Quetta, June 15, 2026: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Balochistan, in collaboration with the Government of Balochistan, has recovered state land worth more than Rs1.78 trillion in a major anti-encroachment campaign aimed at protecting public assets and curbing illegal land occupation.
According to NAB, the operation was launched under directives from NAB Headquarters to eliminate illegal encroachments, ensure transparent accountability and recover state resources. The initiative was carried out with the support of the provincial government, the Revenue Department and the Forest and Wildlife Department under the guidance of the Chief Minister of Balochistan.
The development followed an initial inspection in 2025, which revealed that nearly 2.8 million acres of land belonging to the Forest Department lacked formal official transfer records. Taking notice of the issue, NAB Balochistan initiated large-scale operations across the province.
During 2025, authorities recovered more than one million acres of government land, valued at approximately Rs1.37 trillion, in what NAB described as one of the largest land recovery drives in Pakistan’s history.
The operation was further expanded in 2026, resulting in the recovery of around 260,000 acres of land in Quetta, Sibi, Sherani, Hub, Lasbela and Gwadar, with an estimated value of Rs414.2 billion.
According to the details released by NAB, the recovered land includes:
- Quetta: 47,000 acres worth Rs354 billion
- Sibi: 2,861 acres worth Rs2.3 billion
- Sherani: 15,000 acres worth Rs29 billion
- Hub: 153 acres worth Rs50 billion
- Lasbela: 17,000 acres worth Rs2.2 billion
- Gwadar: 176,000 acres worth Rs25 billion
All recovered land belongs to the Forest and Wildlife Department and is being handed back to the department for utilization in public welfare and environmentally sustainable projects.
NAB acknowledged the support of the Government of Balochistan, particularly the Senior Member Board of Revenue (SMBR) and the Forest Department, stating that the operation’s success was made possible through close inter-departmental coordination.
The accountability watchdog reiterated its commitment to a zero-tolerance policy against corruption and land grabbing, warning that illegal occupation of state land would not be tolerated under any circumstances.
NAB further stated that efforts are underway to recover remaining government land across the province while strengthening preventive measures through modern land management systems, digitalization and enhanced monitoring mechanisms.
As part of these reforms, the digitalization of land records in Gwadar has entered its final stages and is expected to play a key role in preventing future encroachments and improving transparency in land administration.
Authorities said the recovery campaign will continue across Balochistan, with priority being given to districts most affected by illegal land occupation and record irregularities.
