This 62-acre space was planned and notified under the KDA Order of 1957 as Scheme 32, 'Falaknuma' and later named 'Ahmed Ali Park' in honour of the Cornell-educated masterplanner of the various land development schemes in Karachi over the 1960s and 70s. The hill-top plateau is bound by Faran Cooperative Housing Society in the north, south and the west, and with the Overseas Co-operative Housing Society (OCHS) in the east; both these cooperatives are a part of the KCHSU.

'Falaknuma' comprised an openwater reser voir for the surrounding population, as per a notification issued on September 5, 1969. The topographical features of the site were to be developed as a Recreational Scheme, comprising playgrounds, horseride path, club, restaurants, gardens, a lake, tennis courts,a science museum/observatory and preservation of the rock to be known as Jabal Tariq as a landmark of the city.

With the increasing pressure of population and the escalation of land value over the decades, land mafias came to covet the open space of Kidney Hill. Surrounding residential plots nibbled at the park and, over time, many parts were encroached and came under litigation. In 1979, the OCHS and Al-Riaz Cooperative Housing Society (ACHS) managed to 'persuade' the Ministry of Works to allot residential land/plots to them. In 1984, the Kidney Hill area was handed over jointly by the federal government, the Sindh government, the Board of Revenue, Secretary Housing & Town Planning, Karachi Mayor Abdul Sattar Afghani, KDA Director-General Z.A. Nizami, and the managing-director of the KCHSU to the KMC (Parks Department) for the development and maintenance of a park. (which KMC parks department did not do)

Since then the issue has been kicked around with layout plans being rejected by the KDA, allotments being cancelled, cases being filed in the superior courts by OCHS, ACHS and residents. In 2006, OCHS, KCHSU, GoP/MoW, Government of Sindh, City District Government Karachi (CDGK) signed an 'Agreement of Settlement' whereby Kidney Hill Park was to be planned as a residential scheme, and only about 1 acre left available for a park and another 1 acre for KWSB water reservoir services. This fraudulent agreement was challenged in the high court by Shehri and other concerned citizens. Despite many forms of intimidation and death threats given to Shehri members and their families, the case is still being fought --- and hope springs eternal!

On top-left is a chronological sequence of litigation events regarding the Kidney Hill Park, in order of occurrence, which we have complied for 16 years from the three court cases filed by different parties.

Approved Coordinates of Kidney Hill Park

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Shehri along with 14 residents intervened and filed a petition in the honorable court to reverse the notification of change of land use of the aforesaid amenity plot against the 1984 Presidential Order. However continuous threats left Shehri alone as the sole petitioner, whilst the rest withdrew their role in the case.

Almost half of the parkland has been converted to form residential plots of 400 yards each, depriving the polluted and struggling metropolitan the chance to renew its degrading environment. Kidney Hill Park is not the only park which is under threat from encroachers of various kinds many more parks such as Gutter Baghica and Safari Park are also under threat.

Shehri is struggling to protect the natural environment of Karachi. The organization not only strives to encourage proper urban planning but also questions the credibility of plans that are not nature friendly such as coastal development impacting the turtle conservation projects, gravel mining that is destroying estuaries, perennial canals and rivers near the mega city, and deforestation for development of roads and expressways.

If you wish to be a part of this life saving campaign, email Shehri and become one of the stakeholders in the case.

Maps of Kidney Hill Park