, in partnership with K-Electric.[10][11] It is also home to a 36-hole United States Golf Association standard golf course.

The community consists of over 60 precincts and is planned to house around one million people.[12][13] The town will be connected to I. I. Chundrigar Road by a Karachi Metrobus route in the future.[14][15][16] In 2019, Bahria Town Karachi demanded unplanned 35% development charges, which were later inferred for an unknown period.[16]

The Malir Expressway is a new inter-city highway being built from district south Karachi, all the way up to the M-9 motorway. This new 39 km highway will facilitate traffic from with in the city of Karachi, to the motorway and Bahria Town Karachi. This inter-city high will have multiple interchanges within the city, and will make quick access to Bahria Town a possibility. With the current given estimated, this will cut down driving time to Bahria town by almost 40 minutes. What use to take 1 hour 10 minutes, will only take 30 minutes. Phase 1 of this project was opened by January 20, 2025, and phase 2 to be in operation by 2026.[17]

Sub-divisions

Bahria Town Karachi is divided into more than 60 precincts.

Sub-division Description
Precincts 1 through 31 Residential plots of 125, 250 and 500 Sqft.
Bahria Farmhouses 4,000 to 8,000 Sq Yards Plots[18]
Bahria Sports City Residential plots around the Rafi Cricket Stadium
Bahria Homes 125 and 200 Sq Yard townhouses.[19]
Bahria Paradise Villas 500 Sq Yards [20]
Bahria Apartments 2, 3 and 4 bedroom low-rise apartments[21]
Bahria Heights Mixed-use development with furnished 2-bedroom apartments and shops.
Jinnah Avenue Modeled after the Sheikh Zayed road in Dubai, the 400 ft road with 500sq.ft commercial plots for high rise buildings.[22]
Bahria future projects agency the 400 ft road with 500sq.ft commercial plots for high rise buildings.[23]
Bahria Karachi Golf Club 36 Hole PGA Standard Golf Course
Grand Jamia Mosque Planned to be the third largest in the world.

Infrastructure

Power & Utilities

  • Grid Independence: The community is designed to be energy independent through its own power generation plants, including LNG-powered facilities in partnership with K-Electric.
  • Backup Power: Residents are provided with 100% backup power to ensure no load-shedding.
  • Underground Services: All utility cabling, including electricity, gas, and telecommunications, is installed underground to maintain safety and aesthetic standards.

Water & Waste Management

  • Sewerage Treatment Plants (STP): Bahria Town uses dedicated STPs to harvest and recycle domestic water for horticulture and cleaning.
  • Water Conservation: The infrastructure includes mini-dams to conserve rainwater and prevent flooding during monsoon seasons.
  • Smart Drainage: A modern drainage system is integrated into the road network and underpasses to manage heavy rainfall.

Controversies

2015–2016: Land Allotment Disputes

In 2015, questions were raised regarding the exact acreage of land allotted to Bahria Town Karachi by the Malir Development Authority (MDA). By August 2016, the Supreme Court of Pakistan issued an interim order to halt construction on approximately 5,786 acres, citing irregularities in the land exchange process between the Sindh Government and the MDA. Bahria Town officials maintained that the land was lawfully acquired from local owners and through official government channels.

The Rs460 Billion Supreme Court Settlement

Following a 2018 ruling that declared certain land acquisitions illegal, the Supreme Court of Pakistan accepted a Rs460 billion (approx. $3.1 billion) settlement from Bahria Town in March 2019. This massive financial commitment, unprecedented for a private entity in Pakistan, was intended to legalize 16,896 acres and protect the project from total closure. The payment schedule required significant liquidity, including a Rs25 billion down payment and subsequent monthly installments of Rs2.25 billion.

The "Affectee" Dilemma and New Launches

During the years of legal uncertainty (2017–2020), a segment of investors—often referred to as "affectees"—found their plots located on un-validated or disputed land. While these members awaited resolution, Bahria Town launched new sub-projects, such as Bahria Paradise and Bahria Greens.

  • Criticism: Some allottees and observers criticized the management for launching these new schemes and collecting new booking fees before fully resolving the status of those stuck in original precincts.
  • Developer Strategy: Management argued these launches were necessary to maintain cash flow—essential for both ongoing construction and meeting the massive Supreme Court payment obligations—thereby ensuring the overall project remained viable for everyone.

Resolution through Merging and Adjustments

Recognizing the frustration of affectees, Bahria Town eventually implemented a multi-layered accommodation strategy to ensure that public investment was not lost:

  • Merging of Funds: Allottees in disputed areas were given the option to "merge" their paid-up installments into other active projects. This included transferring funds toward the purchase of villas, apartments, or commercial spaces in private high-rise projects developed by third parties within the township.
  • Alternative Allotments: Many members were offered relocation to validated precincts, though this sometimes involved price adjustments based on the market value of the new location.
  • Internal Transfers: Bahria Town adjusted many affectees to the alternate precincts or accomodated them in different project within BTK.

Current Perspective

While the 2019 settlement remains a significant financial weight on the organization, the majority of the original "affectees" have had their claims addressed through these merging and adjustment schemes. The project has evolved into a fully functional city-within-a-city providing international standard living to Karachiites.

  • Bahria Town Eiffel Tower is built on a hill and is visible from far away
  • Tauheed Square, one of the largest in Bahria Town
  • 17th Avenue Bridge
  • Allah Wali Roundabout

See also

References

  1. ^ Court, Supreme | (2019-03-26). "SC issues detailed verdict in Bahria Town case". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2019-03-26.
  2. ^ a b Ali, Fahim Zaman | Naziha Syed (2016-04-18). "Bahria Town Karachi: Greed unlimited". www.dawn.com. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  3. ^ "Bahria breaks ground on world's 3rd largest mosque". The Express Tribune. 2015-01-06. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  4. ^ "Cricket stadium: German firm lands Bahria's contract - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 12 February 2016. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  5. ^ "Bahria Sports City to feature Pakistan's largest cricket stadium - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 5 February 2016. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  6. ^ "Bahria Town project and it's invisible hands – The Express Tribune Blog". blogs.tribune.com.pk. 14 March 2014. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  7. ^ "Bahria Town Karachi: Balloting held for plots at Midway Commercial - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 23 January 2015. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  8. ^ Mansoor, Babur. "Jinnah Avenue Commercial - Bahria Town - Your Lifestyle Destination". www.bahriatown.com. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  9. ^ "Bahria Town Karachi: Projects received overwhelming response - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 4 October 2013. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  10. ^ "Mega project: Karachi to get coal, LNG-based power plants, says Malik Riaz - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 20 March 2015. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  11. ^ "Bahria Town, KElectric ink agreement on power plants for Karachi". www.geo.tv. 7 March 2015. Retrieved 2016-06-11.
  12. ^ "Bahria Town Karachi - Everything you Need to Know". ThePost Blog!. Archived from the original on 2019-04-15. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  13. ^ "Possession ahead of time: Bahria Town offers excellence, affordability - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 2016-04-01. Retrieved 2016-06-11.
  14. ^ "Bahria Town to build 54km expressway in Karachi: Malik Riaz". www.geo.tv. 5 February 2015. Retrieved 2016-06-11.
  15. ^ "Bus Rapid Transit only solution to Karachi traffic woes: Penelosa - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 2015-03-26. Retrieved 2016-06-11.
  16. ^ a b Monitoring Cell, Bahria Town Karachi Exploitation (2020-06-06). "Bahria Town Karachi — Additional Unplanned Development Charges". www.medium.com. Retrieved 2020-06-06.
  17. ^ https://www.pppunitsindh.gov.pk/projects_mew.php
  18. ^ Mansoor, Babur. "Bahria Farmhouses Karachi - Bahria Town - Your Lifestyle Destination". www.bahriatown.com. Retrieved 2016-10-29.
  19. ^ toot. "Bahria Homes Karachi - Bahria Town - Your Lifestyle Destination". www.bahriatown.com. Retrieved 2016-10-29.
  20. ^ "Bahria Paradise". 9 June 2020.
  21. ^ toot. "Bahria Apartments - Bahria Town - Your Lifestyle Destination". www.bahriatown.com. Retrieved 2016-10-29.
  22. ^ Mansoor, Babur. "Jinnah Avenue Commercial - Bahria Town - Your Lifestyle Destination". www.bahriatown.com. Retrieved 2016-10-29.
  23. ^ Mansoor, Babur. "Future projects cial - Bahria Town - Your Lifestyle Destination". www.bahriatown.com. Retrieved 2016-10-29.
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