After a brief and rapid period of development within Gwadar, the port city dubbed by many property investors as the ‘New Dubai’! Gwadar has been on the radar of overseas real estate investors for some time and in 2019, and now is as better time than ever to make those purchases.
With any new foreign location there are some issues to tackle and with investors, the issue of land grabbing is a legitimate concern. In this section we will give you a guide to this practise along with advice on how it can be avoided.
What is Land Grabbing?
Simply put, the act of land grabbing involves large scale land acquisitions. These mass purchases can be carried out by large scale property companies, wealthy private individuals or even government bodies. As long as there are property purchases or land purchases on a large scale, it comes under the umbrella of land grabbing.
It’s a condition that has been evident for centuries and in the present day, there are many areas of the world where the practise is an issue.
Land Grabbing in the 21st Century
The very nature of land grabbing means that it can be hard to identify confirmed statistics in terms of monetary value. However, we do know that land grabbing has taken place since the turn of the century in areas as diverse as Palestine, the Sudan, Russia, Poland, Ukraine and Romania.
There can be many reasons why land grabbing is carried out but in terms of Gwadar, it would be down to individuals taking more than their share of property in a region that is experiencing significant development. That could potentially deny other purchasers the chance of experiencing property ownership in one of the most exciting cities in the world so how can it be avoided?
How to avoid Land Grabbing
Various charitable agencies publish guidelines on how to avoid land grabbing and these are largely aimed at government bodies rather than individuals. They include advice on managing local ecosystems and on allowing equal rights for minority groups within the region.
All of those methods can be effective but they don’t really apply to Gwadar where all of the land in question is privately owned. The Pakistan government can potentially intervene to cap the amount of purchases made by individual property investors but it all comes down to striking a balance.
Anyone who wants a property in Gwadar and has the means to carry out a purchase should be afforded the right to buy here. With 3,000 properties currently under development across 10 million square feet of land, there is plenty of supply but will demand outstrip it?
With the potential that Gwadar has, there is a question of land grabbing but the key to avoiding it lies with the individual. The first rollout in the International Port City began in February and it is being sold off purely on a first come, first served basis. The best way to avoid any issues, therefore, is to act fast and secure a property at the earliest possible stage.
CPIC securely offers legal deed and land registry documentation for its investors. This is done online and cannot be edited by anyone with exception of the Gwadar Development Authority. Most other developers in Pakistan use a simpler filing system which can be subject to editing.
Please get in touch with our experts if you are concerned by land grabbing or any other issue involving the purchase of land in Gwadar. We are happy to assist you, please call +44 333 733 3337 or email [email protected]