ABAD Chairman Hanif Gohar Raises Concerns Over Corruption, Extortion and Commercialisation Delays in Sindh
Chairman of Diplomatic Business Club Omer Shah presents a commemorative shield to ABAD Chairman Muhammad Hanif Gohar at a special ceremony held in his honour.
ABAD Chairman Hanif Gohar calls for action on corruption, commercialisation delays and building safety
KARACHI, October 15, 2026: Association of Builders and Developers of Pakistan (ABAD) Chairman Muhammad Hanif Gohar has said that corruption within Sindh’s system has paralysed governance, while extortion and illegal land occupation continue to create serious problems for Karachi’s residents and the construction sector.
He expressed these concerns while addressing a ceremony organised by the Diplomatic Business Club in honour of the ABAD chairman and other office-bearers.
The event was attended by ABAD Vice Chairman Khursheed Alam, Southern Region Chairman Moeiz Zaidi, former Chairman Muhammad Hassan Bakhshi, Senior Vice Chairman Syed Afzal Hameed, Vice Chairman Tariq Aziz and Chairman SR Ahmed Owais Thanvi. Diplomatic Business Club Chairman Muhammad Umar Shah, Patron-in-Chief Fayyaz Ilyas and a large number of members were also present.
Gohar said extortion, land grabbing and corruption had made it increasingly difficult for citizens, builders and developers to conduct their affairs. He stressed the need for effective measures to address these challenges and restore confidence in the business environment.
He said the government and law enforcement agencies had a responsibility to protect businesses and ensure that builders and traders could carry out their commercial activities without fear or undue pressure.
Supreme Court Orders on Commercialisation
The ABAD chairman expressed concern over delays in the commercialisation of 26 roads in Karachi, despite Supreme Court orders. He said, according to ABAD, no builder had yet been able to get a plot commercialised under the relevant court directives.
Gohar criticised the failure to implement the judicial orders and urged the concerned authorities to take immediate action to resolve the matter in accordance with the law.
He also called for measures to ensure that commercialisation procedures could be initiated without bribery or unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles. He said builders and developers should be able to complete legitimate legal processes transparently and efficiently.
Reaffirming ABAD’s commitment to the construction industry, Gohar said the association would continue raising the concerns of builders and developers and advocating for fair treatment. He added that highlighting the business community’s problems and bringing them to the attention of the relevant authorities remained among ABAD’s key priorities.
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ABAD Chairman Expresses Grief Over Peshawar School Tragedy
Separately, Gohar expressed profound grief over the deaths of six girls, 20 boys and two female teachers in the tragic collapse of a school roof in Peshawar’s Dir Colony. He prayed for the swift recovery of the injured children and conveyed his heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families.
He said district administrations were responsible for conducting structural safety audits of school, hospital and office buildings to ensure the safety of occupants.
Gohar described the failure to identify deteriorating buildings and conduct timely technical inspections as a serious administrative lapse. He urged the government to take practical and effective measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
He stressed that regular structural inspections and timely identification of unsafe buildings were essential to protecting lives and preventing avoidable disasters.
