NAB says over 1.26 million acres of state land worth Rs1.78 trillion recovered in Balochistan

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Balochistan has claimed to have recovered more than 1.26 million acres of state land worth an estimated Rs1.78 trillion in operations carried out with the support of the provincial government and other departments.

According to NAB, the recovery drive was launched after a preliminary review in 2025 found that nearly 2.8 million acres of Forest Department land had no formal government record documenting its transfer.

Following the discovery, NAB Balochistan initiated action with support from the Balochistan government, the Board of Revenue, and the Forest Department.

The bureau said more than one million acres of state land were recovered during 2025, with an estimated value of Rs1.37 trillion.

Operations continued in 2026, resulting in the recovery of around 260,000 additional acres in Quetta, Gwadar, Lasbela, Hub, Sherani and Sibi. NAB estimated the value of these recoveries at Rs414.2 billion.

According to the bureau, more than 47,000 acres were reclaimed in Quetta, valued at approximately Rs363 billion. In Gwadar, around 176,000 acres worth Rs25 billion were recovered, while operations in Sherani resulted in the recovery of 15,000 acres valued at Rs29 billion.

NAB said another 17,000 acres worth Rs2 billion were reclaimed in Lasbela, 2,861 acres valued at Rs2 billion in Sibi, and 153 acres worth Rs500 million in Hub.

The bureau said the recovered land was being handed over to the Forest and Wildlife departments for public use and conservation purposes, adding that efforts were underway to recover remaining encroached land and strengthen oversight through modern land management systems. 

It said digitisation of land records was being pursued across the province, with work on Gwadar's land records nearing completion.

NAB reiterated its commitment to pursuing cases involving illegal occupation of state land and said future actions would continue in accordance with the law.