A Senate Committee has raised alarms over the award of Karachi Port -Land worth the RS40 billion for only RS5 billion, and called it a “mega scandal” and requires an urgent study.

Revelation was made during a meeting of the Senate’s Standing Committee on Maritime Affairs, led by Senator Faisal Vawda.

During the session, Vawda expressed indignation over the alleged underestimation of 500 hectares of prime Karachi Port Land and argued that the market value of the property was well over the RS60 billion.

He questioned how such an agreement was approved without formal approval by the relevant authorities.

“This is an obvious abuse of public assets. We want to ensure transparency in Karachi Port’s land allocation, ”he said, adding that the case would be reviewed with Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC).

The Federal Minister of Maritime Affairs Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh and Maritime Secretary Zafar Ali Shah were present at the meeting, but claimed no prior knowledge of the agreement.

Their answers led to additional control by committee members who required a full report on the transaction.

In addition to the controversial soil allocation, the Senate Committee highlighted wider inefficiency in the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) operations.

Senator Dinesh Kumar noted that outdated rules inhibited the port’s development, with laws that regulated Karachi Harbor, which goes back over a century, and Port Qasim operating under a legal framework more than 50 years old.

Officials recognized the need for urgent political reforms and announced that a new maritime policy would soon be introduced – the first 25 years.

Senators also pointed to financial management at KPT and referred to reports that some drivers in the organization earned as much as RS350,000 per year. Month, with a further RS800 million awarded annually to medical benefits.

Kumar criticized the strong influence of unions and claimed that KPT management often gave in to union pressure, which made reforms difficult.

“The port sector acts as a white elephant. Each time a new government takes over responsibility, we get orientations full of minor differences, but no real reforms. It’s time for serious action, ”Kumar added.

Committee members warned that unregulated land allocations and incorrect management in Karachi Port could lead to significant financial losses. They urged the government to strengthen supervision, update maritime laws and conduct a thorough revision of Karachi Port’s land allocation.

Vawda emphasized that no additional land agreements in Karachi Port should continue without full transparency.

“The approval of the Board of Directors was bypassed and federal officials claim ignorance – this cannot be allowed to continue,” he said.

With growing pressure from the legislators, the committee has called on to stop for Karachi -Harvne transaction, while officials have been instructed to submit a detailed report on the case in the coming weeks.