Karachi’s prime real estate is under threat from a widespread corrupt system involving politicians, officials, and builders. On February 25 last year, a three-acre land dispute near the US consulate escalated into a police case involving JUI-F leader Jibrail Khan and powerful political figures eyeing the plot. Despite being acquitted of multiple charges, Jibrail remained imprisoned before his release through party intervention. Ali Hassan Brohi, a powerful figure in Sindh’s politics with a shady past, is accused of grabbing over 3,000 acres of state and private land worth billions. Investigations by the FIA and government officials revealed forged entries, fake land allotments, and bribery connected to Brohi and his associates. His wife, Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, holds key political influence, further complicating accountability. Numerous illegal housing societies, including Al-Jannat City, Alvisha Housing Society, and North Town Residency Phase-2, claim ownership of large land parcels that actually belong to the state or remain unsurveyed ‘na class’ land. Builders sell costly plots with fake or incomplete documentation, while local authorities and the Land Development Authority either turn a blind eye or are complicit. Complaints to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) outlined illegal sales of nearly 1,500 acres of land, implicating police officers, mukhtiarkars, and political figures. Despite transfers and some disciplinary actions, the system remains deeply corrupt and resistant to reform. Public projects like Hawkesbay Scheme 42 remain unfinished after decades, while illegal societies continue to encroach. Anti-encroachment tribunals sometimes assist land grabbers through forged documents and stay orders, shielding illegal possession. Senior bureaucrats link the decay of merit-based recruitment and promotions in revenue and land departments to rising corruption. Paid bribes for important posts and manipulated appointments have created an administration more loyal to political patrons than public interest. Historical reports show long-standing collusion between political parties, militants, and land mafias in Karachi. Despite Supreme Court orders restricting land mutations, illegal deals continue unabated. Even officials opposing the system face backlash and career setbacks. Former Deputy Commissioner West, Fayyaz Solangi, who exposed Ali Hassan Brohi’s land grabs in 2020, later issued a public apology under pressure and was sidelined. The Karachi land crisis reveals a ‘system’ where political muscle, corrupt officials, and greedy builders combine to seize state and public land, leaving ordinary citizens deprived. While some arrests and inquiries happen, the deep-rooted network ensures the cycle of illegal land control and wealth continues unchecked.