Pakistani authorities have demolished more than 1,200 homes belonging to Afghan refugees in Karachi’s Gulshan-e-Maymar neighbourhood in less than a week, officials confirmed on Monday.

The operation, now in its fifth consecutive day, is part of what authorities describe as an effort to clear “illegally built” settlements.

Out of approximately 3,000 houses in the area, more than a third have already been destroyed. Local media reported that around 14,000 Afghan refugees have left the settlement so far, with the remaining residents expected to be expelled in the coming days.

Nearly 15,000 Afghans had been living in the neighbourhood. Many have returned to Afghanistan following the demolitions, while about 1,500 people remain in the area.

Local officials accused refugees of encroaching on public land, saying the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) owns the 215-acre site, which includes more than 3,200 houses and shops. Amir Fazal Owaisi, head of Karachi’s Anti-Encroachment Department, said the land is worth billions of Pakistani rupees and will be reclaimed by the government.

Refugees, however, dispute the claims, insisting they bought their plots legally and are now being prevented from selling them.

Authorities said the demolition and expulsion of undocumented Afghan refugees in Gulshan-e-Maymar will continue as part of a wider campaign against illegal settlements across Karachi.