Amenity plots in the clutches of land mafia
KARACHI, Jan 5: Land grabbers have occupied most of the amenity plots in Gulistan-i-Jauhar, depriving the area people of
sports and recreational facilities. Almost all the amenity plots in the Block 12 of Gulistan-i-Jauhar, earmarked for parks in
the master plan of the defunct Karachi Development Authority (KDA) have either been occupied by land grabbers or lying
undeveloped, pointing towards the indifferent attitude of the authorities concerned.
In the area, one such plot is ST-6, basically set aside as a playground, but has been converted into a junkyard by the PTCL
and a part of it has been transformed into a nursery.
The entire area is littered with cable reels, knocked down vehicles and scrap submerged in sewerage water emanating an
overpowering stench and serving as a mosquitoes breeding ground.
A portion of the plot, occupied as a nursery, has reportedly been provided with an illegal connection from the water main,
and thus causing water shortage for area residents.
It would be pertinent to mention here that the Cantonment Board Faisal had asked the concerned PTCL divisional engineer
to vacate the plot immediately otherwise the board would have to get it vacated at the risk and cost of the PTCL.
According to two letters issued by the board’s CEO to the DCO master planning of the city government and DE of the PTCL
customer service centre, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, the status of the aforesaid amenity plots cannot be changed and the allotment
of ST-6 to PTCL would be absolutely illegal and without lawful authority.
Similarly, Plot ST-8 has been occupied by a mosque and ST-10/A has also been encroached upon by a group of people in
the name of mosque, without any legal authority.
During a visit to the site, it was observed that scrap had been dumped on the plot ST-10-A.
According to officials concerned, these plots had been reserved for parks and playgrounds and had not been re-allotted to
any government department or group for any other purpose.
A source in the office, however, disclosed that the PTCL officials were trying to get the plot ST-6, but its position had so far
not been changed in the official records.
The area residents expressing concern over the situation have termed it sheer violation of the rules and exploitation of the
rights of the people and appealed to the chief justice of the Sindh High Court, governor, city nazim and cantonment board
to take suo motu action in this regard.
According to residents, water supply to their areas was irregular and insufficient and roads were in bad shape.
The residents added that there was no arrangement for garbage lifting from the dumps thus adding to the miseries of the
people.
(By Ali Hazrat Bacha, Dawn-19, 06/01/2007)
CDA gets 90 days to stop commercial use of houses
ISLAMABAD: Taking serious note of the growing use of homes in Islamabad for various commercial purposes, the Interior
Ministry has given a deadline of 90 days to the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to resolve the issue, official sources
said on Friday.
A majority of houses in sectors F-7, F-8, G-7, G-8, G-6, G-10, G-9, G-11, I-8, I-9 and F-5 are being used for commercial
purposes. The owners of these houses have opened beauty parlors, gyms, clubs, property offices, private schools and
clinics in their houses. Over a hundred illegal guesthouses are also operational in the city.
The houses are taxed according to domestic rates and also get electricity and gas on consumer instead of commercial
rates. Interior Ministry sources said that the ministry had directed the CDA to take action against the commercialisation of
residential areas within three months. They said the CDA had started issuing notices to the owners of such houses.
Police urged to control street crimes in Pindi: People have protested against the increasing incidents of crime in various
areas of Rawalpindi, including Satellite Town, D Bloc, Commercial Market, Saidpur Road and Chandni Chowk. They have
asked police to make special arrangements for looking into incidents of roadside robberies. The residents of these areas
said that incidents of purse and mobile theft and vehicle lifting had become frequent. They demanded that Rawalpindi
district police change their patrolling system to enhance its efficiency and increase the number of police personnel.
Computerised vehicle registration starts today in Pindi: A new computerised registration system for vehicles in Rawalpindi
will be launched today (Saturday). Under the new system, an applicant for vehicle registration will submit the registration
fee in the department’s office instead of submitting in a bank. The department will maintain a database of registered
vehicles and provide it to any government department when needed. The new system would provide enhanced vehicle
security and help check the vehicles with fake registration numbers. Law and Local Bodies Minister Muhammad Basharat
Raja and Punjab Excise and Taxation Director General Sultan Sikandar Raja will be the chief guests during the opening
ceremony.
Polio campaign starts from Jan 16: The Rawalpindi city district government has completed all arrangements for carrying out
a new anti-polio drive beginning from January 16. District Nazim Raja Javed Ikhlas on Friday chaired a meeting to review
the arrangements and said that the department would not tolerate any official negligence during the campaign owing to its
importance. Health Executive District Officer Dr Zafar Iqbal Gondal and District Health Officer Dr Rafiq Ahmad and officers
of education and health departments and representatives of teaching hospitals in the city also attended the meeting. Dr
Iqbal told the meeting that over 1,411 teams had been constituted to administer the polio vaccine in the district.
Arrangements have also been made to immunise over 0.56 million children at bus stands, railway stations and public parks,
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he said. He said that the Pakistan Army would also cooperate with the local authorities in administrating the polio drops in
Cannt areas. The polio drops would be administered at 250 central health centres.
1,800 employees to be recruited in railways: The Pakistan Railways will recruit over 1,800 employees to overcome staff
shortage. The recruitment process is expected to begin in March. Federal Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has
given the formal approval for the project.
(Daily Times-A3, 06/01/2007)
Constructing a corporate reality
A brick by brick account of the architectural scene in the country in the new millennium
By Dr Noman Ahmed
The rise of the new millennium marked many changes and new dimensions to the architectural fabric of the country.
Corporate head offices were a distinct addition to the built environment. Karachi experienced this input in a corresponding
manner.
Head office building of SSGC on main Sir Shah Suleman Road was a dominant structure designed and supervised by
eminent architect Habib Fida Ali. In his simple, straight lined yet ornate approach, he has designed the exterior in fair face
concrete. The elegant grey cement appearance provides a weather proof effect which not only makes the building efficient
but also contextually relevant. The intelligent use of glass enhances the optimum use of day light making the building
energy efficient. ABN Amro Building by another eminent architect Yasmeen Lari on Sir Abdullah Haroon Road is a fine
addition to the city architecture. Aesthetically balanced use of granite and glass has given the assemblage a smart
appearance.
Pakistani architecture also made a few breakthroughs. The tallest building -- MCB Towers -- was finally completed and
inaugurated. Designed by Arshad Shahid Abdulla, the building comprises a balance of glass fenestration and concrete with
subtle grooves and niches. The building acts as a dominating edifice. It is corporate structures that have been adding to the
skyline in Karachi and other prominent cities, most of which possess good quality design inputs. In Lahore, the foremost
addition is the Allama Iqbal International Airport Complex. Designed and supervised by M/s. NESPAK, it has added a
worthwhile edifice which shall remain the gateway to the former Mughal capital for times to come.
Besides the strength and vigour of corporate sector, especially multinationals, other influences are also showing reflections
in the buildings and spaces created in the recent past. Flexibilities in the financial markets and new products in
leasing/loaning have allowed large scale real estate ventures to flourish. Many international realtors can also be found
developing joint projects and ventures with the local counterparts. The element of comfort is now facilitated by the use of
multi-ranged technologies, gadgets and products.
The ideas and images related to the built environment are largely developed to show the gloss and glamour which has
become the ultimate aspiration of all and sundry. However, the building solutions available for low income groups are
extremely limited and evolve without the input of corresponding professionals.
For this reason, we find that the quality of life and the corresponding built environment for low income groups is degrading
fast. In Karachi, one finds many visible architectural developments in the above respect. A significant trend is the patchwork
of corporate spaces in the existing buildings. In this phenomenon, the corporate enterprises choose a portion of an existing
building and transform it according to their requirements. Building interiors, partial external elevation, signage and decor,
partial landscape and even invisible infrastructure are changed to suit to the corporate standards.
Hundreds of buildings in Karachi and elsewhere in Pakistan have been given such partial facelifts. The usual clients include
mobile telephone franchises, banks, leasing companies, fast food chains, boutiques and the like. This approach has
created melo-dramatic effects on the built fabric. One finds a shining, well articulated and bright looking built space in an
otherwise shabby and run down structure. In other words, the contrasts in input and appearance of buildings is too sharp to
be ignored.
The newly created Defence Housing Authority in Islamabad became centre point for real estate projects. Several real
estate builders signed memoranda of understanding with the administration of Islamabad DHA for trendy high-rise edifices.
While the spade work began in 2004-05, a lot shall start coming out of the ground soon. Real estate and corporate ventures
are also actively pursued in Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and medium sized cities. However the architectural
quality of design and appearance is even below mediocre. In majority of cases, the material, construction techniques and
structural strength is also dubious in nature. Resort development in Murree and Mangla are examples.
Automobile showrooms of very gaudy kinds is another visible trend that has consolidated itself during the past few years.
Major arteries where the elite and upper middle income groups move have converted into outlets for glowing auto
showrooms. Glass-facaded structures with optimum use of glass, outlandish building elements and powerful illumination
are a typical configuration of this mundane assemblage. The architects who have designed such structures have been
pinned down by their demanding clients to increase the capacity and visibility of their merchandise. The trend is growing
fast. As the automobiles are being marketed and acquired with most flexible conditions, the car showrooms are likely to rise
in number, though not in quality.
Condominiums and multi-storeyed apartment projects are on the rise. Due to international partnerships, the foreign
entrepreneurs have brought the formulae and images for new avenues of luxuries and comforts corresponding to a global
life style. Exotic verdures, gymnasia, restaurants, fitness centres, swimming pools and club houses are few of the
accessory spaces routinely incorporated in the real estate development projects. This rising trend has taken over the prize
locations such as beach fronts, highway edges and affluent neighbourhoods. The ecological considerations are
compromised against the prospective revenue gains. Some of the projects are already underway while several others are
undergoing different phases of development. Quality of design has become subservient to the marketing.
Much of this retrospect shows that the architectural stride is all lucrative and shall continue to flourish at least in the near
future. However there are many arguments that contest this wishful thinking.
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Despite the rise in the number of architects and architectural firms, the total contribution of this profession in shaping the
built environment is miniscule. The bulk of the buildings, common residences, warehouses, factories, educational and
health facilities, institutional buildings and even public offices are developed without any architectural input worth the name.
There are several reasons for this state of affairs. The total number of architects are extremely few compared to the
construction activity in the country. In all, a little over three thousand architects exist in a nation of over 15 million people.
Thus there are hundreds of medium and small cities in Pakistan where neither any architect has ever ventured to contribute
in professional terms nor dared to reside.
Most of the architects are commercially-oriented professionals. They only undertake such assignments where they are paid
for their services. There is nothing wrong in this approach. The problem is that millions of people belonging to low income
groups have an extremely limited capacity to bear the fee of any professional. They view the charges of the professionals,
including architects, as a burden. Therefore they build with a crude sense of construction on their own or with the advice of
mason or petty contractors. At times, this approach becomes disastrous. The most visible example has been the tragic loss
of life during October 2005 earthquake where buildings collapsed without warning. Had they been properly designed, they
would have given at least basic signals of failure before final collapse.
On November 01, 2006 an infant died and three people were critically injured when roof of their house collapsed in
Gharibabad -- a low income locality in Karachi. Investigations revealed that the roof rested on a wall which was structurally
unsafe and had no foundations! Many precious lives are lost across the country in similar incidents.
The architectural profession is unable to service the lowest and highest end of market and social demands. That is to say
our architects have not been able to find solutions to the building problems of low income masses. Apparently it requires
sustained research activity which has yet to take root in our country. As a result, the poor have to be content with extremely
substandard quality of built environment.
As far as the upper end of demand is concerned, local/national firms hardly possess the experience and expertise in certain
specialised type of works. Design and supervision of sky scrapers; condominiums; conservation consistent solutions; urban
renewals and social housing are unchartered territories. Much of this gap is filled by foreign consultants and syndicates.
Architectural conservation is one area which is in need of focused attention. Thousands of outstanding building structures
across the country await the professional attention. However, one finds total neglect on the part of professionals in this
regard. Even conventional architects do not possess the competence to take up these assignments. In certain cases, they
have spoiled the buildings in question due to poor inputs. Mohatta Palace in Karachi and Tollington Market in Lahore are
examples of inappropriate conservation.
Much is needed to be done in this domain. Architects must be made socially responsive in approach and practice through
exposure and awareness attempts. The professional bodies must be sensitised to this grave social responsibility.
Vocational training in building, surveying and construction related trades must be upscaled.
Every profession possesses a 'para' category. Architecture shall also benefit from para architects, if a properly designed
course and curriculum is imparted. Orangi Pilot Project (OPP) in Karachi has successfully demonstrated in this respect.
After careful analysis, this model can be upscaled widely.
(By Dr. Noman Ahmed, The News-32, 07/01/2007)
Fate of 1,000 goths hangs in balance
KARACHI, Jan 7: The fate of over 1,000 Goths of Karachi hangs in the balance as bureaucracy is dragging feet over the
vital issue linked to socioeconomic survival of millions of Karachiites living in these slums roughly comprising 40 per cent of
this largest city of Pakistan.
The issue of kutchi abadis in Karachi is as old as the country itself. A lion’s share of Muslim population that migrated from
India to Pakistan settled in Karachi. During the 1940s and 1950s extensive unorganized land invasion led to the
establishment of extensive kutchi abadis on the then Karachi periphery and on open urban lands. The 1960s and 1970s
increased rural-urban migration through urban pull factors.
Interestingly, later generations of those, who migrated from India and created early kutchi abadis in Karachi are now
demanding that the kutchi abadis surfaced after 1985 should not be regularized.
According to government sources, 1,293 kutchi abadis emerged after March 23, 1985 and of them 1,157 were eligible for
regularization under the Sindh Katchi Abadis Act 1987. Of them, 932 abadis have been notified while residents of 750
kutchi abadis granted proprietary rights. However, the exact number of kutchi abadis is much more than what the
government record shows.
It is an undeniable fact that urban uplift is directly linked to socio-economic development of any society. Karachi could be
made an international urban city only when its slums are developed and brought at par with regularized area in terms of
civic facilities and infrastructure development.
Sources said the concerned quarters in the provincial government were deliberately putting this issue on the back burner,
as a particular political entity in Karachi was opposing regularization of kutchi abadis that emerged after 1985. They said
they feared that regularization of these localities would provide their political opponents with a formidable vote bank in
Karachi.
However, the issue of slums is more human than political in nature. It is poverty and acute lack of new housing schemes
that was behind mushroom growth of goths, slums and kutchi abadis in Karachi. Various efforts to raze these settlements
during the year 2006 showed that this issue could not be settled by brutal use of force. One of the examples is the
operation of razing Sikandar Goth near Sohrab Goth, which not only resulted in loss of life, but also forced the city
government to swallow bitter pill of retreat.
After the Sikandar Goth incident, Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim formed a goth regularization committee
3
headed by Sindh Minister for Mineral Resources Irfanullah Khan Marwat. Though the committee convened several
meetings its formal report is still awaited. On November 15, 2006, the committee discussed the issue of regularization of
villages and decided to expedite the task.
Irfanullah Khan Marwat told the meeting that 808 Sindh goths were in Karachi, out of them 458 goths had already been
regularized by issuing ownership rights to 51,421 villagers, while the remaining 350 goths would be regularized soon. He
said the goth regularization process was being carried out on merit basis and regularization of old Sindhi goths of Karachi
was in process with accelerated pace.
However, despite such meetings the issue of goth regularization in Karachi was practically in limbo, asserted the sources.
To resolve the issue of slum areas, not only the kutchi abadis be regularized, but more housing schemes on the lines of
Taiser Town should be introduced to meet yawning demand of housing in Karachi.
According to the Economic Survey 2005-2006, the housing backlog, which stood at 4.30 million as per housing census in
1998, has been currently projected at 6.19 million. For meeting the housing shortfall in the next 20 years, the overall
housing production has to be increased to 500,000 housing units annually.
According to the survey, provision of shelter to every family has become a major issue as a result of rapid urbanization and
higher population growth. Hence this issue will stay till regularization of goths, kutchi abadis and slums of Karachi and
provisio of low-cost residential plots in bulk to the poor.
Uprooting of slums by bulldozing houses, huts and shanties is a short-term solution. The poor have no choice but to
encroach on land for shelter.
The early and amicable regularization of slums would not only beautify Karachi and give it a true civic and urban look, but it
would also greatly contribute to the government kitty in shape of regularization and lease revenue. More importantly, it
would solve a lingering human problem and develop sense of unity, brotherhood and fraternity among people having
different cultural, linguistic and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Regularization of goths would not make any dint in vote bank of local political entities, but rather increase it in the shape of
more confidence of residents of these localities who would take this step as a token of goodwill and benevolence on the
part of dominant political entities of Karachi.
(Dawn-15, 08/01/2007)
Regularization of slums could be linked to the vote bank
KARACHI: Over 1,000 goths in Karachi have yet to be regularized even though millions of people live in these slums which
roughly comprise 40 percent of the largest city of Pakistan.
The issue of katchi abadies in an old one. A large share of the Muslim population that migrated from India to Pakistan came
to Karachi and initiated the process of katchi abadies. During the 1940s and 1950s extensive unorganized land invasion led
to the establishment of extensive slums on the then Karachi periphery and on open urban lands. The 1960s and 1970s saw
increased rural-urban migration.
According to government sources, since March 23, 1985, the katchi abadies numbered 1,293 and of them 1,157 were
eligible for regularization under the Sindh Katchi Abadies Act 1987. Of them, 932 abadies have been notified while the
residents of 750 were granted proprietary rights. However, the exact number of katchi abadies is much more than
recognized by the government.
Sources told PPI Sunday that some officials were stalling the regularization of slums that came into being after 1985 as
they reportedly feared that doing so would provide their political opponents with a formidable vote bank in Karachi.
However, the issue of slums is more human and economic than political in nature. Poverty and the acute lack of housing
were two reasons why goths, slums and katchi abadies spread in Karachi. Efforts to raze these settlements during 2006
were met with resistance. A ‘textbook example’ was the botched operation of razing Sikander Goth near Sohrab Goth,
which resulted in a loss of life and became a headache for the city government.
After the Sikander Goth incident, Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim formed a Goth Regularization Committee
headed by Sindh Minister for Mineral Resources Irfanullah Khan Marwat. This committee had several meetings but its
formal report has yet to be made public. On November 15, 2006, the committee discussed the regularization of villages and
decided to expedite the task.
Marwat said at the meeting that 808 of Sindh’s goths were in Karachi, out of which 458 had already been regularized as
ownership rights were issued to 51,421 villagers, and the remaining 350 goths would be regularized soon.
Marwat said that the regularization process was being carried out on the basis of merit. He said all civic facilities, including
roads, schools, power, water and hospitals, would be provided to these goths.
According to the Economic Survey of 2005-2006, the housing backlog, which was 4.3 million according to the housing
census of 1998, has been projected at 6.19 million. To meet the housing shortage in the next 20 years the overall housing
production has to be increased to 500,000 housing units annually.
According to the survey, providing shelter to every family has become a major issue as a result of rapid urbanization and
higher population growth. On the other hand, the provision of housing has not kept pace with the urbanization and
population growth, resulting in the deterioration of living standards, increased health hazards and the rapid growth of slums.
Uprooting slums by bulldozing houses, huts and shanties is a poor and short-term solution. Poor people have no choice but
to create encroachments. Land is a commodity. The poor do not have the resources to purchase it. If their huts in one
illegal settlement were uprooted today they would make new ones tomorrow, most probably at the same place. No
government, however politically and financially sound, could uproot 40 percent of the population of a mega city like Karachi.
(Daily Times-B1, 08/01/2007)
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PR to start selling its land for 5-star hotels
The Pakistan Railways (PR) will start auctioning one of eight of its properties in Karachi on Tuesday for the construction of
five-star hotels and plazas and 100 CNG stations, said Minister Sheikh Rashid Monday at the inauguration of the Jinnah
Express Karachi-Rawalpindi service.
Rashid said if the government gave its approval, the PR property across the country would be auctioned off and would
generate so much revenue that “we would be able to prepare our own budget.” He said that land belonging to the PR that
has been illegally occupied should be taken back and auctioned in a transparent manner so that the revenue this generates
is used to improve the railway services. PR would give 40 percent of the revenue generated from the auctions to the
provinces. The PR has 100,000 kanal of land in Multan city alone and selling this would make them self-reliant. Rashid said
that should the PM approve the plan, the PR would be able to run its affairs from its own pocket.
He added that tenders for the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) will be floated in February. A summary for a mass transit
survey has been sent to the PM for approval. The feasibility of the Karachi Circular Railway is ready and that of eight other
railway stations across the country will be ready by December.
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz saw off the Jinnah Express’s first train, the thirteenth new train service to be launched in six
months.
The Jinnah Express, will take 20 hours to reach Rawalpindi. The PM said that Pakistan Railways represented the entire
nation and would bring the people of Pakistan closer with the best train service. He said that lower-middle class people
could not afford costly air travel and bus services (road transport) were not up to the mark.
He was of the opinion that the train service would promote the interaction of the people of the provinces that would in turn
promote national harmony and solidarity. Furthermore, it was a source of pride for the country that the Jinnah Express is
made with indigenous technology.
Its one-way fare is Rs 2,000 per passenger on the fully air-conditioned non-stop Jinnah Express that has a capacity for 540
passengers at a time and even boasts a beauty parlour on board. The Jinnah Express is the first service to have dining
cars after a break of two decades.
There will be more improvements in 2007. The railway track would be doubled in 2007. Also, Rs 220 million has been set
aside to fence Karachi’s railway lines. Three new platforms would be built at the Karachi stations, expanding the PR’s
capacity from the present 50,000 passengers to 100,000 passengers.
The new train service also has a prayer space. Also, eight Marriage Trains would be launched for wedding parties. So far,
28 of 50 stations have been computerised and another 20 would be improved soon.
PPI adds: The PM said that the government has provided substantial funds to PR which has resulted in a drastic
improvement during 2006, including new trains with updated facilities for passengers, more freight wagons, the doubling of
the track between Karachi and Lahore, track dualization between Lodhran and Jhelum, besides new platforms.
Earlier, Rashid said that recently 3,500 cargo wagons were added to the fleet. In 2007, they will try and start a night train
which will reach Lahore from Karachi in only 10-12 hours as opposed to the current 15-16 hours.
The track between Karachi and Lahore will be doubled by December this year, while the tender will be opened on Tuesday
for work to remove the curves at Sohawa, which will reduce the travel time between Lahore and Rawalpindi by one hour.
(Daily Times-B1, 09/01/2007)
‘Karachi’s architecture inspires everyone’
KARACHI, Jan 9: Eminent German architect Paul Bohm on Tuesday said Karachi’s vintage architecture had great appeal
both for its citizens and foreign visitors and called for proper attention to the historic buildings so that such structures be
well maintained for the coming generations.
“I have seen some splendid structures here in this great city. They need proper maintenance to save them from decaying
and preserve them for future generations because otherwise Karachi will have no exclusive structures to offer and become
a city like any other city of the world,” Mr Bohm told Dawn after giving a presentation on the changes and innovations in the
architecture of churches in Germany decade-by-decade during the 20th Century.
The presentation was part of the Goethe-Institut’s second in a series of thematic exhibitions held at the Indus Valley School
of Art & Architecture dealing with contemporary Germany architecture. The event showcased nine of Germany’s most
recent sacred buildings.
Mr Bohm belongs to a family who has been engaged in designing buildings, churches in particular for the last hundred
years. In the detailed presentation, he showed almost all the churches designed by his grandfather in the first half of the
last century and then by his father in the latter half. Now, Paul and two of his brothers are inherited with the family’s legacy.
He said the city authorities should take concerted efforts to save and maintain the historic structures of the city.
Earlier, giving presentation titled “Religious building in Germany – How three generations built and build sacred from 1923
– 2006”, the German architect showed slides depicting the changes in the designs of the churches in his country and gave
insight into the work of his family of church builders.
He took it time to time and started with his grandfather’s works and said at that time the elements in the structures would
commonly showed Italian style, but as the time passed revolutionary changes were experimented.
The elements were revised with changing time, the overall atmosphere was taken into consideration and façades were
changed from the old Italian style to even circular ones. In between came Gothic and various other styles.
5
Paul Bohm said after the World War-II, his grandfather was part of massive reconstruction in the country and at that time he
designed the churches and chapels in the manner that they could visibly remind of their times to the visitors.
For him, 1960s was the most revolutionary decade for his family when rigorous innovations in design were experimented
with huge attention given on the atmosphere inside the worship places.
That work shows how its creators emphasized on the importance of tranquility and meditation. Besides, that decade was
for architecture for rural areas when churches and chapels were designed in the villages that could give a feeling of
community and oneness.
While the next decade was for religious architecture in urban areas where more technicalities were introduced to bring
about grandeur and innovativeness. Light arrangements turned out to be the most important element then in creating
atmosphere at the sacred buildings.
Mr Bohm also spoke on inter-religiousness and integration in Germany and introduced his planning of the mosque in
Cologne-Ehrenfeld.
Later, Ejaz Ahed, president, Institute of Architects of Pakistan, spoke on the “Religious buildings in Pakistan (The Mosque)”
and gave representation on the architecture of mosques in Pakistan in ancient and modern times. He said unlike Germany
and other Western countries the religious architecture for minorities in Pakistan remained bleak during the last 60 years.
Later, the two guests inaugurated the exhibition of models of churches and chapels of Germany.
According to the organizers, Paul Bohm would work with students of the Indus Valley School for Art and Architecture in a
one-week workshop to create tentative draft of a sacred building.
(Dawn-17, 10/01/2007)
SHC stays Gutter Baghicha land lease
KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Tuesday, ordering status quo on a petition against the lease of Gutter Baghicha land,
issued pre-admission notices to Advocate General Sindh, City District Government Karachi, Karachi Building Control
Authority and others for January 17.
Shehri-CBE (Citizens for Better Environment) - through its General Secretary Mrs. Amber Alibhai, Baloch Promotive
Welfare Society and Anjuman Falah-e-Bahbood Qadeemi Mohallah - had moved court seeking injunction against the entire
conversion of Gutter Baghicha from a park to industrial, commercial and residential purposes and reallocation of land by
the CDGK.
The petitioners through their counsels - Naimur Rehman and Khursheed Javed - submitted that a case was filed in
Supreme Court against the defunct Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and Karachi Development Authority on the ground
that the respondents were going to auction the KMC sewerage farm known as Gutter Baghicha admeasuring 1017 acres,
which was being enjoyed by the people of Lyari as a recreation area (park).
They submitted that in early 2003, the CDGK had entered into negotiations with the petitioners for resolving the matter that
was pending for 10 years and the SC disposed of the case with the direction to the CDGK to submit compliance report
within three months.
The counsels said that the CDGK invited the petitioners with a view to reach a settlement but the matter was dragged
between August 20 to July 21, 2005 and the compliance report was filed without the knowledge of petitioners or any body
else concerned. They submitted that a contempt case was filed in SC against the respondents, however, the same was
disposed of by the court in terms that no contempt had been committed.
It was contended that the compliance report submitted before the court was entirely one-sided and in favour of CDGK and
the respondents were acting fraudulently and illegally contrary to the orders of SC in auctioning land in Gutter Baghicha to
some of its allottees.
The court was prayed to restrain the respondents from acquiring any land in the Gutter Baghicha and direct the KBCA not
to issue any plan or approval for the construction of any building on the land in question. The petitioners also prayed the
court to declare lease deeds and all sub-leases issued by the erstwhile KMC as illegal and further reallocation of land by
the CDGK as contrary to the law.
The SHC division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmany and Justice Mohammad Athar Saeed, after
conducting preliminary hearing of the petition, issued pre-admission notices to the respondents, besides ordering status
quo in the matter till the next date of hearing.
(The News-4, 10/01/2007)
City needs to save its old buildings, urges German architect
KARACHI: Karachi and its people need to be encouraged to “maintain the treasure of old buildings” commented German
architect Paul Böhm while referring to how he felt while sightseeing in the city at the inauguration of an exhibition at the
Indus Valley School of Arts and Architecture (IVSAA) Tuesday.
The Goethe-Institut and IVSAA exhibition was preceded by an introductory lecture on German and local religious
architectural structures. The collaborative effort, which will continue over the course of the week and consist of workshops
and lectures, is aimed at broadening and diversifying the knowledge of the students of the architecture department at
IVSAA. This association will also work in partnership in a collaborative project to design a mosque in Karachi.
The exhibition, titled “Made in Germany - Architecture and Religion” is the second in a series of thematic exhibitions. The
first, held last year, was “Architecture and Ecology”.
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The two main speakers Tuesday were Böhm, who is the son of Pritzker Architecture Prize winner Gottfried Böhm and
grandson of Dominikus Böhm, and Institute of Architects Pakistan President Ejaz Ahad.
Böhm’s concise lecture and series of slides sailed through the history of Germany’s religious buildings starting from after
the first 20 years of the 20th century to the present day. The progression of structural styles through each decade defined
the popular culture of that time and at the same time kept true to tradition and purpose. Germany, not unlike Pakistan, has
always possessed a rich heritage of buildings with religious affiliation.
Many churches constructed between the 1920s and the Second World War were similarly styled with slightly separated
chapels and a tower. And while some revolutionary changes were attempted during the late 1920s, it was during
reconstruction after the war that the traditional structure of the church underwent more dynamic changes. Much of the more
contemporary structures, and some post-world-war restored churches, incorporate more subtle aesthetics, implementing
more natural elements and shapes than traditionally decorative (and very costly) objects and craft.
Later churches combined new designs with knowledge of the traditional, adding a dome sometimes, extending the tower
further outside the main building, and including one or more chapels and the altar within the main structure. The clever use
of angular shapes, curves, sculpted facades, and natural lighting all play a large role in contributing to the feel and
atmosphere of an otherwise stone-cold edifice.
Ejaz Ahed spoke on the concept and definition of Islamic architecture and how the façade of a mosque is meant to remain
inconspicuous but the interior is designed to be conducive to spiritual communion. Displaying a slideshow of pictures of
various popular mosques, Ahed drew comparisons between churches and mosques through the years, from the times of
open courtyards to the triple domes, while commenting on their similarities. While the design and architectural styles are
obviously dissimilar, the intrinsic value and purpose as a gathering place for the faithful in spiritual communion and
meditation define the design of the buildings.
After the lecture concluded, the organizers inaugurated the exhibition which included information on certain religious
buildings in Germany along with scale models. The exhibition is open to the public and will continue till January 19 at the
Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture.
(Daily Times-B1, 10/01/2007)
Housing scheme
IN the Beach Avenue Housing Scheme, Hawkesbay, apartments meant for the public have been cancelled through
issuance of undue, excessive and illegal notices for payments. Many innocent people who had booked these apartments in
1998 were deprived of their rights.
I had booked one such apartment which was also cancelled. When I pursued the matter, I was verbally told that the
apartment would be restored, but so far I have not received any restoration letter.
I request the relevant authorities to inquire into the matter.
MUSHTAQ AHMED, Karachi
(Dawn-6, 11/01/2007)
Sindh, NWFP oppose land plan for Kalabagh, Akhori dams
ISLAMABAD, Jan 14: Sindh and the NWFP have opposed the finalisation of land acquisition and resettlement plans for
Kalabagh and Akhori dams till people are convinced by Wapda of their benefits on the basis of facts and figures.
On two other dams -- Diamer-Bhasha and Munda -- the centre and the provinces have finalised with consensus the land
acquisition and resettlement plans, a senior government official told Dawn on Sunday.He said the government had
convened a meeting of the inter-provincial committee on dams on January 20 to discuss written views submitted by the
provinces about an action plan for the construction of five big dams. The committee will also discuss the land acquisition
and settlement plans of the dams.
The committee will also examine as to when Wapda will submit its response and action plan on the basis of provincial
comments on various aspects of the construction of various dams. The official said that like Sindh the NWFP had also
opposed the construction of Kalabagh and Akhori dams.
A Sindh government official said the province had informed the centre that under a decision of the federal government,
Wapda was required to convince the people to be affected or displaced by the proposed construction of dams through facts
and figures under a well-planned information campaign before the resettlement and land acquisition plans were prepared.
"That campaign is yet to start," said the official, adding that Sindh would insist for the implementation of the cabinet decision
first.
Sindh has already informed the committee about its objections to the construction of Kalabagh and Akhori dams on the
grounds that surplus water would be available only for 11 years out of 27 years and that too would be enough for meeting
the existing provincial shares under the water accord, and not for new dams.
The committee was constituted by the CDWP in October to finalise an action plan for the construction of three big dams -Kalabagh, Akhori and Diamer-Bhasha -- by the year 2016. Sindh is also opposed to water withdrawals through ChashmaJhelum and Taunsa-Punjnad link canals in times of shortages, which should be used in flood season.
A special taskforce on dams led by adviser to the prime minister on finance Dr Salman Shah is simultaneously preparing a
$17 billion 15-year business plan for the construction of Kalabagh, Akhori and Diamer-Bhasha dams and is discussing it
with four major lenders, including the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Saudi Fund for Development and Islamic
Development Bank.
Special cells are being created in three federal divisions -- finance, economic affairs and water and power -- for interaction
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with the foreign lenders. Special purpose vehicles (SPVs) will be created to finance and construct the Diamer-Bhasha dam
on the lines of international practice investment and tax purposes.
Some of the lenders have, however, informed the government that a broad-based resettlement policy, risk mitigation
measures and a long-term business plan along with a repayment mechanism are required to meet their standards, policy
concerns and board approvals.
The cell at the water and power ministry was directed to prepare a national resettlement policy, land acquisition and
resettlement mechanism specifically for the three dams, environmental aspects, tender documents, bidding process and
prequalification criteria, besides financial needs on an annual basis. It would be assisted by Wapda, Nespak, Chief
Engineering Organisation, Indus River System Authority, etc.
The cell at the finance and economic affairs ministry will prepare, with input from the water and power ministry, the overall
financing requirement for each project on an annual basis, examine terms and conditions of the foreign financing and put in
place the repayment schedule and hold talks with creditors.
According to the water and power ministry, the total cost of three dams was expected to be about Rs1.027 trillion ($17.1
billion), including a foreign exchange component of Rs433 billion ($7.22 billion). Costs of Diamer-Bhasha, Kalabagh and
Akhori dams were estimated at $6.51 billion, $6.2 billion and $4.44 billion, respectively.
The government plans to seek foreign financing of $2.964 billion for the Diamer-Bhasha dam, $2.84 billion for Kalabagh
and $1.42 billion for the Akhori dam. These three dams are part of the five big dams’ project President Pervez Musharraf
announced in January. The other two dams -- Munda and Kurram Tangi -- are in the process of being given to the private
sector for construction. The construction of none of the five projects has taken off as yet.
(By Khaleeq Kiani, Dawn-1, 15/01/2007)
Ban on sale of Katchi Abadi plots
KARACHI, Jan 14: To discourage land mafia and speculative trading in real estate, especially in Karachi, the Sindh
government is mulling over a ban on transfer of leased properties in Katchi Abadis at least for five years after first allotment.
This was stated by Sindh Minister for Local Government, Katchi Abadis and Spatial Development Mohammad Hussain
while speaking at an open katchehry in Orangi on Saturday evening.
He said that there were complaints that the land mafia was benefiting from the transfer of properties in the Katchi Abadis by
purchasing such properties at a cheaper rate and then selling it later at a much higher rates.
The minister noted that Orangi had remained an area neglected by the previous city administration which had resulted in an
increase in civic problems here. The present administration, he pointed out, was paying due attention to these problems in
order to resolve them same. Development works costing Rs2.5 billion have been initiated in Orangi, he added.
He said that the development work carried out over the past 14 months in Orangi were unprecedented in the history of the
city and the town. More uplift projects would be completed during the remaining tenure, he assured the audience.
He said that during the period 1992-2000, no uplift scheme had been initiated in Karachi while the existing projects had
been neglected.
(Dawn-17, 15/01/2007)
Govt mulling 5-yr ban on transfers in leased slums
KARACHI: In order to try and discourage the land mafia and speculation trading in real estate, especially in Karachi, the
Sindh government is considering banning the transfer of leased properties in katchi abadies for at least five years.
Sindh Minister for Local Government, Katchi Abadies and Spatial Development Muhammad Hussain said this at an open
katchary in Orangi Saturday evening. Hussain said that there were several complaints that the land mafia was benefiting
from the transfer of properties in slums; they bought leased properties at cheaper rates and later sold them at very high
rates in the real estate market.
The minister claimed that Orangi had been neglected as a result of which its civic problems had increased over the years.
But now development work worth Rs 2.5billion had been initiated. More schemes worth Rs 55billion were being executed in
other parts of the city.
The regularization of goths and katchi abadies in Karachi has been a contentious issue as about 40 percent of the city’s
population resides in slums. According to government sources, since March 23, 1985, the katchi abadies which came into
being numbered 1,293 and of them, 1,157, were eligible for regularization under the Sindh Katchi Abadies Act 1987. Of
them, 932 abadies have been notified while the residents of 750 katchi abadies have been granted proprietary rights.
However, the exact number of katchi abadies is larger than recognized by the government or on official records.
In addition to this, Karachi is dotted by thousands of goths. The Sindh chief minister has formed a Goth Regularization
Committee headed by Sindh Minister for Mineral Resources Irfanullah Khan Marwat. In a recent meeting, this committee
said that there were 808 goths in Karachi, according to a record and out of them 458 goths had already been regularized
with the issuance of ownership rights to 51,421 villagers. The remaining 350 goths would be regularized soon.
(Daily Times, 15/01/2007)
KBCA told to explain four-storey violation
KARACHI, Jan 15: The Sindh High Court on Monday asked the Karachi Building Control Authority to explain how a builder
and developer was allowed to raise four floors over and above the sanctioned plan and occupy the compulsory open space
in violation of the law on a Clifton plot.
M/s Merchant Builders claimed in response to a petition moved by Shehri (Citizens for Better Environment) that they were
initially sanctioned six floors for their project, Greenbelt Residency, but were subsequently allowed to raise another four
floors.
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The court first ordered inspection and when the violations were confirmed by its nazir, the KBCA was directed to demolish
the illegal structure with police assistance.
Meanwhile, a purchaser of 13 shops on the ground floor moved an application to join in the proceedings as an intervener.
His counsel, Advocate Abdul Qayyum Abbasi, submitted that the builder had also sold out the basement of the complex,
which was reserved for car parking.
A division bench comprising Justice Mushir Alam and Justice Munib Ahmed Khan allowed the purchaser’s application and
adjourned further proceedings to January 22 for a detailed reply by the KBCA.
PPI adds: A Sindh High Court division bench on Monday adjourned to January 22 the hearing of a bail confirmation
application filed by a former provincial minister, Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh, and five others in a kidnapping for ransom case.
The court had ordered release of Imtiaz Shaikh, Agha Asghar, Nasir Mehmood, Mehfooz, Mohammad Ashfaq and
Mohammad Zaman on interim bail in 2005.
They are accused of kidnapping one, Mohammad Iqbal, in Qayyumabad area on June 28, 2003 and demanding Rs1.5
million for his release.
Only Imtiaz Shaikh, among the accused was present in the court and their counsel told the court that the absent ones had
met with an accident at Hala while they were on their way to Karachi.
The division bench comprised Justice Rehmat Hussain Jaffery and Justice Munib Ahmed Khan.
(Dawn-17, 16/01/2007)
Five killed in Karachi factory inferno
KARACHI: Five people, including three fire-fighters, were killed and nearly two dozens more were trapped on Monday in an
inferno at a garment factory in the SITE area of Karachi on Monday, police said.
The central fire station said the fire erupted around 11:30am in the Union Export Private Limited Company, near Metroville.
Within minutes, it engulfed the entire factory, reducing goods worth millions of rupees to ashes.
When the fire-fighters were struggling to extinguish the blaze, the roof of the three-storey building caved in. As a result, five
people lost their lives, who were identified as Fire Station Officer Nazimabad, Yasir Iqbal, 35, Fire Station Officer Baldia
Town, Javed Akhter, 30, and Fireman, Muhammad Naeem, 40, posted in Nazimabad and two factory employees
Muhammad Saleem, 30, and Sajid Hussain, 30.
The injured were identified as Yaseen, Yousuf, Arif, Raees, Irfan, Iqbal, Aziz, Fayyaz, Shafeeq, Manzoor, Iftikhar, Sajid,
Ahmed, Wajid and Haseeb. The dead and injured were taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. Deceased Yasir Iqbal was
the brother-in-law of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town Nazim, Wasey Jalil.
Due to the roof collapse, at least 35 people were trapped under the rubble, of whom 15 were pulled out, but still 20 people,
including firemen and factory workers, were trapped under the rubble and fire-fighters and rescue workers were trying to
retrieve them.
At least 15 fire tenders took part in dousing the blaze, whereas the fire officials declared it high-risk fire. The conflagration
was so intense that thick black smoke could be seen billowing from far-flung areas of the city. The officials said that the
cause of the fire was electric short circuit.
The KESC and the SSGC officials immediately disconnected power and gas supply. Police and Edhi and Chippa
ambulances also rushed to the spot and carried out the rescue work. As a result of the fire, vehicular traffic came to a
standstill and vehicles were stuck up on nearby roads for hours.
Salis bin Perwaiz adds: The building that crumbled due to the fire was illegal, claimed the chief fire officer. He said among
those trapped under the rubble, 15 were firemen. He said they were facing difficulty in the rescue work, as the building was
constructed on a hill and the platform was built far away from the spot. They have four big cranes but due to congestion the
rescue work could not be carried out, he said, adding that now they were constructing an artificial ramp at the spot so that
the cranes could clear the debris and retrieve the trapped people.
Around midnight, the rescue work was started as the ramp was constructed. The chief fire officer said the Army’s 5 Corps
with their engineers, fire officials and town officials along with machinery have started the rescue work and started
removing the rubble.
Meanwhile, the Sindh home adviser has ordered a probe against the factory owners and their immediate arrest. Prime
Minister Shaukat Aziz, who was in the city on Monday, condoled over the loss of lives. Captain Fazal of Rangers Sindh said
that about 100 troops of Rangers were deployed and started rescue work and providing first aid.
(By Kamran Mansoor, The News-1, 16/01/2007)
Roof collapses during fire, kills 4
KARACHI: At least four people, including three firefighters, were killed after they were buried under debris from roof of a
factory during a fire Monday. Firefighters rescued more then 20 people from the factory in SITE area but four firefighters
are still missing. Rescue teams of the CDGK, police, and the fire brigade are searching for the missing people.
At 11:30 a.m. on Monday, a fire erupted in the stitching department of Union Textile Mills. Factory workers rushed outside
the factory premises after they heard the fire alarm. They also informed the fire brigade. Firefighters reportedly reached the
spot within 20 minutes. In the meantime the fire had engulfed a major part of the factory.
A spokesman for the Fire Brigade department told Daily Times that initially they sent four fire tenders but they failed to
control the fire. Later they sent more fire tenders from different fire stations, including Nazimabad, Baldia, Sohrab Goth, and
Keamari.
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More then sixty firefighters and some factory workers were taking part in the operation when a pillar of the building fell
down around 02:30 p.m. and the roof of the building collapsed before they could get out.
More then 40 people were trapped in the debris. Most of them were firemen. After a long and difficult operation, rescue
teams managed to remove four bodies and 15 injured men from the debris.
Chief Fire Officer Kazim Ali told Daily Times that more than 20 firefighters were performing their duties when the building
collapsed. Four firefighters are still in the debris, he said and added that the death toll could increase after the debris is
removed completely.
The rescue operation took more time due to the lack of heavy machinery. The deceased were identified as Station Fire
Officer (SFO) Baldia Javed Alam, SFO Nazimabad Yasir Iqbal, Nazimabad Fireman Mohammad Naeem and the factory's
stitching department foreman Saleem Ahmed. Another body was found later during the operation. The deceased was
identified as Ahmed Noor. His body, however, is yet to be removed from the debris. Noor was helping to put out the fire on
the first floor when the building collapsed.
Kazim Ali said that the building was constructed illegally and didn't have proper arrangements for fire fighting. He said that
the fire was not a chemical fire but spread due to the stacks of cloth in the factory. It is surprising that the building
collapsed, he said and added that it could be due to the weak structure of the building.
The fire department is facing a leadership crisis for the last six months. In October, the DCO reportedly suspended the chief
fire officer over some departmental issue and the Deputy Chief Fire Officer Naeem Yousuf was assigned the charge of
CFO. Yousuf recently fell sick and was hospitalized. After the suspension of the CFO, DO Fire Brigade Masood Alam was
taking care of matters pertaining to the fire department. Sources said that he is abroad and the department does not have
any responsible official to look after its operations.
On Monday, Kazim Ali, the suspended CFO, was again given the charge of the department. City Nazim Mustafa Kamal
called him during his visit of the affected factory and asked him to resume his duties. Those injured in the fire include Abdul
Hasib, Akhter, Riaz, Wajid, Yaseen, Mohammad Saleem, Aziz, Mohammad Yousuf, Arif, Sajid Hussain, Iqbal, Irfan,
Mansoor, Sahfique, and Faiz of the fire department.
Advisor to Sindh Chief Minister for Home Wasim Akhtar also visited the affected site and ordered an inquiry into the matter.
Moreover, the CDGK has invited Army teams to help remove debris from the site. The Army has deployed two teams of two
different corps. A total of 51 officials, including 31 from Engineering and 20 from the corps of Electrical and Mechanical
engineering are now part of the rescue operation.
Twelve fire tenders of the CDGK, two from the KPT and two from the Navy have also been placed at the spot, along with
heavy machinery brought in by the CDGK and the Army.
(Daily Times-B1, 16/01/2007)
Fire dept is not consulted on building designs
KARACHI: Absence of appropriate fire preventive arrangements in the building of Union Export Private Limited Company the garment factory near Metroville in SITE town that crumbled due to the fire explosion on Monday - led to great difficulties
that the firefighters had to face during the rescue work.
Chief fire officer, Kazim Ali said that the building didn’t have proper fire preventions that probably could be a reason that led
to the roof collapse. Ali said that a major setback is that the buildings often lack even basic fire safety measures and there’s
no trend to consult with the fire brigade, while constructing a building. “Builders and planners usually do not take care of the
natural outlet for fire that are necessary to be framed prior to a building’s construction,” he said.
He referred to the Karachi Planning and Building Control Act 2002 that has no enforcing tools for this in its chapters (13 and
14) which relate to the fire department.
“It’s essential to frame the appropriate fire preventing conditions before the construction of a building to ensure the quick
hold on fire in emergencies,” he said, adding that due to these shortcomings, it becomes quite troublesome to handle the
fire.
Comparing with the international trends, he said that in many foreign countries, the map of a building is sent to the city’s fire
department for consultation prior to its construction.
Many claim the substandard construction of the building and the garment factory was not authorised. The chief officer
agreed with this and highlighted the fact that the official map of SITE Town doesn’t include the area that the garment
factory is located on.
“Over the time, a lot of plotting has been done in the town that is becoming a reason of rapid increase in illegal
constructions that were neither acknowledged by the city government nor by the SITE Association within their limits. Similar
is the case with this factory that’s not a part of SITE on the map, he says.
Town Police Officer, SITE, Javaid Akbar Riaz pointed out that the third storey of the building was illegal. He said that only
two storeys were approved and the third one is unauthorised.
Officials from SITE Association didn’t comment if the building was illegal or sub standard, but agreed with the general
perception that says the roof had collapsed due to the generation of heat and nothing else.
Apart from all the claims and doubts related to the factory, the Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA) preferred to
remain silent over the matter, as the KBCA officials didn’t respond whenever they were approached.
(By Aisha Masood, The News-2, 17/01/2007)
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Amenity plot grabbed by land mafia
THIS is with reference to a news item, ‘Amenity plots in the clutches of land mafia’ (Jan 6).
It is shocking that the Faisal Cantonment Board (FCB)and the city government are so oblivious to such blatant and heinous
acts.
At the same time, usurpation of land of a park by such a reputable organisation as the Pakistan Telecommunications
Limited (PTCL) is in itself a reprehensible act.
Equally lamentable is the attitude of the FCB that though the said amenity plot (ST-6), located within the residential area of
block 12 in Gulistan-i-Jauhar, falls under its jurisdiction and administrative control, no effort has been made to retrieve it
from the clutches of the PTCL and turn it from a stinking junkyard into a beautiful park for which it has been earmarked.
In the last two years several requests were made in this regard by the residents of the area to the FCB’s chief executive,
the city nazim and, subsequently, to the governor and the chief minister, but all in vain.
Now the residents of block 12 reserve the right to refer it to the Sindh High Court and request its chief justice to take suo
motu notice and help restore the rights of the residents to the afore-mentioned amenity plot.
RESIDENTS, Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Karachi
(Dawn-6, 18/01/2007)
Fire tragedy in Karachi
AT LEAST eight people — six of them fire-fighters — have been confirmed dead in Monday’s blaze that engulfed a
garment factory in Karachi’s SITE area. However, it is being pointed out that the deaths were not the result of the fire itself
but of the subsequent roof collapse in which several firemen became trapped in the debris. This has led to speculations
that low-grade material had been used in the construction of the factory that was unable to withstand the fire or the force of
the attempts to put it out. While only a formal inquiry can give a clearer picture of the factory fire, it is evident that the
violation of building laws and the inadequate resources of the fire department make for a lethal combination in a city where
poorly planned and illegal structures abound. One can only hope that after Monday’s inferno, the KBCA strictly enforces the
rules regarding construction of buildings and fire safety across the city.
The tragedy also underscores the need for better safety and fire-fighting equipment for the fire department. It is unfortunate
that services of the fire brigade go unnoticed and that little is done to provide protective gear for those brave men who put
their lives at risk while rescuing others from raging flames. Often the equipment they use is defective or inadequate, and as
one fireman pointed out after the recent blaze, the department is not consulted during construction or provided with building
plans that would enable it to point out deficiencies. In such a situation, it is not possible for the fire department to function
effectively. The fear remains that haphazard development and consistent violations of building rules in this congested city
will make crisis management an increasingly difficult task for any civic agency, including the fire department.
(Dawn-7, 18/01/2007)
Factory fire death toll rises to nine
KARACHI: Three more bodies of firemen were recovered from the rubble of the collapsed factory in SITE Area on
Wednesday. After the confirmation of their demise, the death toll has increased to nine.
According to the Central Fire Station, one fireman and at least 12 factory workers are still missing.
The rescue team on Wednesday recovered bodies of three firemen — Station Officer Nazimabad, Imtiaz-ul-Haq, 30,
Ahmed Noor, 40, of Baldia Town and Naseer Ahmed, 35, of Saddar fire station.
According to the officials, one fireman Fareed Khan of Baldia Town and 12 factory workers are still missing.
The fire had erupted in the stitching department of the factory in Metroville, SITE, on Monday morning. Before the arrival of
the fire-fighters, the fire had engulfed a major part of the factory. More than sixty fire-fighters from the entire city and some
factory workers were involved in the operation, when a pillar of the building crumbled and the roof caved in before they
could get out.
More than 40 people were trapped inside the factory, including firemen. After a long and difficult operation, rescue teams
managed to pull out five bodies and 15 injured men from the debris. Wajid Khan, 35, one of the rescued factory workers,
died on Tuesday.
ROBBERIES: Farhan, a driver in the organisation, said that he along with the reporters of the channel were filming in
Bhittai Colony near Nadi Bund when armed men came and at gunpoint snatched the movie camera, cellphones and cash
from them. When they resisted, the outlaws opened fire due to which a passer-by Jehangir Lashari, 50, got killed. The
robbers managed to escape with the looted booty.
INJURED: Sarwat, 37, was shot and injured by her former husband near MA Jinnah Road. The police said that Sarwat had
in the past lodged an FIR against Naseer for kidnapping in the Soldier Bazar police station for which he was sent to jail. In
order to take revenge, when Naseer returned from the jail, he shot and injured Sarwat and escaped.
Paris Shafiq, 35, a contractor, received stab wounds by a factory worker, Habib-ur-Rehman, when he attacked him for
terminating his service in Site town area. The police have registered a case in this regard.
(The News-2, 18/01/2007)
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Proposals on Mandi plots claims finalised
KARACHI, Jan 19: The allotment committee of the New Sabzi Mandi has recommended that all those who had submitted
applications for the regularisation of their outlets within the prescribed due date be regarded as genuine claimants.
The others allotted any space at the Mandi by Abdul Jabbar Abbasi and Akber Zardari would have to wait for the outcome
of the investigation being conducted by the National Accountability Bureau and a subsequent decision of the relevant
authorities on their claims.
The committee, headed by Kishan Chand Parwani, had been constituted by the Services & General Administration
Department of the provincial government to finalise the scrutiny of individual allotment cases on merit.
A former minister, Abdul Hakeem Baloch, Secretary Agriculture Mahakkamuddin Qaderi, Special Secretary Local
Government Mohammad Siddique Memon and Special Secretary Board of Revenue Nazar Mohammad Leghari are
members of the committee.
The committee has found that the number eligible allottees in the category ‘dealers and commission agents’ is 1446 and in
the category of ‘growers’ it is 544. There are several hundred more applicants who had submitted claims after the cut off
date and were issued allotment letters.
With regard to the remaining shops/open spaces/sheds, the committee has recommended that administrator of the Market
Committee and the director general of Agriculture Extension should put forward proposals as per the policy of the
department.
The fresh allotment to late applicants and growers may be made by the department after formulation of a transparent policy
in line with the old one (implemented on Sept 4, 1994) for the vacant spaces with preference to be given to growers.
After going through the record available with the administrator of the Market Committee, the probe committee also found
that in each category of allottees, there some cases of undue favour.
Regarding 305 allottees in the ‘dealers and commission agents’ category, who had applied after cut off date (i.e. June 18,
1995), it found that many allottees had been issued allotment orders on the recommendation of certain army officers and
were in possession of shops/spaces in the old Sabzi Mandi. They had vacated their old shops on the condition that they
would get alternative space in the New Sabzi Mandi. They may be favoured through relaxation in the condition of timely
submission of application.
The newcomers, the committee noted, who had even applied within the stipulated time, had failed to fulfil the required
formalities as notified on Sept 4, 1994. Therefore, they are to be declared not qualified for allotment. They may be issued
notices for removal of discrepancies in their application to become eligible.
However, the committee has recommended maintaining quota of allotment as notified in 1994. Under the prescribed quota,
KMC traders were to be allotted 45 per cent, growers 30 per cent and newcomers 25 per cent.
The committee has also recommended cancellation of the allotment orders issued to the ineligible applicants and the
spaces thus saved be given preferably to growers without exceeding the quota.
Earlier, the Sindh chief minister had constituted a high powered committee headed by Imdad Ali Nizamani to look into the
New Sabzi Mandi affairs and suggest appropriate measures to bring discipline and efficiency in its working.
The committee, which later constituted two subcommittees to expedite the work, had noted with concern that allotment to
new comers were made without any criterion having been set or balloting done. It had found that in many cases, allotment
had been made on the personal liking of the former administrators, Abdul Jabber Abbasi and Mohammad Akbar Zardari.
The committee also identified mismanagement and corruption and exposed cases of tampering with the record, illegal
allotments, theft of market fees, etc. It recommended legal proceeding against the officials involved.
(By Habib Khan Ghori, Dawn-17, 20/01/2007)
Mosque in Landhi survives attack
KARACHI, Jan 19: A mosque survived attempts made by some people to demolish its boundary walls in Landhi on Friday
evening, but the assailants managed to set ablaze a nearby marriage lawn, a government vehicle and two cigarette cabins.
Tension gripped 36-B area of the vicinity when over thousand protestors, mainly youngsters, took to streets against the
construction of boundary walls around Markazi Masjid Asna Ashri.
Eye-witnesses said the police had to resort to fire teargas shells as the unruly protestors set ablaze Murtaza Marriage
Lawn, two cabins and a Suzuki Hi-roof belonging to the town municipal administration. They said the violent activities
started after Asr prayers when the protestors took to streets, shouted slogans and pelted some houses with stones against
the construction of boundary walls. “The protesters could not get near to the mosque due to the presence of law enforcers,”
they said.
Heavy contingents of police and Rangers took positions in the affected area to avert violence.
A fire engine rushed to the affected area and extinguished the fire at marriage hall, cabins and the vehicle. A fire
department official said the miscreants also pelted the fire engine with stones breaking its windowpanes.
Area people said the tension had been prevailing in the neighbourhood since Monday when the caretakers of the mosque
started construction of boundary wall around it. They said the incidents of stoning were also reported on Thursday night
and the police intensified its presence in the area.
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Mirza Javed, a member of mosque’s managing committee, told Dawn that the violent activities started after Salim Abbas
Naqshbandi of the Sunni Tehrik delivered a provocative speech before Juma. “Salim Naqshbandi had come to us three
days ago and he had demanded demolition of the boundary wall. But, we showed him all the documents which he said
were bogus,” he added.
DIG Operations Mushtaq Shah said the situation was still tense as the protesters demanded demolition of the boundary
walls. “The situation has, however, eased out for the moment as the protestors will meet governor tomorrow (Saturday) to
sort out the issue,” he added.
Imtiaz Alam, area councillor, told Dawn that the Masjid Asna Ashri was established in 1964-65 and since then prayers were
being offered there regularly. “The boundary walls have been constructed on the land owned by the mosque,” he added.
The councillor said the protestors targeted the properties of the Shiites. “They set on fire the decoration pieces at the
marriage lawn and a cabin, owned by Ali Mohammed,” he added.
Imtiaz Alam said arrangements were being made for a wedding ceremony scheduled at the marriage lawn for Friday
evening when the protestors attacked it.
He also claimed that the houses of some people were stoned in the neighbourhood. “The protesters also misbehaved with
children and womenfolk in certain lanes of the vicinity,” he added.
However, the protesters claimed that the land belonged to the adjacent Government Boys Asif School and the mosque
caretakers had erected the walls illegally.
A caretaker of the mosque told Dawn that the ownership rights of the mosque was challenged by the opponents in the court
of Civil Judge Gulshan Ara Chandio, who had given the verdict in favour of the mosque. “We were given the rights on less
than half of the plot, while the remaining land was allotted to the school,” he added.
The caretaker, who did not wish to be named, said the home adviser was intimated before starting the construction work on
Monday. “He asked us to go ahead after we showed him the relevant documents,” he added.
The mosque caretakers carried out the construction of the boundary walls as a sizeable contingent of police was deputed
to avoid any law and order situation.
Police said they had not registered any case against anyone for the violent activities so far. “We have reinforced our
deployment in the area,” they said. An area resident said the members of his sect were in minority in the vicinity. “We are
feeling scared though law enforcers have brought the situation under control,” he said.
(By Tahir Siddiqui, Dawn-17, 20/01/2007)
Landhi groups clash over imambargah wall
KARACHI: Two sectarian groups clashed over the construction of the wall of an imambargah in Landhi Friday following
which tension spread as protestors set two buildings and the town nazim's vehicle on fire.
The violence broke out in Landhi's Sector 36B after three days of tensions over the construction of a boundary wall for
Masjid Asna-e-Ashri.
The construction of the masjid's wall was started on Tuesday but as people from the area tried to demolish it, the police
were called in, an officer said. More police and rangers arrived after reports of skirmishes between some members of the
Sunni Tehreek and young Shia men from the neighbourhood. On Friday evening, after Maghrib prayers tempers rose
between the two groups again, according to reports from the area. Members from both sides set up temporarily pickets and
an exchange of fire ensued. Residents claimed that the problem flared up on Friday as there had been inflammatory
sermons in some mosques of the area against this particular one.
"The masjid administration wanted to build its boundary wall but this was being opposed by Bengalis of the area," claimed
resident Rizwan, adding that the area is predominantly Bengali. "The Sunni Tehreek was backing the Bengali residents," he
added. "There are only 20 to 30 Shia houses in the neighbourhood."
The exchange of fire spread panic in the area and some people set fire to material in the storage room of the nearby
Murtaza Marriage Hall, owned by a Shia. The house next to the wedding hall, which belongs to a man identified as Shamim
(also a Shia), was also attacked.
The enraged people also attacked a fire tender and pelted the fire brigade staff with stones, injuring four firemen.
According to reports from the area, Landhi Town Nazim Ismail Sitara's hi-roof van was also torched when he arrived on the
scene to attempt to negotiate with the angry men. The police resorted to tear gas shelling to control the mob, however,
tensions could not be diffused by late Friday night when this report was filed.
DIG Operations Mushtaq Shah led the police team that consisted of officers from Landhi and Bin Qasim towns. "This
dispute was deliberately inflamed in an attempt to disturb the peace of the upcoming Muharram," said Allama Abbas
Kumaili of the Shia Jaffria Alliance.
CCPO Azhar Farouqi said that the matter was not a serious one and the violence had been controlled. He said that both
groups had been overly emotional but the police were overseeing negotiations between their main leaders.
(Daily Times-B1, 20/01/2007)
The slum situation
Many names have been given to them -- favelas in Brazil, barrios in Venezuela, ghettos in the US, geis in Mongolia, bastis
in India, katchi abadis in Pakistan, and shantytowns in South Africa. They are generally known as squatter settlements.
However, the common factor(s) in all these settlements are abject poverty and appalling living conditions. They lack basic
municipal services, such as potable water supply, sanitation, a proper sewerage system, street lighting, paved footpaths
and roads for emergency access. There are no schools and hospitals within reach and playgrounds for children, nor are
there places for communities to socialise.
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These settlements range from high density squalid central city dwellings to spontaneous squatter settlements having no
legal recognition or rights, sprawling along cities’ edge. These slum dwellers are victims of pervasive poverty that is the
result of an iniquitous and exploitative structure, which is dominated by the elite, who do not hesitate to use coercive
powers of the state to maintain the status quo.
In these squatter settlements inhabitants trade safety and health for a few square metres of land. They are very well
accustomed to swamps, floodplains, volcano slopes, unstable hillsides, desert fringes, railroad sidings, and chemical
dumps -- those repulsive and precarious sites that have become the hallmark of poverty as far as ecology of the cities
goes.
The phenomenon of slums is a relatively new one. With the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the 17th century,
England passed the Enclosure Laws that perpetuated the exodus from the rural areas into the cities that was unparalleled
at the time. Families were unable to sustain themselves and had to move to various urban centres. That’s how slums were
created in cities across England.
Large industrial mills were set up at that time and they required capital to function. No investor was willing to invest unless
they would know that they had constant access to labour, markets and raw material. The process of colonisation (again, at
the same time) ensured the last two. The above-mentioned enclosure laws and the mass exodus of rural communities into
cities ensured the former. This capitalist mode worked through all the coming centuries and the same process has been
repeated over and over again across the continents.
Due to the rapid rate of urbanisation half of the global population will soon be living in urban areas (read: insecure, diseasefilled and crime-infested slums). However, many Third World cities are over-crowded, lack proper civic amenities and
buckle under the influx of incessant exodus in search of jobs and opportunities which, in the first place, simply do not exist.
According to demographers, in 2007 world population will tilt from rural to urban sector and all population growth between
2000 and 2030 is expected in urban areas of Third World countries.
In State of the World Cities 2006/07, UNHABITAT estimates that one billion individuals -- one in every three urbanites -- live
in squatters where people cannot secure one or more of life’s basic necessities. Globally cities have absorbed nearly twothirds of the worldwide population explosion since 1950 and are at present adding a million babies and migrants each
week.
In this process of rampant urbanisation, there has been a runaway growth of slums. These new arrivals face a condition
that can only be described as ‘marginality within marginality’, and they face the additional pressure of being a ‘have-not’ in
a consumer-driven society that creates frustration and a sense of inadequacy.
There are many factors that have pushed rural communities to migration, even in those conditions when the pull of the city
is drastically weakened by debt and economic depression. In this regard, Deborah Bryceson, a UN researcher, says,
“Policies of the IMF and the World Bank in the decades of the ‘80s and ‘90s caused unprecedented upheaval in the global
countryside.”
One by one, national governments trapped in debt lost access to agricultural subsidies and support for rural infrastructure.
Latin American, Asian and African nations’ abandoned peasants ‘modernisation’ efforts and deregulated national markets,
subjecting peasant farmers to the ‘sink-or-swim’ economic strategy propagated by followers of Washington Consensus.
These farmers face problems that are manifold in nature. The land they farmed is addicted to fertilisers and pesticides and
no longer yields a surplus to sell in the market. Water is contaminated, irrigation channels are silted and well water
becomes polluted and undrinkable. Sometimes their land is taken by the government for a coastal resort, a golf course, or
under the pressure of structural adjustment plans to export more agricultural products.
If a considerable number of people are living in dirt, ailments and filth, then the global economy cannot be termed as
flourishing regardless of anything that the GNPs or economic growth figures show. Measured by this benchmark, the neoliberal policies are not simply a failure rather they are an absolute disaster.
One of the most brutal agendas of the Breton Woods institutions has been the prevention of adequate safety nets in
developing nations. Their absence has been the cause of untold diseases and suffering of people across the continental
divide.
As far as Pakistan is concerned, one can notice that all these factors play an important role in aggravating the rural-urban
migration that takes place because the rural poor are not able to feed their families. It is also a price that has to be paid for
the development strategy, which has been religiously followed -- the capitalist-industrial-urban model – in the country.
Over the years the quality of life has perhaps deteriorated instead of improving for the teeming millions; the population has
increased manifold and the cities are bursting at the seams.
Akbar Zaidi, a researcher and freelance consultant in areas of political economy, governance, institutions and the social
sectors, says, “The urban-rural migration is by and large attributed to push and pull factors.” The push factors are the
declining agricultural growth and production, mechanisation, floods and other natural calamities. Whereas the pull factors
are availability of jobs in industry and services, the yearning for better schooling and health facilities and the desire to be a
part of urban culture and the ‘bright lights’ phenomenon.
Explaining the phenomenon of the urban-rural migration, Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Assistant Executive Director, Sustainable
Development Policy Institute, says, “Some of the factors are the developmental disparities, the neglected agriculture sector,
the lack of employment opportunities, the deteriorating law and order situation, the high-handedness of local authorities and
influential, socio-political poverty, urbanisation of agricultural land and growing food insecurity in the rural areas.”
According to Zaigham Abbass, Chairman of House Building Finance Corporation, (HBFC), “There is 19.649 million housing
units in the country, out of which 32.3 per cent are in the urban areas and 67.7 per cent are in rural areas.”
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Due to a large scale rural to urban migration situation, the new arrivals have three options: firstly, they squatter in the katchi
abadis on government land in the cities; secondly, they resort to informal settlements on agricultural land; and, thirdly they
live in downtown areas resulting in the densification of environmentally degraded inner city areas, Abbass adds.
In Karachi, 55 per cent of the population lives in katchi abadis. According to government statistics, an estimated 250,000 to
300,000 people migrate here annually needing an additional 44,000 – 50,000 housing units every year. Due to the
phenomenal increase in population growth nearly one-third of the populace is deprived of drinking water and two-thirds of
the residents are without sanitation. “It puts pressure on the already burdened civic facilities,” explains HBFC chairman.
The government and its relevant agencies have failed to meet the growing housing demand and the informal sector has
surfaced to fill the vacuum. Zaidi says, “Nearly 63 per cent of Karachi’s annual housing needs are fulfilled by the informal
sector.” This segment provides land with immediate possession at affordable prices, arranges water supply, electricity and
finally transport. All this is done in defiance of government regulations. Noman Ahmed, Chairman of Architecture and
Planning Department, NED University, opines on how the growth of slums is linked to social discontent, terrorism and petty
crimes: “Initially they were developed on a self-help basis. As time passed several powerful interest groups (read mafias)
emerged and started dealing in drugs and arms. These settlements have now become the centre of street and petty crimes
as once a criminal enters the area it is next to impossible to pin him down. The law enforcement agencies are unable to
make their way into these areas.”
Explaining the issue of terrorism Ahmed says, “There is a vast well-integrated network of illegal madressahs where children
are indoctrinated and are taught the militant version of Islam. These learning centres also provide boarding and lodging
facilities to militants from up-country.” Hence they foil the government’s efforts to contain terrorism and at the same time
undermine its endeavours of selling the soft image of the country to the world.
The problem of slums is a huge one and it would be an understatement to say that there are no easy solutions to the
problem. In order to control the growing trends of migration the government should take serious measures to control
poverty in the rural areas. It is the crux of the problem.
Secondly, as Dr Suleri points out, “The key to decelerate urban migration lies in improved governance and promoting
accountability, meritocracy, transparency and participatory consultative culture to reduce developmental disparities.”
Thirdly, there should be serious and determined efforts to end the growing gulf between the haves and the have-nots.
Fourthly, in order to sustain the process of growth, the capability and opportunity gaps among different sections of the
population should be reduced and eventually eliminated.
Finally, the government should try to implement functional democracy in letter and spirit as it gives the disenfranchised a
chance to participate in the system through their elected representatives.
(By Moniza Inam, Dawn-Magazine-3, 21/01/2007)
Save Sabzazar
Sabzazar Colony is a project of the Lahore Development Authority and is encircled by the wedge created by Bund Road,
Multan Road and the Motorway bye-pass from the Babu Sabu interchange to Thokar Niaz Beg in the south-west quarter of
the city. It was designed to be a residential area, and was geared to attract residents of the older districts of Lahore with the
promises of open fields and peaceful suburban surroundings. Due to the most criminal of circumstances, the promise of a
better life has turned out to be a massive fraud, and the residents of Sabzazar live in what can only be described as hell.
Every Tuesday night till the next morning’s dawn, the roar of hundreds of trucks echo through the 4,000 homes in the LDA
scheme. These trucks carry cattle from all over Punjab to the playground in block D of the scheme, and are a source of
great discomfort to the sleeping residents of the area. By morning, the residents are greeted with the noise of the
thousands of heads of cattle which are gathered for the weekly mela mahvehshian.
The sheer size of the mela makes coming or going from the area difficult and, in some places, impossible. Residents
complain that their children are unable to go to school on Wednesdays because of the menacing cattle. One boy recently
had both his arms fractured when he was trampled over by a buffalo just outside the gate of his home. The odour from the
thousands of tons of manure and flatulence — did you know the methane produced by cow flatulence is responsible for 14
per cent of global methane gases, and are a recognised risk to the environment? The EU, New Zealand and California all
have legislation regulating such methane emission — is noxious and responsible for the unusually high number of eczema
and other skin ailments suffered by Sabzazaris. The ammonia in the manure is carcinogenic and is responsible for,
amongst other things, rupturing the tiny blood vessels in the eyes of the school going children in the area.
Even though the mela lasts for just one day a week, the local sewerage system has collapsed under the strain of the tons
of manure deposited in and around the homes of the people of Sabzazar. The waste winds up lying on the side of the road.
The stench of the methane, ammonia and decaying faeces is now a permanent feature of the area.
At night, the offal, hide and bones of animals slaughtered nearby are incinerated in nearby kilns. The foul stench of the
noxious carcinogenic smoke haunts the entire scheme. Some residents get by with sealing their windows and relying on
large quantities of air freshener. Those unlucky to have their homes located closer to the kilns are offered no respite.
Residents of the area suffer from a number of sicknesses and disease. Some residents have open wounds on their bodies.
To date, one local residents’ welfare society reckons that four Sabzazaris have died because of the pollution of the mela.
I visited block D of Sabzazar the day before Eid and was appalled by what I saw. There were sheep, goats, cows, buffalos,
camels and loud, ugly transport tucks everywhere. In some places, even walking by foot became impossible. The slick
created by the ankle deep manure made manoeuvring out of the way of obstreperous cattle hazardous. People’s homes
looked like Islands in a sea of animals. I was also appalled with the condition in which the cattle were kept and the manner
in which the cattle dealers were forced to earn their livelihood. For the duration of the run-up to Eid, cattle traders had set
up tents and shanties in the open areas and in between plots, and were living with their families in squalor.
The Lahoris of Sabzazar have lived like this for the better part of a decade, and have knocked on the door of just about
every elected representative and concerned bureaucrat in the city. To date, no one has lifted a finger. About four years ago,
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they took their plight to the Lahore High Court. The next date of hearing is February 6. Since he assumed office, Sardar
Kamil Umar, the town nazim for Sabzazar, has fought endlessly to have the cattle market moved elsewhere. His efforts
have not been entirely unfruitful; the local government has identified a site where the new cattle market can be shifted. But
bureaucratic red tape means such a shift is improbable for the next 18-24 months. Meanwhile, the residents of Sabzazar
continue to suffer on account their fellow Lahoris’ voracious appetite for aloo gosht.
Apart from being a colossal environmental menace, the cattle market is a fraud on the people of Sabzazar. They were lured
to the colony from their homes in other parts of the city by the LDA on the promise of a better lifestyle. Instead, they find
their homes inhabitable. Moreover, they have lost their investment. Property values in and around the cattle market are
worthless on account of broken sewerage and the obvious nuisance of the noise and stench of the cattle. For the LDA to
have profited on false promises is fraud under any definition of the word.
Fraud is not the only offence which comes to mind. Under the law, the cattle market is totally illegal. The law simply does
not permit cattle markets in residential areas. The mandi exists because the local government administration does not or
cannot take action against it. This is despite the fact that there are a host of laws, dating back to as early as the Cattle
Trespass Act of 1871, which outlaw and prohibit the purchase, sale and nuisance of cattle in such circumstances.
The people of Lahore must wake to the misery being suffered by their fellow citizens. Not only is the cattle market a health
hazard, it is a mockery of the law and the writ of the local and provincial administrations. It is also an unpardonable
expense on the wallets of other Lahoris. The large bribes, jagga tax and commissions charged by corrupt local government
officials, the police and neighbourhood thugs on the sale of cattle are, at the end of the day, all passed on to the consumer.
The meat we consume would be considerable cheaper if the price of such corruption were eliminated from its costs of
production by simple government regulation.
Lahore is reputed to be a city of lights, but the residents of Sabzazar have no hope to illuminate their future. A
misunderstanding of rights and good urban planning on the part of the citizens and local government, a lack of alternative
premises for a cattlemarket, the delays of justice, the sloth of the bureaucracy and the choking grip of those who profit from
the status quo are all reasons why nothing has been done and, frankly, very little can be done to improve the lot of
Sabzazaris.
I am, however, confident that this column will shake a few consciences. One of the distinctive features of Lahore is that its
residents don’t share a sense of “borders”. A Lahori living near Bhatti Gate will feel the same tugs on his heartstrings upon
hearing of the problems of a Lahori who lives in DHA as a Lahori from Gulberg will feel upon hearing of a fellow resident in
Sabzazar.
Only one man has the power to make things happen. Fellow Lahori resident and chief minister, Chaudhary Pervaiz Elahi,
can exercise his considerable power and influence to cut through the red tape. Lahore is the jewel of Punjab and it cannot
be that parts of it are left to rot in this manner. If only a fraction of the colossal sums of money spent to beautify the city for
marathons, Hillary Clinton and the Chinese president could be put to use in Sabzazar.
The chief minister is requested to take the matter of the Sabzazar cattle market up on an emergency basis. The residents
of Sabzazar have constituted a committee of experts under the auspices of the town nazim and luminaries such as senior
reporter and Sabzazar resident Saeed Aasi and senior advocate Ahmed Javed Jillani as well as urban action groups like
the Lahore Bachao Tehreek. Allow the law to be followed and watch the seeds of the local government bear fruit. It can
only sweeten the perception of the city.
(By Ahmad Rafay Alam, The News-7, 22/01/2007)
ISI defies SC orders to pay cost of land
ISLAMABAD Jan 22: The Military Estate Office, Rawalpindi, has failed to implement the orders of Lahore High Court and
Supreme Court directing payment of compensation to two brothers for a piece of land occupied by the Inter Services
Intelligence (ISI).
The agency has been occupying the land since 1986 and building a multi-storey plaza there without paying any rent or
entering into a deal with the legal owners, according to the documents available with Dawn.
Masood Abbasi and Zahoor Abbasi had prayed to the Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench in 1999 that their three kanal
and six marla land adjacent to Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium had been in the illegal possession of the intelligence agency
since 1986.
The high court in its April 22, 2002 judgment declared that the occupation of the land was repugnant to the Land Acquisition
Act and directed the agency to compensate the legal owners at the prevalent market rate. The court also gave an option to
the respondents to settle the dispute through private negotiations.
The Military Estate Office challenged the Lahore High Court decision and moved the Supreme Court for relief. However, a
three-member bench of the apex court in its judgment on February 16, 2004 upheld the high court decision and directed the
petitioners (ISI) to settle the case through dialogue and pay the cost of the land to the legal owners.
However, much to the disappointment of the petitioners, neither the agency nor the Military Estate Office implemented the
apex court orders.
Finding no relief, the petitioners, Maqsood Abbasi and Zahoor Abbasi, have submitted an appeal to the President House
seeking the intervention of President Musharraf in implementation of the apex court orders by the agency.
The two brothers said they were tired and exhausted and financially too poor to run from pillar to post for relief. They further
said that paying no heed to the orders of the apex court the agency was constructing a multi-storey building at the place for
commercial use.
The two brothers said that they would not get relief unless the Supreme Court took a suo motu action against the agency
for contempt of court.
(By Ahmed Hassan, Dawn-2, 23/01/2007)
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Extra floors on CM’s orders, KBCA tells SHC: Building violations
KARACHI, Jan 22: A housing-cum-commercial project in Clifton was allowed to raise four additional floors on the chief
minister’s directives, the Karachi Building Control Authority informed a division bench of the Sindh High Court on Monday.
In its comments on a petition moved by a non-governmental organisation, the authority said M/s Greenbelt Residency were
sanctioned a plan for basement (for car parking), ground floor (for shops) and six floors for apartments.
Four additional floors were built subsequently with the chief minister’s permission. It said there were violations of the
approved plan and the building regulations. The KBCA twice attempted to demolish the unauthorised portions but the
premises were found locked.
A purchaser of 13 shops on the ground floor, Munir Mahmood, joined in the proceedings subsequently another NGO,
Shehri, has also sought to be impleaded.
The builder Ayub Merchant stated that he had sub-leased the basement to his son for commercial use but the sub-lease
has since been cancelled and the basement restored to car parking. Adjourning the proceedings to January 26, the bench
asked the builder to produce a copy of the sub-lease surrender deed and the KBCA to submit the record of the project plan.
(Dawn-17, 23/01/2007)
High court allows CDGK to retain 20 acres for amenity: Kidney Hill Park
KARACHI, Jan 23: A division bench of Sindh High Court disposed a petition moved by the Pakistan Employees CoOperative Housing Society in terms of a compromise reached by the parties before the Supreme Court.
Under the compromise, the city district government will retain 20 acres out of a 55-acre plot on Kidney Hill for development
of a park. The rest of the land will be utilised by the society for various amenity and other purposes, including a mosque
and police station.
The bench consisted of Justices Mushir Alam and Mrs Yasmeen Abbasy. Advocate Abdul Hafeez Pirzada represented the
petitioner society, Additional Advocate-General Dr Qazi Khalid Ali the provincial government and Advocate Manzoor
Ahmed the city district government.
The bench ordered filing of the award in respect of valuation of plots of 12 petitioners of Anarkali Society, Pir Colony,
Liaquatabad, which had been acquired for the expressway project.
The petitioners would be entitled to raise objections within two weeks and no coercive action would be taken against them
in the meantime.
The petitioners had submitted through Advocate Ghulam Qadir Jatoi that they had been paid Rs5,000 per square yard as
compensation, though an official committee had fixed the price at Rs25,000 per square yard. They had also been allotted
plots measuring 120 square yards though some of the acquired plots measured 150 square yards to 200 square yards.
STAY CONFIRMED: Justice Gulzar Ahmed, meanwhile, confirmed the interim stay order passed by him in favour of a
resident of Al Hayat Square in Al Hilal Co-operative Housing Society.
The plaintiff submitted through Advocate Arshad Iqbal that a piece of land measuring 333 square yards reserved for a lane
has been incorporated into the complex by the builder. He prayed that the defendant be restrained from raising any
construction on the plot or put it to any other use.
(Dawn-17, 24/01/2007)
PM allots plots to 47 officers in Islamabad
ISLAMABAD, Jan 24: Federal Minister for Housing Syed Safwanullah on Wednesday informed the Senate that Prime
Minister Shaukat Aziz had recently allotted plots in D-12 sector to 47 BS-22 officers, mostly federal secretaries and officials
of Prime Minister Secretariat.
In response to a question of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) Senator Prof Khurshid Ahmed, the housing minister also
provided complete list of the officers, stating that each of them had been given a plot of 600 square yards at a price of
Rs2.7 million.
It is not clear that how many of these officers already have plots in Islamabad or in any other city, but there are names of
some retired army officials as well in the list.
Following is the list of those BS-22 officers, who had been allotted the plots:
Ejaz Rahim, Tariq Mahmood, Syed Jalil Abbas, Khalid Saeed, Syed Tariq Ali Bokhari, Navid Ahsan, Ismail Qureshi, Syed
Anwar Mehmood, Abdul Rauf Chaudhry, Shahid Rafi, Maj (retired) Syed Kamal Shah, Rasul Bakhsh Baloch, Muhammad
Jamil, Ismail Hassan Nizai, M Aslam Sanjrani, Ahmed Waqar, Wakil Ahmed Khan, Muhammad Abdullah Yousuf, Maj
(retired) Muhammad Naeem Khan, Sajid Hussain Chattha, Salim Gul Shaikh, Ashfaq Mehmood, Sajid Hassan, Waqar
Masood Khan, Javed Sadiq Malik, Mohsin Hafeez, Syed Mohsin Asad, Muhammad Humayun Farshori, Tariq Aziz,
Jahangir Bashar, Lt-Gen (retired) Tariq Waseem Ghazi, Tanwir Ali Agha, Riaz Muhammad Khan, Sher Afgan Khan, Maj
(retired) Malik Asif Hayat, Justice (retired) Mansoor Ahmed, Shahzado Sheikh, Muhammad Shakil Durrani, Syed Masood
Alam Rizvi, Dr Sheikh Aleem Mahmud, Sohail Safdar, Syed Bilal Ahmed, Syed Asif Shah, Sharif Ahmed, Farrukh Qayyum,
Muhammad Ziaur Rehman and Kamran Rasul.
(Dawn-2, 25/01/2007)
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Big land scam unearthed
KARACHI, Jan 25: A big land scam has been unearthed involving illegal occupation of 22,965 acres located in 18 towns
and 8,162 square yards of the city survey, acquired through manipulation of the land record. The value of the land is
estimated to the tune of over Rs81 billion, it is reliably learnt.
After receiving complaints from people that some operatives of the land mafia had taken over possession of vast tracts of
government lands through tempering the land record, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad had issued ordered for carrying out a
detailed scrutiny of the government land in the 18 towns and the city survey record of the metropolis, sources said and
added that in the initial report submitted to the governor it was revealed that senior officials, who were assigned the job,
after going through the records had found that the land mafia in collaboration with some unscrupulous government
functionaries in the department had effected the fictitious changes.
The sources closed to the department further disclosed that so far the scrutiny of six towns had been completed while in
the remaining towns 90 per cent of record had been examined.
The governor lauded the work done so far and directed the officials to complete the rest of the work at the earliest so that
action should be initiated against the culprits and government lands saved..
(Dawn-17, 26/01/2007)
Report sought on builders using armed forces’ name
ISLAMABAD, Jan 25: The Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly on Thursday directed the Ministry of
Defence to provide details of private builders using names linked to the armed forces following reports that a number of
such builders are involved in huge financial scams.
The committee observed that companies which were involved in various scandals were giving a bad name to the armed
forces.
“The committee wants to know whether these builders, like Bahria Town and Askari, are using the name of armed forces
with the permission of the Ministry of Defence. And, if so, then under what legal authority,” member Rai Mansab Ali Khan,
told Defence Secretary Lt-Gen Tariq Waseem Ghazi.
The PAC members were critical of the Bahria Town and were not satisfied with answers given by defence ministry officials.
The defence secretary said he had no knowledge of the matter and would inform the committee after taking up the issue in
his ministry.
The committee met at the Parliament House with MNA Malik Allah Yar Khan in the chair to discuss the audit report of the
Ministry of Defence for 2000-01.
Maj (retd) Tanvir Hussain Syed, Parliamentary Secretary for Defence, informed the committee that his minister and
previous secretary had opposed private builders using the name of Bahria Town, but were unable to take any action
against what he called the “mighty owner” of the housing scheme.
Member Qurban Ali Shah said several MNAs had been offered plots in the MNAs’ Enclave of Bahria Town in Rawalpindi
and Lahore at subsidised rates.
“According to a letter of Bahria Town, the housing society has also developed special housing schemes for retired generals
and judges at subsidised rates,” he observed.
The issue of Bahria Town was raised by Mr Syed during a discussion on an audit objection about commercial use of some
residential property in the Wah Cantonment.
He said the PAC should not discuss petty issues but should focus on the “big fish’ who had got the Capital Development
Authority land allotted in Margalla and Karakoram foothills first on lease and then on ownership basis.
The committee was informed that no naval berth had been given to the United States in Karachi for use. However, some
airbases were on standby arrangements for use of allied forces in Pakistan. The US had been given this facility because
Pakistan was a frontline state in the US-led war on terror, the committee was told.
Auditor-General of Pakistan Younis Khan told the committee that pensions of retired armed forces personnel had been
shifted to the civil budget after foreign donors started objecting to what they said rising defence budget.
(By Sher Baz Khan, Dawn-1, 26/01/2007)
Diamer-Bhasha dam
Sale, purchase of land on site banned
ISLAMABAD: In a major development, the government has enforced section 4 on the site of the Diamer-Bhasha dam to
initiate the process of acquiring the land required for the construction of the reservoir, a senior government official told The
News.
The $7 billion Diamer-Bhahsa dam will have a storage capacity of 6.34 MAF as against the earlier proposed 7.34 MAF.
“However, it will have a power generation capacity of 4,500 megawatts.
The enforcement of section 4 is mandatory prior to the acquisition of the land for the dam. The government under section 4
has banned the sale and purchase of the land needed for the reservoir. The sale and purchase of land to be used for the
dam has been implemented both in the Northern Areas and the NWFP, which fall in the dam area.
The official said the revenue department of the Northern Areas and the NWFP have been given certain directions to this
effect. He said after the ban on purchase and sale of land through the imposition of section 4, the price of land would be
worked out under a certain formula and the government would pay the price to the land owner accordingly.
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The official said that in the CDWP meeting that is going to be held tomorrow (January 27), the committee headed by
Secretary Water And Power Ashfaq Mehmood, which was constituted to make detailed implementation plan of five big
dams announced by President General Pervez Musharraf in his speech to the nation on January 17, 2006, would unveil the
plan for approval. In the plan, the committee would inform that the construction process of Diamer-Bhasha dam has begun
by enforcement of section 4.
The official said a huge amount of Rs27.824 billion is required for the acquisition of land and resettlement of the people to
be affected in the wake of the construction of the dam. Under the proposed project, Rs10.76 billion will be spent for the
acquisition of agriculture/barren land, tree and nurseries and Rs1.638 billion to be utilised for properties & infrastructure,
Rs8.8 billion for establishment of nine model villages, Rs62.119 million for pay & allowances for administrative
arrangements, and Rs17.7 million for contingent administrative expenses.
The project also includes an escalation cost of Rs2.234 billion at the rate of 6 per cent per year for five years and interest of
Rs4.309 billion during the implementation at the rate of 9 per cent.
(By Khalid Mustafa, The News-1, 26/01/2007)
Pir Pagaro’s grandson arrested over land
KARACHI: The Malir Cantt police have arrested sixteen people, including the grandson of Pir Pagaro, Syed Ummar
Mustafa, on charges of firing and land grabbing.
Early Thursday morning, according to Malir Cantt investigation officer ASI Safdar, a total of 16 people came to a 10-acre
plot in Zikriya Goth owned by property dealer Aslam Siddiqui off the Super Highway and attempted to build a wall. The
plot’s chowkidar, Malta Mohammad, resisted the group who beat him up. The group of men opened fire which was heard
by the police who arrived on the scene.
The police investigated the matter and detained all the men and took them to Malir Cantt police station. The chowkidar
lodged an FIR (No. 05/2007) against Pir Sibghatullah Shah Rashidi’s son Syed Ummar Mustafa, former provincial
minister’s son Muhammad Hashim, Abdul Wahab, Naeem Ahmed, Ghulam Shabbir, Abdul Shakoor, Imtiaz, Obaid, Abdul
Qayyum, Sohail, Zeeshan, Rehmatullah, Mohammad Moosa, Shahid, Ejaz and Syed Mohammad Owais.
The FIR was registered under sections 147, 148, 149, 324, 348, 452, 427, 395 and 337/A of the PPC. The police said they
took into custody the four vehicles the group had used, including two cars, a double-cabin pickup and a 16-seater wagon.
(Daily Times-B1, 26/01/2007)
1,793 fake entries found on Rs 81b of govt land
KARACHI: Government lands worth Rs 81 billion have been occupied in 18 towns and a city survey of Karachi revealed
fake entries in the revenue records.
Records of 18 towns and a city survey of Karachi were checked and verified on the directives of Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul
Ibad Khan after complaints about encroachments and illegal changes in land records were brought to him.
A detailed audit of the records showed that 1,793 entries in the land records, regarding 22,965 acres of town land and
8,162 square yards of City Survey land were fake. According to the current market rate, the value of this land is Rs
81,925.38 million.
Records of six towns have been checked completely, while the scrutiny of records in the remaining towns is 90 percent
complete.
(Daily Times-B1, 26/01/2007)
Housing schemes
A request by the National Assembly's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to the defence ministry to provide details of private
building schemes using the name of the nation's armed forces is timely. This has in fact become necessary given the spate
of new housing schemes and societies that have cropped up of late with many claiming to have a government connection
or sanction. Understandably, would-be home-owners prefer to buy a plot or a house in a project if it is being undertaken by
a government organisation (hence the success of defence housing authority schemes). Some unscrupulous developers
advertise their project as having a government connection or sanction to attract clients. However, after some time it turns
out that the project is a private venture, but by then it is too late. In many such cases, home- or plot-owners are from time to
time asked to pay additional charges – most of them arbitrary. Besides this, there are also situations where bona fide
government organisations or their employees have launched a housing scheme. Here too, the clout of the organisation is
used to gain favours with civic bodies in charge of land use and zoning and that probably explains why such schemes have
cropped up in the most unlikely (not to mention unsafe) of places.
Of course, everything cannot and should not be blamed on the developer. For instance, it is as much as an individual
home-buyer's fault if he or she did not properly research the credentials of a particular project (and of those behind it)
before purchasing a plot or house in it. Prospective buyers should also try and consult a decent lawyer before they pour in
their life savings into a house or a plot – this help can be used to examine the contract. As for the government and its
various civic bodies responsible for land use and zoning regulations, their role in protecting the interests of the homeand/or plot-buying is close to non-existent. Other than publishing adverts in newspapers warning the public from investing
in a particular scheme that may be illegal or unregistered, nothing else is done to regulate developers. For instance it is not
ensured that all that promised by the developer at the time of purchase of a plot or house is delivered to the home-owners.
Similarly, government action to prevent developers from levying additional arbitrary charges over and above those
mentioned at the time of booking is non-existent. This of course leads one to believe that there may well be a nexus
between developers and government officials – the latter allowing the former to do as they please in return for payment in
kind. In this fits the fact that some high-profile developers reportedly offer place in their housing schemes to members of
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parliament, the judiciary, the bureaucracy and perhaps even the military at subsided rates. One doesn't need to have a PhD
to figure out what exactly this serves to achieve. The bottom line is that the average home-owner is often left high and dry
by such developers. One waits eagerly for the defence ministry's response.
(The News-7, 27/01/2007)
PAC accuses military of misusing land
ISLAMABAD, Jan 27: The Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly on Saturday took a serious notice of the
Ministry of Defence’s failure to pay compensation to owners of land acquired for military cantonments in various parts of the
country decades ago and use of such land for commercial or agricultural purposes.
In 1960s and 1970s, 8,930 acres of land were acquired from farmers for the Gujranwala Cantonment at a price of Rs1,500
per acre.
The Land Acquisition Collector (LAC) did not pay owners of the land the Rs41.56 million compensation amount released by
the defence ministry. The land was now being sold at millions of rupees per kanal for commercial purposes, the committee
was informed by the audit department.
The PAC told defence secretary Lt-Gen (retd) Tariq Waseem Ghazi that his ministry had adopted a “hands-up approach” to
numerous issues of the same nature in which either land was used for commercial purposes or distribution of
compensation to owners was delayed by the ministry at different levels.
“On the one hand, people were deprived of a constant source of income (farm land) and on the other, they were seldom
paid compensation,” observed member Qamar Zaman Kaira.
According to the audit department, the military estate office (MEO), Multan, acquired 5,000 acres in Pirowal, Khanewal
district, from the forest department at Rs250 million.
The land was acquired for a new cantonment as sanctioned by the government in June 1994. But one year later, cultivation
was started on 4,975 acres and a milk centre was established on the remaining 25 acres.
The MEO also acquired 34,462 acres from the Punjab government in Sargodha in 1984 for defence purposes. But now,
some of the land is being used for agricultural purposes and the Pakistan Air Force leased out 3,000 plots of 100 kanal
each of the same land.
Till year 2000, the PAF had earned Rs25 million from the lease, which was never deposited in the government’s treasury.
The issue ignited a heated debate after ruling Pakistan Muslim League MNA Akbar Ali Vains said various departments,
handed over to the military by civilian governments in the past for improving their performance and removing corruption,
were now performing even worse.
“If even our military and generals have failed to improve the performance of the departments they head, we can only pray
(for these departments to perform well),” Mr Vains said. His comment changed the facial expression of the defence
secretary, who immediately asked the MNA to refrain from issuing categorical statements and see positive aspects of
military administrations as well.
But Nisar Ali Khan told the defence secretary to take criticism in healthy spirit. He said if the defence ministry was so
efficient, why the audit department had presented bulky files containing reservations over its accounts and functioning to
the PAC. He said a single telephone call by a military general to the Punjab chief minister could make the Land Acquisition
Commissioner pay compensation to land owners within hours. But in fact, it showed the lack of interest on behalf of the
ministry.
“This is a symbolic case of how inefficient and incapable these departments are,” said member and PML-N MNA Chaudhry
Nisar Ali Khan.
The committee directed the defence ministry to resolve all cases of similar nature within two months on its own because
they were destroying the committee’s time.
The audit department informed the meeting that the LAC had also not passed on the Rs22.76 million compensation amount
to owners of 284 kanals of land acquired in the Rajar village, Gujrat district, for defence purposes in 1987.
The committee stressed the need for a new formula of land assessment in order to pay reasonable compensation to
owners of land being acquired for defence purposes. It observed that people should either be paid compensation as per
market rates or very close to such rates.
Nisar Ali Khan said it was a common observation land acquired on throw-away prices for defence purposes was used for
commercial purposes as was evident from the audit department’s reports. This practice needed to be discouraged strongly,
he said.
The committee was informed that 22 pieces of ‘class A-1’ land situated in the Lahore Cantonment was being used for
commercial purposes in violation of the Cantonment Land Administration Rules, 1937, which says that such land could not
be used for purpose other than military buildings, military recreational, parade grounds and playgrounds, rifle ranges, grass
farms etc. The Rs1.33 billion amount received through premium and rent of the land was never deposited in the
government’s treasury.
Member Qamar Zaman Kaira said due to the absence of a parliamentary system (since prime minister Nawaz Sharif was
ousted), the PAC was handling a backlog of audit cases stretched over a period of nine years. Four sub-committees of the
PAC had been formed to handle the cases.
He said that in other countries, there were no national accountability bureaus, but in fact, public accounts committees dealt
with such issues. He asked the defence ministry to engage its joint secretaries and sections officers in such issues to
resolve them without further delay and ensure that intra-departmental issues were not brought to the committee.
(By Sher Baz Khan, Dawn-1, 28/01/2007)
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Governor-CM row led to Rs81bn land scam disclosure
KARACHI: The disclosure about Rs 81 billion land scam in Karachi was the outcome of differences between Chief Minister
Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim and Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad.
Disclosing this, sources told this correspondent that the authorities of the Board of Revenue (BoR) and Chief Minister
House were involved in this land scam and the transfer of Special Secretary to CM Chaudhry Muhammad Ali Shah was a
part of this sordid affair.
The land scam was made public after one week of the action taken against Special Secretary to CM as well as transfer of
Director Survey and Land Record Aftab Memon and Land Superintendent BoR Asif Memon.
The scam was unearthed after a survey was conducted on the directive of Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad. A similar
survey was also conducted on the directive of Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim two years ago but its findings were not
made public, with the officials claiming that former Special Secretary to CM Chaudhry Muhammad Ali had dumped the
report to save himself and some favourites.
According to an official handout released from the Governor House a land scam was unearthed wherein Rs 81 billion worth
of land had been illegally occupied. It was also stated that 22,965 acres of prime land in 18 towns and 8,162 acres of city
land had been occupied through making bogus entries in the record.
According to the survey conducted on the instruction of the Sindh Governor in 18 towns, 1793 entries were found to be
bogus. The sources said that politicians, ministers and legislators from both the ruling and opposition parties as well as
officials and businessmen were involved in this land scam. According to the sources, massive changes in the Survey and
Land Record of BoR were found bogus and as per the survey some Mukhtiarkars and DDOs were also involved in making
1,793 bogus entries in the record.
Major bogus entries in the official record were found made during the period of former chief minister Ali Muhammad Maher
and Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim. Both the chief ministers were holding the BoR portfolio and were directly dealing with the
concerned officials, the sources added.
Insiders pointed out that huge portions of land in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Jauher, Northern Bypass, Gaddap, Shah
Faisal Town, Korangi, Hawksbay and National Highway were occupied through making forged entries in the record. The
main culprit of this scam Latif Brohi, a former Mukhtiarkar of Scheme-33, fled from the country while he was wanted in three
criminal cases by NAB and Anti-Corruption Police.
Another official Ali Muhammad Hingoro, ex-district officer Karachi, was also involved in this land scam and was wanted in
three cases. Authorities informed the governor that some other BoR officials Maqbool Memon, Khadim Hussain and
Mehram Chandio were also involved in the land scam.
The governor was also told that some land mafia members Adam, Jano, Mehmood, Ghulam, Shakil, Obaid, Azhar and
others were the main characters in making bogus entries in the land record, the sources added.
According to the sources, BoR officials and Mukhtiarkars had provided the land record to the land mafia members and
politicians, who changed the names in the record with those who had died.
The land mafia replaced the names of the dead people in the survey number with the names of some of their employees
and servants. These changes are commonly known as ìFotgi Khataî.
The land mafia made billions through disposing of this occupied land and the money was transferred to foreign countries. In
most of the cases builders purchased the land through land mafia and raised various projects while this land was the
property of the government.
According to officials, most of the land - leased for 30 years for agriculture and poultry farm purpose - was being used for
commercial purposes. Some of this 30-year leased land had been used for flat sites but no action was taken against the
authorities concerned.
The sources said that the main reason behind the property price hike in Karachi was the conversion of agriculture land into
commercial units with the connivance of Mukhtiarkars and BoR officers. Insiders said that the former special secretary to
CM was backing these authorities and the quarters concerned informed the chief minister about this episode.
The sources further said that the authorities informed the governor that some of the land mafia members had hired private
guards who were using the Rangers-like uniform just to protect themselves as they were selling the government land on
forged documents.
Sources said that Dr Ebad was informed about this land scam after action was taken against the special secretary to CM,
as the government servants concerned were feeling threat for their jobs. They told the governor that more information
about the land scam could be provided to him if he assures protection to their life and service.
(By Tahir Hasan Khan, The News-2, 28/01/2007)
Legal action against UN offices on the cards
ISLAMABAD: The capital authorities have decided to formally try the United Nations (UN) offices for their refusal to pay
heed to the law of the land by using residential areas for illegal use.
These influential violators have so far given the cold shoulder to the pleas of the authorities. Finding no other resort to
check the UN from using the residential areas against the law, the authorities have referred the case to the deputy
commissioner for starting a formal trial.
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The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has moved against the United Nations Food Programme (UNFP) and the United
Nations Assistance Mission for Afghanistan (UNAMA) following a complaint by a sitting member of parliament — Senator
Saadia Abbasi.
Herself a barrister, Senator Abbasi has been contacting the CDA and had served legal notices on the UNFP and the
UNAMA in December last taking the plea that the existence of the UN offices in street 2 of F-8/3 is a clear violation of the
CDA by-laws. She had regretted that the UN agencies have clearly shown that they have no respect for this country, or its
people or its laws.
Besides the UNFP and UNAMA, the case of the UN House’s controversial shifting to another residential sector of the
federal capital is already pending before an Islamabad court. Ironically, despite the court’s stay order the international
agency has started shifting to the residential area.
A CDA letter reveals that after Senator Abbasi’s complaint, the authority issued notices to the owner and the occupant of
the houses occupied by the UNFP and the UNAMA. However, these notices fell on deaf ears as the CDA admitted that the
owner/occupant did not remove the non-conforming use. Following this the CDA referred the matter to its deputy
commissioner for a formal trial.
“The cases are presently in the court of the DC, CDA,” said the CDA letter written to Saadia Abbasi. The senator is
informed that the deputy commissioner CDA has now got additional powers after suitable amendment in the Zoning
Regulation 2005. “Now the owner will pay Rs5 lakh (Rs 500,000) fine on first conviction. After 15 days if he persists with
non-conforming use he will be fined Rs5000 per day. After three months the plots of such violators will be cancelled,”
assured the CDA letter.
Violations of local laws by no less an agency than the UN are watched with great interest for the reason that the UN is the
champion of rule of law anywhere in the world and also of good governance in Pakistan. The international agency has
launched different projects to teach the host country the lesson of respecting rule of law.
The UN is one amongst those international agencies that was gifted acres of high priced land in the diplomatic enclave but
instead of constructing its own building there the UN agencies have been housed in residential buildings in different sectors
of Islamabad.
The Resident Coordinator and the UNDP’s Resident Representative Jan Vandemoortele had confirmed to this
correspondent that the government of Pakistan has gifted acres of land to the UN in the diplomatic enclave many years ago
but the international agency has not yet constructed any of its buildings there. According to Vandemoortele, lack of
resources was the reason for the non-construction of the UN own building in the gifted land in the area specified for
diplomatic corps.
Senator Saadia, who was upset with the UNFP and UNAMA offices in the street of F-8 where she herself resides, had told
both the UN agencies and the CDA that the housing of the UN offices in the residential area is the violation of the CDA byelaws and contrary to the laws of the land. She said that these organisations are acting in an unlawful and illegal manner.
Choosing to fight against this violation instead of acting like a spectator, the Senator reminded the violators: “I see no
reason why I should put up with all this in my own country. My peace of mind and right to privacy have not just been
invaded but are being violated every day. The question is: ‘Is this how you would be allowed to behave in your own
country?’ Therefore what is not right and proper in your own country should not be practised in another country, and cannot
be accepted here!”
She regretted that the UN agencies have clearly shown that they have no respect for this country, or its people or its laws.
“However, this is a reflection of your mind-set, and it cannot deter me from seeking appropriate remedies under the law in a
court of competent jurisdiction,” the senator warned.
(By Ansar Abbasi, The News-8, 28/01/2007)
Ministry for merger of airport area into capital: Housing firms oppose plan
ISLAMABAD, Jan 28: The ministry of defence has asked the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to include the proposed
site of new Islamabad airport at Fatehjang in the capital territory, a source in the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) told Dawn
on Sunday.
The ministry had issued a letter to the CDA allowing it to include the proposed airport and its adjoining area in Islamabad.
However, the CDA is not making serious efforts to do so, the source said.
The source said the managements of some 12 private housing schemes being launched near the proposed airport were
trying to stop the merger of the airport with Islamabad till they acquired land for their schemes.
A source in the CDA said the ministry of defence wanted to include the new airport in Islamabad, because it felt that the
CDA could provide better services and maintenance to the new facility as compared to the civic administration of
Rawalpindi.
It is ironical that if this is the only reason for inclusion of the new airport in Islamabad then why the existing airport at
Chaklala, which is very close to Islamabad, has not been included in the capital territory.
The area of the new airport falls in the periphery of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz’s constituency, where a number of
development projects are being executed including a new cricket stadium, university as well as a fruit and vegetable
market.
It has been learnt that the land mafia also wanted to merge Fatehjang area with Islamabad, so that the price of land falling
between the proposed site of the new airport and Islamabad can become costlier.
However, the managements of the private housing schemes feared that the price of land they have to acquire for their
projects would increase manifold if the area was included in the capital limits, the source said.
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“For that purpose, the managements of these schemes have been influencing the CDA to keep the issue of merger in its
low priority till they purchased the required land at the existing rates.”
Currently, the owners of the schemes are stated to be in the process of purchasing land from the landholders. According to
their layout plans, each scheme required at least 1,000 kanals and some of it they have already purchased.
Under the master plan of Islamabad, which is being revised, some areas of Punjab and the NWFP would be included in
Islamabad and for that purpose the two provincial governments have already agreed to give away some of their areas to
the Centre.
(Dawn-2, 29/01/2007)
Why old Karachi is drowning
Last week I visited a friend’s house in the Serai quarters near Pakistan Chowk, close to the very densely used business
district. The lane outside her house was squishy with puddles of water although it had not rained.
She informed me that this lane had flooded for the first time in a decade or so that she had lived here during the rains in
August. Her family had been unable to leave the flat for two days due to the knee-deep water and sewage.
On the second day of that fateful spell of rains my mother and I were stuck on the detour road to the underpass in Clifton
for hours.
The underpass inaugurated with such fanfare had come to such a sorry pass because the encroachments on the branch
drains and the reclaiming of land for creation of high cost plots had reduced the width of the Nehr-e-Khayyam. During the
same rains the business district had also gone under and its effects were still being felt in mid-January.
While a great deal of hue and cry ensued because Clifton was flooded no one paid much attention to the older areas of
Karachi.
The website www.oppinstitutions.org under the subtitle of rains and drains has a map posted titled ‘Flooding of Clifton and
the Old City’ shows through three starred points what the main natural outfalls of the city are. That of the old city is through
the Soldier Bazaar drain and the City Railway Station drain, which has now been compromised by the construction of the
Mai Kolachi Bypass, and the subsequent reclaiming of land around it.
A road that was another ‘gift to the people of Karachi’ had caused the old city to drown in sewage and rain water.
The land reclaimed along the road for housing and commercial complexes had exacerbated the situation. Apparently here
too as in the case of the Clifton underpass, the Karachi Port Trust is directly involved.
Why is this agency involved in land reclaiming, road building et al is beyond comprehension. It’s not as though the port is
running itself in an exemplary fashion. Remember how KPT dealt with the oil spill?
With the Mai Kolachi Bypass the incoming drain flows through a culvert which is already choked and the width has been
reduced to 35 feet. The many encroachments on the side and top of the drains have reduced the volume of the drains.
A Habib Bank Branch, a store called Jewel Palace, a National Bank of Pakistan Branch, the car park for the Shaheen
Complex, KMC Market, Aurengzaib Market etc are among the notable establishments on the drains.
It does not need rocket science to discern that if the point of outfall into the sea is impeded the water will back up. Why the
city fathers do not see the need to keep the integrity of these drains intact is beyond me. Any urban planner or civil
engineer should know the importance of these in keeping the city clean and healthy.
What is the solution to this sorry state of affairs? While it is clear that the encroachments need to be removed, most
importantly the Mai Kolachi Bypass has to be converted into a bridge on pillars so that the water can flow freely into the
sea.
All agencies and individuals who are to use the reclaimed land should not do so and indeed even condemn its creation as
this lust for land has led to the entire old city being submerged. The construction of Mai Kolachi Bypass also resulted in the
depletion and eventual destruction of the mangroves which acted as a natural barrier to flooding.
The cost of converting five hundred feet of the Mai Kolachi road into a bridge will not be more than Rs120 million according
to the estimate of some architects. Not doing so means the loss of billions of rupees in property damage, ill health and lost
business to citizens living in the old city.
In comparison the fountain which throws up sewage into the air for the viewing pleasure of all those who visit the beach
cost Rs200 million. Talk about misplaced priorities. This brings one to the point the drains that are being dug up all along
Gulf Shopping. Centre and the underpass are to discharge into Nehr-e-Khayyam.
Unless the entire original length and breadth of the nullah is rehabilitated there will be no relief for Clifton’s inhabitants
come the next rains. The question that arises why is it that all the ‘projects’ that are undertaken to make the city of Karachi
‘a paradise’ reduce it to hell holes of the worst kind? Second, why are those who commit these acts of extreme selfishness
allowed to go scot-free?—Aquila Ismail
(Dawn-13, 29/01/2007)
Geometrical error in FTC Flyover design
KARACHI: The multi-million-rupee project of the FTC Flyover has failed to provide a smooth flow of traffic since it contains
a geometrical error. The City District Government Karachi (CDGK) admits the fault in the design of the multi-million project
of the FTC Flyover and says they cannot immediately address the problem since part of the bridge might need to be
remodelled and they have to finish other big projects before they can resolve this problem.
When contacted, Muhammad Ather Hussain, Executive District Officer (EDO), Transport and Communication Department
of the CDGK said, “There is a little geometrical error in the construction. There should have been some decline on the loop
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which is intercepting the traffic from Regent Plaza on Sharea Faisal. Technically, the loop should not have been connected
at this angle; instead it should have been designed in such a way that the traffic from the FTC Bridge and on Sharea Faisal
runs parallel when the two roads merge.
When asked if the CDGK would consider the design of the bridge, he said, “We are busy in so many major projects these
days, we would come to fine-tuning issues once we are done with the other projects, because the loop has to be
remodelled.”
The FTC Flyover, located on Shahrea Faisal and built at a cost of Rs110 million, has failed to serve its basic purpose of
providing a smooth and congestion-free passage to commuters, since traffic congestions that turn into traffic jams are a
regular sight at the bridge — especially during peak hours.
The commuters from Korangi Road who use the FTC Flyover to connect to Sharea Faisal face severe traffic congestion
everyday, mainly due to the geometric error in the design of the bridge; they have to intercept the already heavy traffic on
Sharea Faisal when coming down from the bridge. In addition to this, the traffic from Saddar towards the Airport on Sharea
Faisal, and that from Regent Plaza to Korangi Road, also intercepts at a 90 degree angle, thus causing congestion in traffic
flow.
While turning left from Sharea Faisal onto the Korangi Road, one also faces hardship, since this two-lane road is very
congested and is prone to drainage problems during the rainy season. The parking lot of a nearby office is also the cause
of much agitation to the traffic flow.
(By Farooq Baloch, The News-2, 29/01/2007)
Action against land mafia
KARACHI, Jan 28: A massive drive against land-grabbers on both the sides of Super Highway will be launched by the
provincial revenue department after Ashura, it is learnt.
According to sources, a team of revenue department, headed by the Executive District Officer, Thatta, Pervaiz Junejo,
recently went to inspect illegal encroachments springing up on government’s land on both sides of Super Highway.
They said inspection of the occupied land from Lonikot to Nooriabad in Kohistan area, which fell within the jurisdiction of
district Thatta, was carried out on the directives of Sindh Revenue Minister Irfan Gul Magsi.
Sources said that a procedure had been devised to get the land evacuated from habitual land- grabbers and further action
for demolition of illegal encroachments would be taken shortly after serving notices to the illegal occupants of government
land under the provisions of Removal of Encroachment Act-V of 1975.
(Dawn-14, 29/01/2007)
Dilapidated Pharwala Fort needs attention
GUJAR KHAN, Jan 29: The ramshackle Pharwala Fort, once the capital of the Ghakkar state, stands tall despite the
criminal neglect of the country’s archaeological authorities.
Located in close proximity to Kahuta Tehsil, the fort was constructed by the Ghakkars at a strategically inaccessible hilly
location surrounded by sharp rocks steeply descending into Sohan River.
The fort is forlorn, secluded and isolated, and conquering Pharwala had always been a tough challenge for the enemies of
Ghakkar chieftains. The fort continues to be an abode of the descendents of Ghakkars and they are so isolated and
neglected in this age of development as if they were still living in the past.
There is no electricity, no telephone facility, no water supply and not even a road link. The children have to pass through
difficult passages across the Soan River to reach their remotely located schools. Most of them stop going to the school due
to the hardships of journey, while girls cannot imagine going to the school.
The natives feel that nobody did anything for them. “We feel we are being treated as a forgotten tribe by the people around.
We face great hardships, especially during the rainy season, and if anybody falls ill it becomes impossible for us to shift the
patients across the Soan River, as the rocky ascends and descends are very steep. We remember that many a women
died while facing complications at the time of child birth,” a number of residents of the fort told this reporter.
They regretted that during the days of elections the candidates take the ‘trouble’ of visiting them and once the elections are
over none of the winning or defeated candidates ever bother to visit the fort. “Then it is we who run after the winning
candidates to remind them of the promises but of no avail,” the residents said.
The fort symbolizes the past glory of the Ghakkar rulers who during their eras ruled or attacked vast areas of northern
Punjab and adjoining areas of eastern Punjab (Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Jammu and Kashmir. When Tamerlane (Timur)
invaded India, Gul Muhammad, a Ghakkar warrior, who died in 1403A.D, was ruling part of India.
According to the historical references Emperor Zaheerudin Babar also attacked this fort and conquered it. However, later
the Ghakkars reached reconciliation with the Mughals and the latter confirmed to them their territories.
In 1541 Sher Shah Suri built the famous fort of Rohtas where he garrisoned a huge army. Sultan Sarang Khan (a notable
chieftain of Ghakkar clan buried in Rawat Fort), remembering the generous way in which he had been treated by the
Emperor Babar, espoused the quarrel of Humayun and kept the Rohtas Fort under perpetual attacks.
Sher Shah Suri died in 1545 AD and was succeeded by his son Salim Shah who was determined to punish the Ghakkars
and attacked the fort but the Ghakkars fought with bravery. The fort was often won and lost during these years of incessant
wars, however, Sultan Salim found it impossible to subdue the Ghakkars.
24
During the later times Sardar Gujar Singh Bhangi marched from Lahore with a large force and encountered the Ghakkars
outside Gujrat. The Ghakkars were forced back and they lost their territory of Jech Doab. But later on Sardar Gujar Singh
Bhangi seized everything except for Pharwala.
Till 1818 the Ghakkars held the estate of Pharwala when Anand Sing Thepuria of Rawalpindi seized their whole estate and
reduced them to absolute poverty - though the family was restored some propriety rights in Pharwala in 1828.
The Hathi (Elephant) Gate of the fort towards north eastern corner persists with its grandeur, while the Begum Gate
opening towards the south western end, though greatly damaged, stands tall at a sheer rock rising from the Soan River.
The north western gate is greatly damaged and its stones are falling rapidly. A smaller gate towards the south eastern end
persists with its boundary walls and is used by the inmates as the main entrance. The remotely located boundary wall of
the northern side stands tall at the hillock with one or two rooms for the servants.
(By Hamid Asghar, Dawn-2, 30/01/2007)
The good Samaritan of Khuda ki Basti
KARACHI: Some 25 kilometres from the city centre, the streets of Khuda Ki Basti have the appearance of the type of slums
found all over the metropolis.
More than 20,000 inhabitants live here, with half of them migrants from other cities and towns, and all stuck in the daily
grind of fighting off poverty to keep body and soul together. Like others, every single face in this Basti appears hopeless
and every family seems trapped in a cycle of privation.
But a few of them have chosen to make it a little different. Perveen Khalid is one such person, who for the last five years
has been striving to kill at least the hunger of her people. She runs a restaurant that offers meals at prices as low as Rs2.
Perveen’s Khana Ghar (meal house) is in the centre of Khuda Ki Basti and serves meals three times a day to around 90
poverty-stricken people of the neighbourhood on a daily basis. And with each passing day her commitment to help grows
stronger.
“I started this project on my own in 2002,” she says sitting at her almost 100-yard Khana Ghar, which has bamboos on a
sandy floor with woven mats around the eatery to maintain privacy.
“I realised hunger is not a source of pain and humiliation only for individuals, as it affects the social system too. It forces
suicide attempts, it causes family break-ups and, of course, it makes one think that he or she is worthless.”
Fired up with an urge to help but unequipped with resources, Perveen convinced her husband and two daughters and
started cutting back on “luxuries” in 2001 to raise finance for the dreamed Khana Ghar in the nearest poor locality from their
residence ñ Khuda Ki Basti.
The four-member family agreed but it meant no picnics, no outings, no shopping and no entertainment for them. Their
target was simple — save money for Khana Ghar, which finally started serving in 2002.
“Initially it cost us Rs300 a day to serve more than 40 people. I wanted to offer a free meal to each and every needy person
of the locality but I thought it could send a wrong message. It is not a charity service. It is a place for those who can afford
Rs2 to have a onetime meal, and that we decided to charge for,” Perveen says.
Her five years’ continuous and calm journey has now made this Khana Ghar a popular brand in the neighbourhood, where
men, women and children are seen enjoying meals. The queue in front of the restaurant is using the take-away facility.
Perveen gives full marks to her family, who made financial sacrifices and gave her a cushion to take an initiative. She also
counted her luck to find aides like Habib Bhai, who has been running Khana Ghar’s kitchen since its inception.
“I can’t even imagine to leave Baji (Perveen) and this Khana Ghar,” he says. You can get a better job with more money but
this can’t win respect and satisfaction.” A strong believer in values, Habib Bhai says the daily menu of Khana Ghar also
reflects respect for the people, who are enjoying meals here.
“Rs2 isn’t a face saver. We try to meet all formalities while serving food. We have meat curry on the menu every week with
vegetables and a variety of lentils. The style of our operation is purely commercial but not the spirit.”
The venture with a cost of Rs300 a day, Khana Ghar now needs Rs2,500 to meet the growing demand from the area’s
people. The restaurant serves those who have nowhere else to turn to.
“It (Khana Ghar) seems to me as the last hope to complete the last days of life,” Ali says, who has been abandoned by
three young sons amid declining health and advancing years. To keep Ali’s hope alive and strengthen his trust in humanity,
Perveen finds connections within her well-off family and receives donations from his brothers, sisters, nephews and nieces
to meet the more than Rs60,000 monthly expense of Khana Ghar.
But she wants to do more to join in the fight against poverty. “I am not tired but after five years I feel more energetic than
previous days. However, I want more people to come forward. We don’t need money neither we want any government
recognition. We just want privileged people with a realisation to come forward and make a single Khana Ghar in each such
locality to make a difference.”
Though she finds herself alone so far to run Khana Ghar, she is not ready to give up. For the last few months she now has
another facility for Khuda Ki Basti. Peveen’s Dawa Ghar is now there to offer treatment to the sick. “We have set Rs10 as
fee to get people facilitated from Dawa Ghar,” she says. “But it doesn’t mean one who can’t afford even Rs10 returns
untreated.”
(By Imran Ayub, The News-4, 30/01/2007)
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FEBRUARY
Fake entries of govt land worth Rs 80bn canelled: CM
KARACHI, Jan 31: The government has cancelled 'fake entries' of land worth Rs 80 billion in Karachi. This was stated by
the Sindh Chief Minister, Dr. Arbab Ghulam Rahim, during a surprise visit to the office of the Board of revenue here on
Wednesday. He said the government has cancelled the 'fake entries' of land worth Rs. 80 billion in Karachi. The chief
minister pointed out that land in Karachi is being given on lease for industrial purpose only.
Dr Arbab said that the Government of Sindh would clear the 'land mafia 'from Karachi. He said the purpose of his surprise
visit to the office of the Board of revenue was to ascertain the problems of the people. He directed the officers to resolve
these in a transparent manner.
The Chief Minister called for shifting the office of the Board of Revenue to a better place and renovate it because this
building is a historic one and a valuable asset.
(Dawn-17, 01/02/2007)
SHC finds KBCA deputy chief inefficient
KARACHI, Feb 1: Regularisation of unauthorised structures should be an exception as it encourages violation of building
rules, a Sindh High Court division bench observed on Thursday.
The bench, comprising Justice Mushir Alam and Justice Mohammad Afzal Soomro, was hearing a petition against unlawful
amalgamation of two plots (MR-3/13 and MR-3/14) near Café Momin Street, Saddar Town.
The bench remarked that the construction of the unauthorised building in gross violation of the building rules showed
inefficiency of the deputy controller concerned of the Karachi Building Control Authority. “Negligence has become the order
of the day and the deputy controller of buildings concerned only waits for regularisation after commission of illegalities”, the
bench said.
It ordered that a copy of its order be sent to the chief controller of buildings for appropriate action. The CCOB was also
directed to place on record the qualification for the post of deputy controller and other important jobs in the KBCA. DCB
Shahzad Mansoor and KBCA counsel Dilawar Hussain were asked to bring on record, within two weeks, the action taken
against the builder while the unauthorised structure was being raised.
Advocate Abdul Jabbar Korai appeared for the petitioner.
PLEA ADMITTED: A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sabihuddin Ahmed and Justice Faisal Arab admitted to
regular hearing a petition moved by a former member of the PIA Cooperative Housing Society managing committee.
Petitioner Arifur Rehman submitted through Advocate Shaukat Ali Shaikh that he was a member of the superseded
committee. He was eligible to contest for the post again in the election being conducted by the administrator appointed by
the federal government but with the permission of the Sindh Cooperative Housing Authority. He applied for permission and
was allowed to contest the polls scheduled for February 18.
However, the permission was subsequently withdrawn without assigning any reason or giving him an opportunity of
hearing. The bench directed that notices be issued to the housing authority and other respondents for February 15.
NOTICES ISSUED: The same bench issued notices to the National Refinery Limited and the Perac Research and
Development Foundation in an application moved by chartered accountant M. Aftab Ahmad.
Pleading his case in person, the applicant said he had filed a petition for release of his salary and allowances since
November 2005. He said he had put in more than 27 years of service in the public sector refinery when he was transferred
to the foundation. He was retransferred to the NRL after its privatisation. The court earlier asked the NRL to deposit
Rs200,000 with its nazir.
The petitioner on Thursday requested the court to direct both the refinery and the foundation to deposit the entire amount of
his outstanding dues. He also prayed that he should either be ordered to be retired prematurely with full benefits or
adjusted as a regular employee.
The bench issued notices to the two respondents for February 13.
(Dawn-17, 02/02/2007)
Goths and CDGK get sour over right to go six feet under
KARACHI: The centuries-old Mawach Goth graveyard is currently at the centre of an elaborate custody battle between the
City District Government Karachi (CDGK) and 150,000 members of Sindhi, Baloch and other communities who reside in
the numerous goths bordering the land.
The CDGK’s officials claim that it owns the land and that the residents built six fake graves outside a boundary in a bid to
thwart the government. The local residents, however, claim that they have the documents to prove that they own the land
and have the right to bury their dead there.
“The land belongs to the city government,” asserted Baldia Town Nazim Kamran Akhtar. “These people are bringing in fake
maps and records from 1912 to prove that this is their ancestral graveyard. There was no Pakistan in 1912 - where did
these maps come from?” According to him, a madrassah (Darul Tauseef) borders the land, as well as a hospital (Murshid
Hospital). The madrassah is owned by Maulana Abdul Baqi and both the madrassah as well as the hospital, are eyeing the
land.
“The former city naib nazim, Tariq Hassan, claims that his family members are buried here. All of these claims are false,”
the Baldia town nazim said. “What the city government wanted to do was to leave the land (with the graves) on it alone, and
to build a boundary wall around it, so that the remaining land can be auctioned off to raise revenue for the CDGK. This is
26
26.54 acres of very expensive land, worth billions of rupees. These people want to politicise the issue so that they can take
over the area and sell off the land for their own gains.”
“We cordoned off the graves, and tried to build a wall around the remaining land. However, soon after we dug up a trench
for the wall, these people made six more graves - OUTSIDE the wall - so that they can take over as much of the land as
possible,” the town nazim said.
A visit to the area, however, proved that Tariq Hassan’s father was indeed buried in the area, as are numerous others.
Gravestones dated back to the 1950s and beyond. A crude trench had also been dug up around the outskirts of the old
graves, while new six graves were present right outside the trench. “We buried them there on purpose,” UC 3 Panchayat
Committee Chairman Ameer Ali Khashkheli told Daily Times. “It is our land. We want to stop the government from taking
over our ancestral graveyard.”
The Baldia town nazim claimed that the “land mafia” wanted the land and he had documented proof. He declined, however,
to show the documents to Daily Times. Upon being questioned about the land mafia he listed the following names: “There’s
Master Haji Yaqoob, Edhi Amin, Khaliq Boxer, Maulana Baqi, Ramzan Magsi, Mohammad Nawab Khan, Ayub, Haji Awan,
Usman Shah, and many more. They are backed by the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) MPA Hafiz Naeem.”
In response to these allegations, Muhammad Yaqoob Khashkheli (who the Baldia town nazim had referred to as Master
Haji Yaqoob) retorted that the MMA MPA Hafiz Naeem was related to PS-91 and had nothing to do with the area in
question which was PS-90. “Our MPA is Maulana Umer Sadiq (of the MMA). He is not one of the stakeholders here.
However, if we have a problem, of course we will take it up with our MPA, and we did. He’s not backing us, he’s supporting
‘our’ cause because we asked him for help.”
MMA MPA Hafiz Naeem refuted the allegations levelled by the Baldia town nazim. “I’m not involved in this issue,” he said.
“This area falls under PS-90 - the MPA there is Maulana Umar Sadiq. My constituency is PS-91. I don’t have any land at all
in PS-90, nor am I interested in any land there. If someone manages finds some property in there under my name, I’ll gift it
to them.”
MMA MPA Maulana Umar Sadiq (PS-90) said that he would “stand by [his] people, and [they] would fight for this land till
the end”. “We will sue the city government if necessary. The general graveyard has a very limited amount of space left. If
everyone decides to use it, it will be full in a month. The people of this area need the Mawach Goth graveyard.”
Furthermore, Yaqoob said that they had a meeting with the DDO Land Management-2, Haji Ikramuddin, and Baldia TPO
Noman Siddiqui Saturday. “They’re not showing us any documented proof of ownership. All that the CDGK is doing is that
they’re saying that our documents are false, and we should get out of here. They started scouting around for ‘empty land’ in
this area a while ago. Ikram saw this plot, and they decided to take over. This issue started a month-and-a-half ago.”
The battle for this land, however, is older than this. Around eight years ago, the Darul Tauseef management claimed
ownership of the land, and tried to stop the locals from burying their dead there. “They said that the land is used by
madrassah students - goal posts were erected there,” Yaqoob said. “We showed them our papers, and copies of the Board
of Revenue records, which showed that the land was allotted to the people of the area for a graveyard in 1910. We asked
them not to stop our people from burying their loved ones here, and that the madrassah students could use the empty
portion as a playground. The issue was settled.”
There is a general graveyard about 40 metres away from the disputed land. Portions of it have been allotted to various
communities in Karachi. “But the problem with old people is that they want to be buried near their ancestors. And their
ancestors are buried on this land, not in the ‘general graveyard.’ It’s the way they think - no one can do anything about it,”
said UC 3 Panchayat Committee Chairman Ameer Ali Khashkheli.
The disputed land also has the mazaars (mausoleums) of Tufail Ahmed Farooqui, and Sain Yousuf Ali Shah Bukhari, a
saint much revered by the locals. Apart from this, it has an interesting history of its own. Residents maintain that two men
from Muhammad Bin Qasim’s army are buried here. ‘The army entered Sindh through what is now the Hub River Road.
Two of the men died, and were buried here,’ residents said, pointing to an unmarked clay grave in a corner.
Also, Ashraf Adil Siddiqui, who is said to be the adopted son of former president Ayub Khan, is buried there. Within the land
owned by the madrassah is a plaque set up 500 years ago by Laljee Vai. The plaque proclaims Hindu-Muslim unity, and is
set up in what used to be a Hindu cremation ground.
The disputed land is used by residents of all surrounding goths, including Hasan goth, Sajan goth, Daqood Vichani goth,
Yousuf goth, and Somar goth, as a graveyard. “Also, people from Lyari bury their loved ones here,” Yaqoob Khashkheli
said. There are several reasons for this. The first is that the two graveyards in Lyari - Mewa Shah, and Mordlo - have
become very congested. The second reason is the constant gang war in Lyari. “Each gang takes up a graveyard as a
hideout, and then they don’t let people bury their dead there. So all of those people use this graveyard,” he added. “My
family moved here to Yousuf Goth from Lyari in 1980. We’ve used this graveyard too. The way the government is trying to
cordon off this land implies that they believe no one in this area will ever die now, and therefore, the people here don’t need
a graveyard.”
UC 3 general councillor Habibullah Khashkheli said that the Sindh board of revenue allotted 7,200 acres of land to the KMC
in 1980 and this graveyard was part of that land. “We want it back, because the CDGK is now using this as an excuse for
taking our ancestral land away from us,” he maintained.
DDO Land Management-2, Haji Ikramullah asserted, however, that the land belonged to the city government, “plain and
simple, as do all of these other encroachments that these people have set up” around the graveyard. When asked if the
CDGK planned to raze those settlements too, Ikramullah replied, “Well, we should.”
The Baldia town nazim said that they did not want to do anything to the existing graves. “God forbid we should cause
discomfort to the dead. They can have the land where graves already exist. We just want to save the remaining 26.54
acres of land from further encroachment,” he said. “These people made six fake graves right outside the trench that we
27
have set up for the boundary walls, just so they can take that land too. We will get court orders and try to exhume these
graves to prove that they’re fake.”
In reply, Yaqoob Khashkheli said, “We’re ready to have them exhumed. The city government can bring in whatever experts
they want to. If these graves are fake, they can bury us in there. And if they’re not fake, they should bury the town nazim in
them. We have no commercial use for this land. We just want our ancestral graveyard back.” To prove his point, he said
that if the government wanted, it could impose the regular Re. 1 per yard tax on the land as it has done for other
graveyards.
(By Urooj Zia, Daily Times-B1, 04/02/2007)
Residents slam move to ban sale of land in Katchi Abadis
KARACHI: The residents of Katchi Abadis have condemned the Sindh government’s move to ban the sale of leased
properties in Katchi Abadis. Many who are engaged with the construction in low-income settlements say that if this ban
comes into force, they would be affected.
The poor labour, investors and those who are connected with the estate agencies and construction industry seem afraid of
this proposal and call it ‘unreasonable.’ “Less circulation of land means less chances of renovation and ultimately decrease
in construction work,” said Riaz who is a mason in Orangi.
According to the move, no Katchi Abadi resident will be allowed to further sell out his property at least for five years after
the first allotment.
Sirajuddin, who is associated with the Orangi Pilot Project (OPP), said that he didn’t agree with this decision at all as “this
will affect the poor who need to get shelter through this procedure.” He said that the government should take direct action
against only those who are involved in speculative trading and other deceptive activities. A person whose average earning
is not more than a few thousands needs to provide shelter to his family and live in respectfully.
Unfortunately this speculative trading has increased to such a degree that more than one individual claims being owner of a
single piece of land.
The Sindh Katchi Abadis Authority (SKAA) - which has sent this proposal to the government - will hold a meeting very
shortly in this regard as the Director-General of SKAA, Ali Ahmed Lund, informed The News.
Responding to the Katchi Abadis’ residents’ reaction, Lund argues that if they really need a shelter, why do they further sell
their plots to someone else? He said that it’s not possible for the authority to take action against the speculation that’s going
on in these Abadis, as the speculative traders are not just eight or ten in number, but a massive number of people are
involved in this.
As a matter of fact, he understands that many of the innocent people may suffer due to this restriction on sale but he also
believes that the government wouldn’t be able to monitor the huge volume of speculative trading in Katchi Abadis plots.
Tasneem Ahmad Siddiqi, the former Director-General of the SKAA, said that it’s not humanly possible to restrict the owners
from deciding about their owned property. “Once the piece of land is given to the client on lease, it is the owner’s own
outlook how he wants to use it further,” says Siddiqi.
Commenting on the issue, a Katchi Abadi source said that these low-income residents - who migrate here from different
areas of the country - initially settle over a 300-400 yards vacant plot and grab the surrounding areas gradually. Also, one
piece of land is sold to many people. This leads to perpetual bickering amongst various claimants to that land.
(By Aisha Masood, The News-5, 04/02/2007)
Cantonments not ready to concede much
KARACHI: The cantonment boards in Karachi have finally agreed to join the under-preparation city Master Plan-2020 with
the pre-condition that the planning of the cantonment lands would be made by the city government but the land transaction
and finance would be controlled by the cantonment boards.
According to sources, the cantonment boards were not included in the initial stage of the Master Plan-2020 project,
however, the city government authorities had no option but to include cantonments in the city’s master plan.
Sources claim that the stakeholders gave no response despite repeated reminders were sent to them in order to obtain
relevant details in this regard.
EDO Master Plan Iftikhar Qaimkhani could not be reached for a comment. Owing to the non-submission of required
information by these stakeholders, the presentation of the Master Plan-2020 draft is likely to be delayed.
Sources, however, described the inclusion of cantonment boards in the Master Plan on their pre-condition as a big
development. It will be up to the cantonment boards to accept or refuse this plan, as the city government could not interfere
in the affairs of cantonment boards.
An uncooperative attitude was meted out by the 12 stakeholders (cantonments) due to which the 130-page Master Plan2020 draft, which was to be made public by the end of Jan 2007, could not be presented.
Informed sources said that the stakeholders have been taken into confidence through different portions of the master plan
so they would be feeling part of the project.
When asked if this plan has been rejected by the city planners and experts, sources said that the Nazim was yet to see the
draft and only then any decision to this effect would be taken.
Under the SLGO, the master plan has to be approved by the City Council and Mustafa Kamal has already told the media
that this plan would soon be presented in the council. In his letter to the cantonments the Nazim had sought details
28
regarding water supply demand and future projects, however, the information sent by the cantonment boards was not found
sufficient.
However, it is for the first time that the cantonment boards have started giving details of their civilian population, land use
and other information about their commercial and residential sectors. It is also for the first time that the federal agencies
have come to the table, giving an indication that they would own the Karachi Master Plan-2020 which will hopefully be
made public by the end of this year.
According to informed sources, most of the cantonment boards have provided their details and KPT is likely to submit
information in due course of time.
City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal told this scribe that the documentation of Master Plan-2020 would be a landmark of the
city government. Once the plan was given the final shape it would make a big difference, leading the development of the
city in an organized manner, he added.
Some officials of the city govt were of the view that a controversy would erupt over the land use between the city govt and
the cantonment boards.
(By Fasahat Mohiuddin, The News-2, 05/02/2007)
Resorts on 30-year-lease land to be razed
KARACHI: Sindh Revenue Minister Dr Irfan Gul Magsi said that water parks, resorts and clubs established on a 30-yearlease land would be razed.
He said this while speaking at the reception organized in his honor on Sunday by eminent social figure Dr Arif Raza.
He termed 2007 the year of recovery of government land from the land grabbers across Sindh, including Karachi besides
progress of the province.
Turning the revenue department into a financially strong one, recovery of government land, and eliminating corruption and
bribery culture are our top priorities, he mentioned.
Irfan stated that land worth billions of rupees was recovered by the revenue department in Karachi from the land grabbers,
while concrete boundary walls constructed around it were razed.
A number of fake housing societies established on government land in Deh Mangho Pir, Deh Allah Fai, Deh Teesar were
also demolished, he added.
He asked the people not to buy lands without prior knowing its status from the revenue or other concerned departments.
(The News-2, 05/02/2007)
PS land disposal issue to be taken up with PM
KARACHI: The Sindh government will take up the matter of disposing of Pakistan Steel land with Prime Minister Shaukat
Aziz who is arriving in city on Monday for a day long visit.
Disclosing this, sources said that Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim has directed the authorities to prepare a detailed
report about the Pakistan Steel land provided to the organization for its operational purposes, as the federal government
has decided to sell this land for other commercial and industrial purposes.
The decision to sell the land was taken at the meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) last week, which
decided that the land would be disposed of at the rate of Rs. 7 million per acre.
The Sindh government took serious notice of this decision and conveyed its reservations regarding the ECC decision. The
sources said that the ECC decision came as a surprise to the Sindh government and the high-ups of the provincial
administration were working to prepare a detailed report about this issue and it would be submitted to the chief minister.
The Sindh government has also reservations over the formula about the selling of the land. ECC had decided that the
actual price of the land would be Rs 1.5 million per acre and the remaining Rs 5.5 million out of Rs 7 million would be
development charges, the sources added.
According to the sources, this formula is not acceptable to the Sindh government while the Pakistan Steel already offered
fifty-fifty share in this deal. The provincial administration authorities told this correspondent that Sindh was not against the
investment and industrialization in the province, provided it did not hurt the rights of Sindh.
(The News-3, 05/02/2007)
New policy on military lands
At a recent meeting of the Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly, members protested over the military first
acquiring land for a specific defence purpose and later using it for building commercial plazas. They were shocked that
5,000 acres acquired in Khanewal district for building a new cantonment in 1994 was being used for cultivation. Another
35,000 acres acquired in Sargodha in 1984 in the name of defence is being used today for agriculture after carving out of it
3,000 plots. They were surprised that land purchased at throwaway prices from private owners in the sixties and seventies
for Gujranwala cantonment was now being sold at millions a kanal for commercial purposes while compensation had yet to
be paid to the farmers.
Initially the defence secretary tried to play down the issue of land use as a ‘matter or interpretation’ but soon realised that it
was wrong. A new land policy was on the anvil, he said assuring also that the new policy would address these concerns.
Two days before during question hour it had transpired that the military was acquiring 6,500 acres of land for an
international airport at Gwadar. Senators questioned the motivation for the military to acquire land for the airport that had to
be built by the Civil Aviation Authority. There was no explanation for the weird decision. The opposition walked out
protesting ‘the generals had become new land grabbers’.
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It is for the first time that the military’s insatiable appetite for land has come into adverse sharp focus in a Parliamentary
Committee. So far its real estate adventures have found adverse mention in research studies, journalistic writings, court
judgments and occasionally in diplomatic remarks also. A recent cover story of a monthly magazine ‘New Land Barons’
makes the head shake in disbelief. A Supreme Court verdict in December 2003 also gave chilling advice to a retired
brigadier to be content with a “few hundred acres of land allotted to him”.
It appears that the message is finally sinking into the minds of the military leaders. An indication of it came during the recent
visit of the president to the Defence Housing Authority, Lahore. When he claimed “the military was not in the real estate
business” the General may have failed to convince anyone but it indicated that perhaps there was now a change in the
military’s thinking on this issue.
For the new military lands policy to be sustainable and transparent it must be rooted in the Constitution and the law must be
fair and equitable. According to Article 172 of the Constitution any land in a province, which has no rightful owner, belongs
to the provincial government. The federal government can acquire land from a province for some specific purpose no
doubt, but when that purpose is served the land shall revert to the provincial government.
Further, Article 173 (5) stipulates that the transfer of land from a provincial government to the federal government ‘shall be
regulated by law’.
As a member of the Senate’s defence committee one often wondered under what law the military has been acquiring land
from provinces for defence purposes and then using it for commercial purposes. Once the defence ministry claimed that an
official ‘resolution’ issued by the finance department of the Government of India on February 10, 1925, validated the
possession of Okara farmlands by the army. Even that poorly drafted resolution does not give the authority to the
government to take over lands belonging to provinces. The Defense Ministry was not bothered that a vague executive order
issued in the mid 1920s by a colonial power was not the same thing as the constitution.
A cursory record of the Senate proceedings will show how land has been used for commercial purposes arbitrarily and
without regard to the law. In reply to a Senate question on July 9, 2004, it transpired that six military agricultural and dairy
farms spread over hundreds of acres in Attock, Sargodha, Rawalpindi and other places had been converted into golf
courses and army housing societies.
When land is used by the military for commercial purposes it also generates revenues. Where does this revenue go?
According to Articles 78 and 79 of the constitution all revenues must be credited to the Federal Consolidated Fund. On
December 26, 2003, the writer formally asked whether the income derived from the Lahore Fortress Stadium was being
credited to the Federal Consolidated Fund. The reply was self-explanatory. Instead of being credited to the federal treasury
the defence ministry claimed that the income was spent on the construction of accommodation and repair of vehicles.
The story is also comic. A leading Urdu national daily published on September 2, 2004, an advertisement by none other
than the Military Estate Officer, Kohat. The advert cautioned the general public that the local brigade headquarter had
‘illegally cut trees and built shops on state lands’ in Kohat, and warned people against buying or renting the illegally built
shops. Truth is stranger than fiction, isn’t it?
During Senate proceedings last year it transpired that an army officer can receive up to four plots in DHAs and other socalled welfare schemes. 15 years of service earns an officer one plot, 25 years a second plot, 28 years a third one and 33
years of service entitles him to a fourth plot. In addition, retired generals serving as federal secretaries on a contract basis
also get plots in civil schemes as evidenced from the list recently made public. Come on, keep your hand on your heart and
ask, is it genuine welfare activity?
The allotments in DHAs are also highly discriminatory against the other two defence services what to speak of ‘bloody’
civilians. A serving army officer with 15 years of service is eligible for his first plot but a serving air force or naval officer is
eligible for the lone plot only after 25 years of service. A military officer even if retired is also entitled to plots but retired PAF
and Naval officers are not.
Protesting against this, a former air commodore writing in the News Post section of this newspaper on June 10, 2006,
lamented: ”We have fought wars while many army officers who will be getting plots have never even seen a gun”. He
proposed that the DHAs should be renamed army housing authorities. Ten days later a retired air marshal said it all. “I will
go a step further” he wrote, “and suggest that Pakistan be named ‘Army Welfare Trust’”.
The issue of military lands policy is not a question of interpretation by the GHQ. It is an issue of the constitution, the law
and morality. It is an issue of whether the army leaders must stay in public consciousness as defenders of the mother land
or, the least said the better.
(By Farhatullah Babar, The News-7, 05/02/2007)
Joint survey of katchi abadis ordered
KARACHI, Feb 6: Sindh Minister for Local Government Mohammad Hussain has directed the Sindh Katchi Abadis
Authority (SKAA), City District Government Karachi (CDGK) and Board of Revenue (BoR) to conduct joint survey of katchi
abadis of the city to ascertain their status for lease.
He issued these directives at a meeting with Pakhtoon Action Committee at his office here on Tuesday. He said that katchi
abadis established before 1985 were notified and had no lease problem.
Mr Hussain said that the government was fully aware of the problems of these katchi abadis and was trying to resolve the
same. He said a proposal was under consideration to ban the sale of plots in katchi abadis after lease for five years to
discourage land mafia.
He informed that construction of high-rises in katchi abadis was also under consideration. A team of the SKAA would soon
visit Mumbai, Dhaka and Jakarta to learn from their experiences in transforming katchi abadis into model localities.
He issued directives for joint demarcation in the katchi abadis on railway's land, where NOC had been granted by railway
authorities.
On complaints about demolition of houses in various localities, the minister ordered survey of such houses so as to resolve
the issue.
(Dawn-19, 07/02/2007)
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Move to convert park into housing scheme
KARACHI: The High Court of Sindh (SHC) on Tuesday issued notices to the ministry of Housing and Works, Karachi
Cooperative Housing Societies Union, Overseas Cooperative Housing Society, Chief Secretary Sindh and the City District
Government Karachi for Feb 22, on a petition against proposed conversion of the Kidney Hill area into a housing scheme.
Petitioners Marium Haji, Syed Imamuddin Rafai and other residents of OCHS moved court against the agreement of
settlement between the official respondents KCHSU and OCHS for carving out over 66 per cent of the area of Kidney Hill
area/Ahmed Ali Park.
They contended that the main water hydrant plant was situated in the Kidney Hill area for supplying water to approximately
0.5 million households as it supplies water to the entire PECHS, Bahdurabad and other union areas. They expressed fear
that if the park area is converted into a housing scheme, supply of water to many areas will be affected adding that
conversion of a public park into housing society is a violation of applicable laws.
Petitioners counsel Rizwana Ismail and Khursheed Javed submitted agreement is void under section 23 of the Contract Act
and contrary to applicable laws that no amenity plot can be converted for any other purpose and the agreement of
settlement is barred.
The court was prayed to declare the agreement void and that Kidney Hill area (KDA Scheme Falaknama) is reserved as
public amenity area solely for recreation of the people and could not be converted from park to any other use.
The SHC’s division bench comprising Justice Mushir Alam and Justice Mohammad Afzal Soomro, after the preliminary
hearing of the petition, issued notices to the respondents and in the meantime restrained the respondents from creating any
third party interest.
(The News-2, 07/02/2007)
KBCA ‘explanations’
THIS has reference to the report ‘KBCA told to explain four-storey violation’ (Jan 16). The high court wanted to know why
the building control authority had stood by silently while a builder raised four extra floors and encroached on the
compulsory open spaces at a building in Clifton, Karachi. The news-item incorrectly stated that the petition had been filed
by Shehri.
The KBCA set-up has been successfully providing such ‘explanations’ for the last two or three decades. Their highly
creative officials have ‘explained’ away many criminal acts, including the 260+ ‘sealed buildings’ of 1996, about 30
‘potentially dangerous’ and “constructed in violation of earthquake resistance codes” structures on Sharea Faisal, over
600+ illegal projects surrounding the Quaid’s Mazar, including about 300+ above the podium level.
Also included in these violations are thousands of unauthorised structures all over the city with unlawful
commercialisations, extra floors, encroachments, greatly excess covered area, violation of road-widening cut-lines,
contravention of zoning and town planning schemes and other illicit actions.
Thousands of illegal buildings have been ‘regularised’ and given certificates of seismic stability by the KBCA over the past
four years. It would seem that while our builders may construct illegally, they do so safely. Unlike Turkey (1999) and
Gujarat (2001), where about 20,000 people died in collapses of over 100,000 buildings during each earthquake, and
northern Pakistan (2006) where about 70,000 people perished, we are given to understand that an upper-moderate
intensity earthquake in Karachi would not adversely affect our thousands of unauthorised (but now ‘regularised’) structures.
The city is secure.
All these ‘explanations’ have calmly been accepted by the citizens, by the government, by the ombudsman’s office and by
various courts. Had they not been, many KBCA officials would have been prosecuted and rusticated from service. The
situation in Karachi would have been very different today, with government officials taking very seriously their statutory duty
to monitor and control the construction of buildings.
Eight officials who were miraculously dismissed by the KDA governing body in 2001 were reinstated a year later by the
services tribunal. Fifteen other officials who were to be dismissed in 1997 managed, by filing a suit in the high court, to
sufficiently delay proceedings until a more favourable government was in place. All these officials are now serving in the
KBCA and most have been since promoted a number of grades.
With each passing day we have come to realise that the acceptance of the KBCA’s ‘explanations’ by all concerned is hardly
likely to change. We are generally lacking in courage.
The environment around us (water, sanitation, health, traffic, electricity, air, sea, mangroves, fish, etc) proceeds to
deteriorate while most of us who can read this letter either pretend that all is well or really can’t take the time away from
making money. Karachi is coming apart at the seams as our leaders promote ‘development at any cost’ in the face of
dwindling ecological resources. Anarchy mushrooms and the gap between the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ continues to widen.
Will this city still be around in a few decades is a question that comes up more and more every day? Unless we wake up
soon, stop accepting the various ‘explanations’ that are given to us, and begin to reverse some of the damage — the
answer may be ‘No’.
ROLAND DE SOUZA, Shehri: CBE, Karachi
(Dawn-6, 09/02/2007)
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Quaid-e-Azam’s House wears a deserted look
KARACHI: The city has been blessed with a rich heritage of buildings but as an unfortunate reality, most of these beautiful
and distinctive buildings now appear in a state of neglect.
It’s appreciable that our government is engaged in improving the city’s infrastructure - as a number of flyovers,
underpasses and parks are being inaugurated all around the city. However, the majestic structures of Karachi fail to attract
the authorities’ attention.
The Quaid-e-Azam House Museum is one of the 600 buildings in town that in 1997 became legally protected under the
1994 law after constant efforts by the ‘Heritage Foundation’.
Due to its prime location, several organisations were interested in acquiring the property - not for conservation but for
demolishing and building something new. The bungalow lay neglected until 1985 and then the Government of Pakistan
acquired it, restored and declared a national monument as Quaid-e-Azam House Museum.
There are about 537 objects in the museum in which the major sources of attraction are the furniture, rugs and carpets,
shoes, and the Quaid’s writing table. The main objective of the Museum that was started in 1993 is to display the personal
effects of the Father of Nation and to educate people on their leader’s life.
But the structure wasn’t lucky enough to get the attention of visitors that it had deserved. The place sadly gives an empty
and deserted look and a passer-by couldn’t even be conscious of the fact that he was crossing beside the house of the
‘Father of the Nation.
History reveals that it was during the last decade of the 19th century that a designer by the name of Moses Somake built
this bungalow on Fatima Jinnah Road that was known as Bonus Road at that time. The architect designed the main double
storeyed bungalow that was initially designated Flagstaff House, whereas the annexe was added later.
The Quaid-e-Azam had visited the charming bungalow in 1943 with the purpose of acquiring it and finally purchased it in
March 1944. However the Quaid didn’t stay in his new house and it was after the establishment of Pakistan, when it was
furnished with his belongings and furniture that had been brought from his Delhi and Bombay residences. After the Quaid’s
death in September 1948, Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah lived in the house up until 1964. The house then served as the
headquarters of the Combined Opposition Parties during the General Elections of 1965.
The bungalow’s face has a symmetrical arrangement, with two wings adjoining the central porch that carries the projecting
part of the verandah. Simple arcading and sloping roofs using red clay tiles are the architectural ingredients of this
attractive bungalow. However, a distinctive element at the time of its construction was the introduction of the semicircular
balconies, which also appeared in other buildings later.
The Director of the Southern Circle of Archeology, Qasim Ali Qasim disclosed that about 2.5 million from the Annual
Development Fund (ADF) had been spent on the renovation of the house last year.
According to him, the building is every bit in a fine condition after the renovation. Were this to be true, one could well
imagine the state of those hundreds of heritage buildings towards the upkeep of which not a single rupee is spent.
(By Aisha Masood, The News-5, 11/02/2007)
Lahore fort in a shambles
LAHORE: Pakistan's premier world heritage site built by Mughals in 1560s, Lahore Fort, is in a shambles as the Punjab
Archaeology Department is yet to start a major conservation plan.
As per different sources, the fort is 1,400 feet long and 1,115 feet wide and in 1981, it was inscribed as a Unesco World
Heritage Site along with the Shalamar Gardens. Different kinds of pollution especially industrial and vehicle emissions are
the major threats being faced by the fort.
Hundreds of people local and foreigners daily visit this grandeur of Mughal era and witness different stages of neglect on
the part of the authorities. Fort's main attractions are Sheesh Mahal, (Palace of Mirrors), Diwan-i-Aam (Court for the
Commons), lawns, old wells, Hathi Paer (Steps for Elephants), Mughal and Sikh museums, Khalwat Khana, Diwan-i-Khas
(Hall of Special Audience), Naulakha Pavilion, Daulat Khana-i-Jehangir, Khawabgah (a dream place or sleeping area),
Shahi Hamam (bath), Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque) and Alamgiri Gate.
Constructed in a typical Mughal architectural style, the outer walls, which were once decorated with blue kashi tiles of
Persian origin have become 'dens' of drug addicts and vendors as many have displayed their products on them.
Jahangir's Quadrangle inside fort, Dewan-i-Aam, Daulat Khana, Khark Sing Hawali, Akbari Mahal, Dewan-i-Khas,
Khawabgah Shahjahan, Kala Burj, Lal Burj, basement of Fort, Haveli Mai Jindan, Ladies mosque inside Fort, Alamgiri gate,
Loh Mander, Moti Masjid Makatib Khana, Musamman Darwaza, North East Burj and Suit Jahangir's Quadrangle, Royal
bath, Paien Bagh Area, Shish Mahal Surrounding, Arz Gha, Wooden Bridge, Western Suit, Floor of Akbari Gate, Second
Storey of Sheesh Mahal, PIATR Area, Old Wells and Picture Wall are in a very bad condition and need immediate
conservation.
Contemporary to the Agra Fort in India, Lahore Fort is also facing a big problem of encroachments around it. According to
the original map of 1846 and wooden model of 1925 lying at Albert Victoria Museum London, there was a boundary wall
around this monument which included Circular Road, areas of historical Badshahi Mosque, Marhi Ranjeet Singh, Lady
Willington hospital, Ali Park, Rim Market and Tibi City area. This boundary wall does not exist now and its recovery or new
built is also a difficult task.
Director General Punjab Archaeology Department Oriya Maqbool Jan said that the monument would wear a new look very
soon as a new master plan of Rs 300 million had been made for its preservation. "The amount would be spent in eight
years for the preservation of various places and giving a new green look to the lawns of fort," he said.
He said that conservation work on the historical Sheesh Mahal was under way. To question about the deteriorated
paintings and flower work on the walls, he said as per international rules, the walls could not be repainted. "We can only
conserve them in the state they are," Oriya said.
32
Various basements in the forts were restored, but were not open for public due to security reasons, he said adding that only
12 security guards were present to guard the monument. He urged the media to raise awareness in the public about the
historical monuments.
(By Ali Raza and Shahid Hussain, The News-5, 12/02/2007)
Pricing scarce industrial land
THE Punjab government is offering land to investors in Sunder industrial estate at Rs3.5 million an acre along with all the
infrastructure facilities. The Economic Coordination Committee of the federal government also recently decided to offer
1,000 acres of Steel Mill land at Rs7 million per acre to investors reportedly along with infrastructure that does not match
the quality being offered by the Punjab government. This is the same land acquired by the Steel Mill way back in 1974 at
the rate of Rs 3,600 an acre from Sindh government.
``Sindh may not be a well-governed province and Karachi may have many property ownership problems and yet a piece of
land here fetches the highest price as compared to other parts of the country, ’’ a senior bureaucrat remarked. He says that
Rs7 million for an acre of developed land near Pakistan Steel is ``too a low price. A land without any infrastructure facility
located around Port Qasim now costs at least Rs10 million.
The escalating cost of Karachi land is discouraging the genuine investors. Imagine, an acre of land in SITE Manghopir
being quoted at Rs60 million, at Korangi anywhere between Rs40-50 million and in any of the half a dozen industrial
estates in and around the city for no less than between Rs25-Rs30 million an acre.
The Sindh government issued an ordinance offering industrial/commercial land at 25 to 50 per cent less than the market
price to ``genuine investors’’. However, no rules were drawn up by the Provincial Industries Department or the Provincial
Committee on Investment that operates from the Chief Minister House.
The ordinance has lapsed as it was never taken up by the Sindh Assembly for discussion. Neither the components of ruling
coalition or the opposition considered it worth noticing. Now it is back to square one. While speculators keep the industrial
investors away from the biggest city of Pakistan where an estimated an army of 1.5 to 2 million unemployed young men
and women-- many educated and skilled--roam in search of jobs.
Three years ago, the federal Industries, Production and National Initiatives Minister Jahangir Tareen in an media interview
promised to ``restore Karachi back to its leadership position’’ in economic development and industrial progress. But during
the period, banks and running business in Karachi attracted foreign investors but no new projects or ventures came to light.
``We intend to make the National Industrial Park (NIP) operative in the near future, ’’ the minister told this correspondent by
telephone from Islamabad. NIP is a government body with public money but wholly run by private sector which has
managed a 248-acre plot near Korangi previously owned by the Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation. This will be
the first phase of the project before the NIP moves to a 1,000-acre plot of Pakistan Steel. ``The plot will remain under the
ownership of Pakistan Steel but will be managed by the NIP’’, a source said.
The NIP has 12 directors on the board of which nine are from private sector. It has a capital base of Rs325 million and it will
generate more funds by selling of industrial plots.
According to its Chief Executive, Zubair Habib, the board of directors is in process of drawing up the rules for investors and
working out prices of 4-5 acre plots to be offered mainly to small and medium entrepreneurs. Projects pertaining to light
engineering, value added textile, information technology and gems and jewellery will be given preference.
It will also be ensured that any investor, given plots, completes civil work and commissions the projects within a prescribed
time. A tools and equipment centre is about to start enrolling trainees, drawn mainly from the industries for exposing them
to latest computer run state of art machines. Muneer Bana-- also from private sector-- has been given the task to run this
institute which will enroll 550 students in its first year.
The local polytechnic and engineering colleges are said to be equipped with machines which have become outdated. The
managers of the industry—mostly sons of the previous owners educated abroad—complain that engineers and technicians
who come for jobs are not good operators of machines and equipment they have imported to upgrade production.
“Unemployment of the educated is a two pronged issue, ’’ said an industrialist. The young boys and girls seeking jobs lack
exposure to modern equipment. It is the government’ s as well as the industrialists duty to work out crash programmes for
these young men and women so that they would manage the new machines efficiently.
While all the reforms and a high economic growth has placed Pakistan on international investors’ radar, the focus is on
acquiring the running business and banks. Acquisition and mergers do not generate many jobs and the ranks of
unemployed keeps swelling.
With no employment exchanges in operation or any agency monitoring unemployment, the growing lawlessness in the
streets give some indication of desperation of the unemployed.
Jobs being created from public sector’s infrastructure development programmes like building of roads, dams etc are
temporary and do not offer career opportunities. Career jobs come from investment in real sectors. But for a few sectors
like telecommunication, it is not coming through direct foreign investment said to be at $3.5 billion in last six months.
Meanwhile the Sindh government remains divided into two camps which are indifferent to each other, even if not hostile-which has created a diarchic situation with two power centres. There is an industries minister who hardly interacts with the
businessmen and his department has no idea about functional or idle industries in the city or in the province.
There is a Provincial Committee on Investment said to be a private sector arm of the Board of Investment in each of the
four provinces. There are 40 members on the Board in Sindh. This Committee met only a few times when Mian Mohammad
Soomro was the governor and Hafeez Sheikh the finance minister of the province.
33
It was sometimes in 2001 when an economic revival programme for the province was launched and even a monitoring
committee was announced to oversee the implementation. The then federal commerce minister Razzak Dawood convened
a meeting of provincial investment committees of all the four provinces. Each of the provincial committee enjoyed a
separate status.
But for now the biggest problem for the Sindh government is to contest EEC decision to dispose off Steel Mill land at Rs7
million and it has expressed its strong disapproval of this decision.
All other arguments notwithstanding, Sindh has a strong point. Provinces be given the right of ownership on their land so
that they could offer it to investors on prices and terms which would attract business. Land is a tool that can be used for a
healthy competition. The leaders in Sindh already feel bitter on the disposal of two Karachi islands to a foreign construction
company.
With elections round the corner and if the statements of the big and small leaders of the federal and provincial governments
are to be believed, one wonders how would they face voters who are groaning under high inflation, unemployment, closed
industries and a an agriculture that has virtually now growing.
(By Sabihuddin Ghausi, Dawn-Economic & Business Review, Page-1, 12/02/2007)
Wazir Mansion is not Quaid’s birthplace
KARACHI Feb 13: A leading archaeologist and expert in heritage treasures has conducted research that Wazir Mansion,
officially accepted as the birthplace of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah did not exist when the Quaid was born and he
was born in a house which was situated adjacent to the land on which the Wazir Mansion stands.
“The building that is a national monument is a structure that did not exist before 1883, and its status as birth place is
misplaced,” Dr Kaleemullah Lashari, Director-General of Projects and Special Initiatives, arrives at this conclusion in his
research to find the actual birthplace of the Quaid.
It was mid-1990s when a controversy over the Quaid’s birthplace hit the headlines and also became a point of debate in the
Sindh assembly to determine whether Mr Jinnah was born in Karachi or in a hilly-tract village of district Thatta called Jhiruk.
The controversy erupted owing to conflicting textbook essays being taught in schools. This anomaly existed since 1950s
when children were being taught in some textbooks that the Quaid was born in Jhiruk while others stressed that he was
born in Karachi.
During controversy, those who advocated Jhiruk as the Quaid’s birthplace quoted the statements of area elders who used
to tell their later generations that Mr Jinnah’s father, Poonja Bhai used to live in the town.
Those who insist that Quaid was born in Jhiruk also claim that the original muster roll registr of a local Sindhi primary
school where the Quaid was claimed to have been admitted containing Mohammed Ali Jinnah Poonja as student was taken
away by a committee constituted by the then Prime Minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, in connection with fact-finding but never
returned.
But, others referred to Quaid’s own statements, significantly the ones which he had given during 1918 and 1938 All India
Muslim League conferences in Karachi, in which he had expressed his delight for being in the city where he was born.
PPP’s Dr Abdul Wahid Soomro had then moved the Sindh Assembly to correct the fact about the birthplace of the Quaid in
1996, which led to Chief Minister Abdullah Shah to ask the Sindh Textbook Board to investigate and constituted a
committee
(By Hasan Mansoor, Dawn-17, 14/02/2007)
No sub-lease without NOC, KBCA told
KARACHI, Feb 13: No sub-lease of apartments and shops shall be registered without a no-objection certificate from the
Karachi Building Control Authority, the Sindh High Court declared.
In its report on implementation of a court order of November 7, 2006, the KBCA said innocent purchasers acquire shops
and flats without verifying the status of buildings, which are occupied without occupancy certificates.
The mandatory requirements are violated by the builders and conveniently ignored by the purchasers. Creation of third
party interest and occupancy of unauthorised structures hinder the enforcement of the building regulations. Demolition
cannot be undertaken without evicting the occupants, which necessitate police assistance, which is seldom provided.
In pursuance of a previous high court order, the KBCA report said, the provincial board of revenue issued a circular in May
2004 asking the property registrars not to allow sub-leases without the mandatory no-objection certificate from the
authority. The circular was, however, withdrawn in September 2004 and the unscrupulous builders resumed the practice of
selling flats and shops without occupancy or no-objection certificate from the KBCA.
Allowing the KBCA request for re-imposition of the NOC requirement, an SHC division bench comprising Justices Mushir
Alam and Mohammad Afzal Soomro asked the board of revenue and the registration authorities not to permit execution of
sub-leases without the requisite KBCA certificates.
About the drawing of a plan for coercive action against unauthorised structures raised in the vicinity of the Quaid-i-Azam’s
mazar, the report said a meeting between the chief controller of buildings and the inspector-general of police was held in
the advocate-general’s office in December 2006. The meeting was inconclusive and the advocate-general would submit a
report on it. As for action against offending builders and developers, contractors, architects and engineers, the KBCA would
submit another report within three weeks.
The KBCA counsel, Shahid Jamil Khan, informed the bench that the authority has moved a writ petition for a direction to
the provincial government to amend the Sindh Building Control Ordinance 1979, for establishment of its own police station
with power to register cases and appointment of a special magistrate to order appropriate action. The amendment would
obviate the need for police assistance every time eviction or demolition of a building is required.
34
HYDRANT CASE: Another division bench consisting of Justices Sarmad Jalal Osmany and Ali Sain Dino Metlo asked the
city district government to submit a plan in respect of the shifting of Muslimabad hydrant or an alternative route or tankers
drawing and supplying water from it by February 28.
(Dawn-17, 14/02/2007)
Land mafia has free hand in govt quarters
KARACHI, Feb 13: The grabbing of land or an amnesty plot in a remote area might not be something unusual in Karachi.
However, if it happens to be federal government property situated in the middle of the city and also falls in the constituency
of a federal housing minister then it is something that cannot be ignored easily.
The Martin and Clayton Colonies, situated near Teen Hatti have become a haven for landgrabbers. They construct a house
or shop as no government authority is there to challenge or demolish the encroachment, said a resident. The shops that
they construct are easy to sell because junk sellers happily buy them. These commercial ventures are indulging in activities
causing noise pollution which has become a permanent feature of the area, he added.
Interestingly, the area falls in the constituency of Sindh Environment Minister Dr Sagheer Ansari, who visits the area
regularly.
The Martin and Clayton Colonies are federal government property, where the landgrabbers have a strong grip. This was
evident in a visit to the area where estate agencies are set up to offer houses on rent and sell an illegally constructed house
or shop.
Driving through Teen Hatti, you will find such estate agencies near Sunehri mosque. Shops constructed on government
land are openly doing their business while houses and double-storey buildings attached to the government quarters have
been raised without any objection or action from the concerned quarters.
An estate agent said the monthly rent of a house, constructed adjacent to the government quarters, was around Rs4,000.
He told this scribe that power and gas connections were available and the tenant would be responsible for payment of utility
bills. Shops are priced Rs150,000 onwards depending on the location while the rent hovered from Rs1,500 to Rs3,000 per
month.
This is called Martin Colony -- one of the many government colonies like Jehangir Quarters, Jamshed Quarters and Jail
Road Quarters which were established in 1947 to accommodate government employees. Residential blocks with wide
corridors had four to five houses each. Wide roads and proper sanitation system were the main features of the area. This
was all there till late 80s when landgrabbing started picking up speed. But the pace of encroachment doubled in the last five
years, said a resident.
Talking nostalgically about the good old days, Mr Khan said the area had totally changed within a few years. Junk sellers
have now set up establishments in Martin Quarters near Jail Road School. Many shops have been set up inside the
government quarters or structures have been raised on federal government property adjacent to the quarters.
All day one hears deafening sounds of hammering of iron plates, said another resident Yasir Hameed. He said the noise
disturbed children and elders equally.
Initially, these junk sellers were limited to a few quarters but they penetrated deep into the colony in the last five years, area
residents said adding that it has become difficult for families even to pass through certain parts of the area.
These shops are running in the middle of many houses between Baghdadi and Sunehri Masjid. A resident said, Work at
these shops continues from 8am till late evening and trucks bring junk here everyday. He complained that labourers on
these trucks disturbed privacy of the houses.
This is one of the old colony in Karachi, where people have been living since 1950s. This was the area where many writers,
poets, and artists stayed who can tell stories of how well-managed the area was then. Famous writer Quratulain Haider
stayed in the area and mentioned it in her memoirs ‘Kare Jahan Daraz Hey’. But, now the area has turned into a place
where no family would like to stay, a poor resident said.
Perhaps it is not the first instance where federal government real estate is turning into a slum. Lines Area had turned into a
kutchi abadi due to the negligence of the authorities. Many government quarters can be seen even today in various stages
of decaying.
The landgrabbing activities have created a mess on adjacent areas like Patel Para and Bihar Colony and the original
government quarters vanished with the mushroom growth of illegal structures.
Ironically, the government in later years provided lease to all these illegally constructed colonies, boosting the confidence of
landgrabbers that their investment would not be lost.
In 1970s, government planned a road from Jail Chowrangi to Lasbella passing between the government quarters. The
government demolished a line of quarters from Jail Road to Teen Hatti and then the project was abandoned. The quarters
were left empty and half demolished providing bounty to landgrabbers.
Of course no government department had shown interest to protect these quarters; reasons may be obvious otherwise
government officials were seen active on many legally occupied houses. The estate office took care of the government
employees who were living legitimately in those houses while rest of the land had never been their problem.
The government employees blamed the Estate Office, PWD and federal housing ministry for the current situation saying
that their policies and action damaged the colonies.
A resident claimed that whenever someone tried to raise the voice he had received evacuation notice from the estate office,
while no notice or action had ever been taken for those living in the half-demolished quarters and turning the area into a
slum.
Area people cited the recent example of Usmania Colony. They said people who had raised illegal structures on the land of
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Jail Road Quarters and named the area as Usmania Colony were given lease. However, many government servants have
been running from pillar to post to get the houses leased.
The residents expressed apprehension that soon the government would lease the area and its old inhabitants would be
forced to compromise. They said the federal housing minister and the provincial environment minister won the elections
from this constituency and now they probably had no more interest in the area.
(By S. Raza Hassan, Dawn-19, 14/02/2007)
Shops’ allotment in New Sabzi Mandi riddled with corruption
KARACHI: Chief Secretary, Sindh, and other authorities concerned have taken note of alleged corruption in allotments of
shops/stalls in the New Fruit and Vegetable Market (New Sabzi Mandi). It is learnt that dozens of shops have been
distributed via favouritism without fulfillment of legal requirements.
The notice was taken on a written complaint filed by the President, Malir Fresh Fruit Merchants and Growers Association,
Muhammad Javed, who alleged in the complaint that favouritism had figured in the allotment of shops in the market,
involving large-scale corruption and illegal procedures.
The complainant said that the Sindh Government, through a notification, had constituted a four-member committee to
ensure transparency and justice in the allotment and regularisation process vis-‡-vis the New Sabzi Mandi.
However, according to the complainant, the traders, growers and related associations of the New Sabzi Mandi have
expressed their concerns over the handling of the affairs by the committee concerned, as transparency in allotments of
shops had never been followed according to the set rules.
“Instead of giving priority to those whose names had been prepared by the Pakistan Rangers, Sindh or by the now defunct
Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) during the shifting of Old Sabzi Mandi, the said committee proceeded the cases of
those who, by foul means, had managed to obtain allotment letters,” said the complainant.
“Genuine owners, especially the growers, are quite upset because allotments are being made without taking into
consideration the consent of the owners,” he said in the complaint.
“It is interesting to note that when a genuine owner brings malpractices on the part of corrupt officials vis-‡-vis allotments to
the notice of the authorities, the high-ups either form a committee or refer the matter to the same corrupt officer who had
issued illegal allotment orders,” the complaint said.
He said that the lay-out plan of the New Sabzi Mandi was approved on February 14, 2005, by the Town Planning
Department, Government of Sindh, but according to his sources a new lay-out plan has been prepared to pave the way for
fulfilling the nefarious designs of corrupt officers.
The complainant revealed that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had issued notices to around 60 persons involved
in malpractices to explain their position but the illegal activities on the part of these elements were still going on. The
complainant has requested the Chief Secretary and other authorities concerned to take some stringent steps to smooth out
the problems being faced by the genuine owners.
(The News-2, 16/02/2007)
KBCA asked to seal unoccupied flats
KARACHI, Feb 16: The Sindh High Court has directed the Karachi Building Control Authority on Friday to seal unoccupied
apartments of an unauthorised building in Garden East and take action against its builder, architect and contractor under
intimation to the court within four weeks.
The building, Zohra Classic, has been raised on plot GRE-327, which was meant for a ground-plus-one-floor single unit
bungalow. The builder instead raised a commercial apartment complex of ground plus five floors in addition to a basement
in 1995. Certain residents of the neighborhood moved a petition and a contempt application. A division bench comprising
Justices Mushir Alam and Mohammad Afzal Soomro summoned the chief controller of buildings (CCOB) and five town
controllers to explain how such a flagrant violation of building regulations remained unchecked.
The KBCA counsel, Shahid Jamil Khan, claimed that notices had been issued to the officials responsible for inaction and
connivance. They have submitted their replies and further proceedings were in progress. Notices were issued to the
offending builder but there was no assistance given by the civil and municipal administration to take coercive action against
him. The new CCOB, who is on leave, has created vigilance and legal cells in the authority, to keep an eye on building
rules violations and ensure compliance with court orders. These cells would supervise the existing machinery.
Advocate Naeemur Rehman submitted on behalf of the petitioners that the KBCA was equally responsible for unauthorised
structures and building rules violations. In fact, its officials connive in the violations for unlawful gain and allow the buildings
to be completed. Not all the flats in the unauthoriszed building were occupied but the authority was taking no action, he
said.
The bench asked the KBCA to seal empty flats and take action against the offending builder, architect, contractor and
engineer within four weeks.
NFL SALE: A division bench of the Sindh High Court issued notices to the auction purchaser and creditors of a Schon
Group concern in an application seeking court recognition of an agreement between the group and the National
Accountability Bureau.
The concern, National Fibres Limited (NFL), was sold for Rs452 million through a public auction under a court order. The
sale proceeds were invested by the SHC official assignee in his capacity as receiver. Several financial institutions had filed
recovery suits and obtained decrees in their favour. While the creditors’ claims were processed in execution proceedings,
the NFL management obtained an order in its appeal, restraining the receiver from making any disbursement. The new
application was moved in the pending appeal.
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As the appeal and the application came up for hearing before a division bench comprising Justices Sarmad Jalal Osmany
and Ali Sain Dino Metlo, Advocates Yawar Farooqui and Asim Mansoor Khan submitted on behalf of PICL, NIB Bank, Orix
Leasing and other creditors that the agreement was ‘highly objectionable’. They contended that there has been material
suppression as the agreement ‘does not disclose all the liabilities of the company’. The claimants before the court, have
been excluded from notice. The agreement has not been filed in execution proceedings, they said.
The counsel maintained that the NAB authorities went to Dubai and unilaterally entered into the agreement with the Schon
Group chief without any inquiry or notice, though it adversely affected the interests of third parties. The agreement, they
said, should be judicially scrutinised and placed before the company judge executing decrees against the Schon Group
concern.
The bench deferred further consideration of the application and decided to hear all the parties concerned in the second
week of March.
(Dawn-19, 17/02/2007)
Auqat land controversy; ISI looking for its ex-deputy chief
ISLAMABAD: The country’s elite intelligence agency — the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) — has initiated a probe into the
Punjab Auqaf Department’s land-leasing controversy.
The ISI is digging into the matter to get to one of its former deputy chiefs — a retired major-general, who by using his
influence had tried to grab Punjab Auqaf Department’s commercial land on a 30-year lease on nominal rent.
Sources said the ISI officials have started contacting various sources to collect details of the case reported in this
newspaper. The auction for the Auqaf land in Rawalpindi was scheduled for February 15 but it was cancelled at the
eleventh hour after this newspaper reported on the same day.
Tens of Kanals of the Auqaf’s commercial land in Rawalpindi was all set to be added to the fortunes of the retired majorgeneral and former deputy of the ISI, and member of the Punjab Public Service Commission in the cancelled auction.
According to a source, the Auqaf officials confirmed that the retired major-general and his wife had visited the site of the
Auqaf land several days before the scheduled auction. The administrator of Auqaf in the Rawalpindi zone was reportedly
told by the Auqaf Department Lahore that the competent authority had desired that the piece of land must be leased out to
the retired general on lease for 30 years.
The member of the Punjab Public Service Commission, who was also interested to get the Auqaf land on lease in the same
vicinity for commercial purposes, was a favourite of a provincial secretary, the sources said.
Meanwhile, it is also learnt that the Tableeghi Jamaat connection had played a vital role in the leasing out of the Auqaf
Department’s another land in Rawalpindi on just Rs 2,500 per month rent for 30 years to the son of a former federal
minister on January 31, 2007. The order issued by the chief administrator and secretary Auqaf notified that one kanal and
six marla Auqaf land situated near Hazrat Pir Gohr Shah Rawalpindi has been leased out to Syed Hasan Ali Qasim, son of
Syed Qasim Shah, on goodwill Rs 775,000 and Rs2,500 monthly rent only for 30 years. The order said that the said land
would be used for CNG station-petrol pump and that the rent (Rs 2,500) would be increased by 25 per cent after every
three years.
Qasim Shah’s son reportedly got the competent authority’s approval through one Hafiz Ummaar Yasir, who is an activist of
the Tableeghi Jamaat hailing from Talagang, Chakwal. Yasir for being close to the Punjab’s Tableeghi son got the lease
sanctioned for Ali Qasim. In this case no one had even bothered to wait for an auction. The Auqaf secretary had confirmed
to ‘The News’ that the chief minister has approved Ali Qasim’s case.
(By Ansar Abbasi, The News-1, 17/02/2007)
‘Chiraghon mein roshni na rahi’
MR Ayaz Amir has called Islamabad a ‘be maqsad city’ built by the late Ayub Khan. As Ayub Khan also built the city of
Korangi within Karachi to provide respectable homes to millions of jhuggi-dwellers and shifted them to their new homes at
one go, I think the crime of building Islamabad should be condoned. He also built the KKH (the old Silk Route) and Mangla
and Tarbela dams for which I don’t know if he should be criticised or praised. I leave it to knowledgeable people to decide.
After Ayub Khan, Chiraghon mein roshni na rahi.
No ruler ever thought of building another city like Korangi for the many, many disadvantaged people in the country who also
deserved such homes, though political slogans were raised by each political party.
MRS AKHTAR NASIMI, Karachi
(Dawn-6, Letter to the Editor, 18/02/2007)
Top floors of highrise in Karachi gutted:
Fire raged from morning till late night
KARACHI, Feb 18: An intense fire that broke out in the morning on the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation Building’s
11th floor and gutted its top four floors was raging till the filing of this report late in the night.
“It will take another few hours for our teams to completely extinguish the fire,” Chief Fire Officer Ehteshamuddin told Dawn.
The fire broke out on the 11th floor at about 9:15am, gutted it completely and then engulfed the 12th, 14th and 15th floors
before affecting the rooftop. Efforts by some two dozen fire-tenders of the city’s ill-equipped fire brigade did, however,
succeed in stopping it from spreading it downwards.
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The building, it may be mentioned, does not have 13th floor, because of superstitions attached to the number, and the floor
above the 12th is numbered 14th.
The fire destroyed the records of the National Engineering Services Pakistan (Nespak), some historical records and
documents of the Sindh Golf Association (SGA) and important documents of the PNSC and some private offices.
Pakistan Navy’s two helicopters saved the lives of six people who had been trapped in the building.
A spokesman for the Inter-Services Public Relations (Navy), Karachi, said that the six people had been trapped on the
affected floors and were unable to come down. They later took shelter on the roof.
The spokesman said the PNSC authorities sought Pakistan Navy’s help at about 12:30pm and two helicopters were
immediately sent for rescue work.
The ISPR spokesman said that the rescue attempt was perilous as pilots braved dense smoke and kept flying despite the
presence of a large number of birds flying in the area. “Endangering their own lives, the aviators of Pakistan Navy
succeeded in rescuing the six people.”
The fire-fighters struggled to bring the fire under control because they lacked proper equipment to put out fires in multistoreyed buildings. About 24 fire-tenders, eight belonging to the KPT and the rest from various parts of the city, were
working constantly to put out the flames.
The two KPT-operated snorkels did not have enough pressure to propel water even up to the 8th floor, while the city
government’s snorkel fared a little better, managing to spray water a little above the 9th floor.
The fire started from the western side of 11th floor and the fire-fighters after about two hours’ work thought they had
brought it under control and started packing up when flames flared up again and started engulfing other areas.
Talking to reporters, Karachi CCPO Azhar Farooqi said the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit. But, fire brigades
officials said the matter needed further probe. They said that while the building had emergency exits but all of them were
too narrow to be of any help to the people trapped inside.
“This is one of a few new buildings in the city which have emergency exits and some equipment to cope with such
situations, but the exits are so narrow that no more than two people can use them in emergencies,” said a senior firefighter. He said the situation could have been worse if the fire had broken out on a working day.
Officials said the 14th floor, which housed the offices of a minister, secretary and chairman and other senior officials of the
PNSC, had been completely gutted.
“I have just come out of the 11th and 12th floors and saw that their structures are crumbling,” said a fire-fighter.
Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Khan Ghauri, who was supervising the rescue operation, said the PNSC
offices had been shifted temporarily to the nearby office of the director-general (ports & shipping).The minister told
reporters that a three-member team had been formed to determine the causes of the fire.
Asad I.A. Khan, vice-president of Nespak, said: “I am standing here helpless, seeing everything getting burnt,” he said.
Mr Khan said the authorities concerned should wake up to the situation and take steps to meet such emergencies in future.
The city needed dozens of snorkels in areas where skyscrapers were being built and more were being planned, he said.
He said precious records of Nespak had been destroyed. According to him, the gutted record contained files pertaining to
projects in Bangladesh, Thailand and Oman, as well as the Prime Minister’s House.
The chief fire officer said some four firemen had fainted because of smoke and heat and had to be taken to the Civil
Hospital Karachi.
(By Hasan Mansoor, Dawn-1, 19/02/2007)
No action taken against college land grabbers
KARACHI, Feb 18: The National Accountability Bureau, which had started inquiry into land grabbing issue of Hamid
Bidayuni Government College, has yet to take action against the land grabbers and officials involved in the corruption.
Eighty per cent of the land belonging to Hamid Bidayuni Government College, the only public sector college in Orangi town,
had been occupied but the authorities concerned are yet to take the culprits to task. The land grabbers have constructed
shoe market on the occupied land around the college and now have eyed the land lying in front of it, as the college has no
boundary walls.
The institution is housed in an old building of Jamia Taleemat-i-Islami near Banaras Chowk on Manghopir Road. Its
foundation was laid by late president Muhammad Ayub Khan on September 3, 1962. A 15-acre land was allotted to the
institution to establish a modern Islamic learning centre on the pattern of Jamiatul Azhar in Egypt.
After receiving public complaints about the encroachment and keeping in view the historical importance of the building, the
Anti-Corruption Establishment Sindh initiated an inquiry into the matter and held officers of the concerned department
responsible for allotting the amenity plot for commercial purposes. Despite the clear inquiry of the ACE, no action was
taken to save the land and take the responsible persons to task.
The inquiry report along with relevant documents was submitted to the chairman Enquiries & Anti-Corruption Establishment
(No SO (AC) 2-12-2000 dated 14-01-2004) for registering case against the accused but no action was taken.
When the Shehri Foundation raised voice against the encroachment, the case was taken up by the National Accountability
Bureau for appropriate action. The NAB started inquiry against the accused and it is still under way while the grabbers
gradually hold major portion of the land.
Shehri Foundation Sindh General Secretary Tahir Sawati said the inquiry had unearthed corruption of concerned officials
with all evidences but the case was not yet registered against the officials. He urged the governor and chief minister to take
up this issue seriously and save the college and hundreds of students from being deprived of education by ordering
registration of case against the accused as nominated in the ACE inquiry report.
(Dawn-14, 19/02/2007)
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House building costs to go up as cement, steel prices surge
ALL those who have booked an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 houses (flats or town houses) in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad
and other places with construction companies will have to pay at least 15 to 30 per cent more because of the impact of
recent increase in the prices of cement and steel products.
The impact will vary depending on in what stage of construction the project is and with whom the houses have been
booked. The highest impact will come on those who have just started the work.. But in those projects where the structures
have been raised and only finishing touches are needed, the cost may escalate 10 to 20 per cent.
Under the government’s instructions, the cement manufacturers have been asked to cap the prices at Rs260 for a 50kg
bag. The cement makers are asking for Rs300 a bag for which a meeting is being convened on February 20 at Islamabad.
With this rise in cement prices, comes the hike in steel products cost. Obviously, this has an impact of a double edge sword
on the construction cost-- both private and government--. “`On a rough average, over the past few years, the construction
cost in Karachi has jumped up from Rs1,200 per square foot to Rs1,800 per square foot,” a leader of ABAD said.
Whatever the impact, the rise in cost of a booked house from 15 per cent to 30 per cent, in many cases, is bound to be
proved unbearable for those who draw a monthly income of Rs10,000 to Rs15,000 and have no other asset to fall back on.
For many of them, the acquisition of a small house will remain an illusory dream for the whole of their life. Majority of these
people are in Karachi.
“Rise in cement price has become an annual feature every February for the last few years,'' Mr Farooq uz-Zaman, a leader
of the Builders Association, said and explained that the rise in cement prices comes in anticipation of a pick up in
construction activities in the Northern areas after snow starts melting in March. From October till January, there is a lull in
construction because of snow fall which, on many occasions blocks the roads. But as February arrives, the contractors and
builders start building up their inventory of construction material including cement in anticipation of opening of roads.
Builders say that cement manufacturers have made it a regular annual feature to push the prices up since 2004. In that
year, the government reduced excise duty from Rs1,000 a ton to Rs750 a ton -- a reduction of Rs25 per cent- to give boost
to construction. But what happened later was that cement prices started crawling up and then shot up to Rs400 per bag.
Market analysts and cement consumers attribute this to a weak legal regulatory framework, a toothless competitive
commission and a government that is proving ineffective to protect the interests of the consumers. “`But why should there
be an excise on cement,” a business leader from Lahore remarked. He belongs to one of the top business houses that has
interest in textiles, banking, insurance, automobile and cement.
His logic is simple. Excise is usually levied to discourage consumption of a certain commodity and in many developed and
developing countries, the governments target alcohol and tobacco to recover excise. In Pakistan you have an excise and a
sales tax on cement. “What is the justification,” he asks and then shares his perception that the government focuses only
on revenue and has put industry and business under tremendous stress.
Mr Aizaz Sheikh, chairman of All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association, is convinced that Rs300 a bag is “`fair price
of cement''. He justified this price on the basis of production cost and because of the phenomenal rise in demand in
Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, UAE and other countries. He promised to fax a production of cost exercise done by APCMA
from Lahore but did not do so. Repeated calls made on APCMA office in Lahore proved futile.
In this phenomenon, a new business rivalry has emerged in which cement manufacturers are on one side and the builders
and contractors on the other. But the low and the middle-income groups of people, who dream to own a house in their
lifetime, are the silent victims in this money making game.
As government and formal sector fails to come up to the expectation of the poor and low-income group housing, the big
cities like Karachi are witnessing a fast growth of slums, shanties and what has come to be known as “`Kutcha abadis''. In
Karachi more than 2,000 such slums or kutcha abadis have emerged in last 60 years where almost 70 per cent of 16
million population lives. Any vacant piece of land is occupied by group of a certain community ,of course, with connivance
of the police and the bureaucracy.
The land-grabbers then offer plots of land-60 square yards to 80 square yards-to the people of their community on
instalments and then one or two rooms are constructed which are either sold out or rented without any legal documents. All
other facilities-sewerage, sanitation, water supply, electricity, education, health care- come slowly depending on the clout
and influence enjoyed by the leaders or land grabbers of that particular settlement.
For the last many years, the government is coming out with announcements of giving a housing policy. The Federal
Minister for Housing, Syed Safwanullah, is said to be giving final touches to a draft of national housing policy. Another body
- the advisory group of the State Bank of Pakistan Governor - headed by a well-known banker Shaukat Tarin, has almost
finalised its recommendations.
“We have addressed 10 issues that include setting up of land banks, affordable housing, cost reduction and all other
aspects of housing'' Mr Tarin said. He hopes to finalise these recommendations in next few weeks after which it will be
given to the government. With elections round the corner, the builders say that the government cannot remain oblivious of
the sufferings of the urban people.
Cost of construction particularly in Northern areas have increased by 30 to 50 per cent after the government came out with
a new building code to withstand tremors and jolts of 8-8.5 magnitude. The construction business has seen a tremendous
boost in last few years. The Dubai Ports World announced sometimes back in 2006 to invest $10 billion on transport
infrastructure and real estate. The Emaar Properties, a UAE company, announced an investment of $2.4 billion on real
estate development in Islamabad and Karachi. This is the same conglomerate that is reportedly taking up a Rs43 billion job
to develop two islands near Karachi.
A website informs 23-fold increase in property business since 2001. But the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry
and recently a committee of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry pointed out towards the
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shortage of housing units in the country.. The trade bodies took notice of the ageing of the present stock of housing in
Pakistan and accumulated shortages which are gradually assuming alarming proportions.
Till late sixties, the public and private sector projects-industry, dams, power generations etc. - included residential localities
for the employees. Low cost housing concept was also introduced in decade of sixties when apartments were constructed
in Karachi. In eighties came the concept of affordable housing which apparently has been trampled down in game of
speculation, manipulation and profiteering. Will this concept be revived again is a test case for the government.
(By Sabihuddin Ghausi, Dawn-Economic & Business Review, Page-I, 19/02/2007)
Misplaced priority to luxury housing
A RACE is on for construction of luxury housing. Coming to participate in such large scale commercial activities are big
companies from Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar and from Malaysia, Australia and Singapore in the Far East.
In the 1970’s and early 1980’s, Pakistan-based companies participated in such construction activities in the Gulf, then
exploding with the vastly enhanced new oil revenues following the oil shock of 1973 onwards. But such Pakistani
companies built mostly factories and housing for workers and the expatriate staff.
The Gulf and other construction companies coming in to Pakistan now want to build luxury housing and swanky offices
following the Dubai pattern.
The construction companies from Pakistan that went to Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Iraq etc have now faded out like the Gammon
and Macdonald Layton, while the National Construction has shut shop and they hardly figure in the stock exchanges where
they played a significant part earlier. National enterprises in this sector are hardly competing with the foreign companies in
providing luxury and splendid office accommodation.
Of course, you can’t stop foreign companies from coming in but do we really need so many of those companies and the
work they do now? And is there enough money for buying their services? The work they have done so far as in Creek
Marina are of standard and the quality is admirable. But what is at issue is the quantity of output they are seeking.
In a developing country like Pakistan, where one-third of the people are living below the poverty line of a dollar a day,
should luxury housing for the rich have a high priority? According to the Housing Census of 1998, the housing backlog then
stood at 4.30 million and has now risen to 6.19 million.
The census report said to address the backlog and meet the housing production short fall for the next 20 years, the overall
housing production has to increase to 500,000 units annually. The report also said the present housing stock is rapidly
ageing and estimates suggest that more than 50 per cent stock is over 50 years old.
It is also estimated that 50 per cent urban population lives in slums and squatter settlements. Meeting the backlog in
housing is beyond the financial resources of the government. The government should therefore encourage the participation
of formal private sector and mobilise non-government resources for a market-based housing finance system.
The House Building Finance Corporation has increased its lending to the low income and middle class house builders and
commercial banks are offering long- term loans to affluent house builders at higher interest. But all this touches only a
fringe of the problem. And now come the luxury builders who come from abroad and are catering to the demand of the getrich class which leaves the basic housing problem untouched.
The low and middle income house builders find house building much too expensive now. Cement prices have shot up to
Rs270 a bag and in spite of the government making the cement manufacturers agree to Rs260 a bag-- a 15 per cent rise.
Steel prices have shot up and are now Rs43000 a tonne after it has risen by Rs6000 in five days from Rs37000 a tonne.
Prices of metal-based building materials have been rising, while wood prices have been going up constantly, even sand
and earth cost a great deal and of course all of that began with the sky waltzing price of land beyond the means of most
house holders. In such an environment adding half a million housing units for 20 years as the housing census report
suggested is a dream unless the government comes up with truly helpful measures and not merely with a liberal policy.
But the official practice if not policy is to have too many taxes on house building materials including on paint which makes
house building much too costly in spite of the small tax relief announced earlier.
What is striking about luxury housing is that tit has a great deal of imported inputs including steel frames, glass sheets and
other metallic fixtures of which the copper base is very costly. Their maintenance and replacements is also through imports
and very costly in a country with a large balance of payments deficit and a large trade deficit. We cannot brush aside such
concerns too lightly
In the past, the poor people did not mind staying at `kachchi abadis’ far off from the places of their work as the
transportation costs were low and buses were easily available. But now while the wages are low in real terms, the
transportation costs are very high and it takes a great deal of time to go to work and then reach back home. They now need
homes near their places of work.
Instead two islands are to be developed adjacent to Port Qasim at an ultimate cost of billions of dollars offering the best of
houses to be seen anywhere. If that much will cost to prepare the islands for high living, how much would be the
maintenance cost and how much of that will be imported materials which will strain our balance of payments. This may be a
clear case of living beyond our means.
While foreign companies are to build luxury office towers, our own corporate barons are building their own swanky office
towers like the MCB headquarters with its helicopter pads. Some other banks like the Allied Bank and the Faysal have
followed suit. So, we will eventually have a profusion of office buildings.
We are also to have a chain of eight star hotels which are to be the ultimate in luxury while the western countries are
satisfied with five star hotels.
The Defence Housing Authorities (DHAs) are in the lead in promoting luxury housing in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.
The defence establishment has let out its name Baharia to the private builders making many people believe that it’s an
40
extension of the naval establishment and eventually becoming disappointed in their dealings with such private builders.
DHAs are no longer meant for housing the defence offices. Most of the people now owning and living in defence housing
authorities are affluent civilians.
We should first find out the office accommodation available and under construction before adding more luxury spaces. And
we need a new housing policy for the low income and middle class householders in the light of the newly enhanced price of
land and ever soaring costs of building materials.
But as long as the incoming developers and builders do not borrow heavily from domestic banks we cant have serious
objection to what they want to do with their money.
Why can’t our construction industry come up on corporate lines and play a larger role as they did in the 1970s and build for
the middle income groups if, initially, not for the low income groups.
The luxury living for a few and squalid living for others may not be acceptable to the frustrated or exasperated masses. We
need to create a more equitable society.
A good home in a clean environment can be a significant contribution to reducing crime and delinquencies. We should
strive towards a more balanced society instead of one in which the extremes of class distinctions are accentuated.
A good home is a beginning of a clean environment without the kind of revolting surroundings which dominate large parts of
our cities and towns. So, let the housing for the low income and the middle class have a higher priority for the government
than luxury living for the few rich.
(By Sultan Ahmed, Dawn-Economic & Business Review, Page-VI, 19/02/2007)
Dimensions of degradation
RECENTLY your paper published a letter by ‘A Bath Island resident’, requesting the honourable chief justice of Pakistan to
save the residents of the Bath Island from mental and physical torture by ordering immediate action against illegal
construction, as has been done in the case of PECHS.
A week earlier there had appeared an advertisement in your paper ‘Sale of Bath Island Property, Karachi’. The advertiser,
General Manager (A&P), Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC), invited sealed offers for sale of PIDC’s
property situated at a prime location of Bath Island, known as “PIDC Bath Island’s Flats” constructed on an area of 7,250
square yards. The last date of receipt was given to be Feb 7.
Some years ago, Dawn (Aug 11, 2002) carried an article in its Magazine entitled ‘Dehumanising the city’ by Zarina
Zarnigar, on the callous neglect of the PIDC flats building, infrastructure, degradation of the Bath Island enclave and
humiliation of the residents; violation of their civic and human rights.
Her pleading that “civil society has to be strengthened if we want to survive as a Zinda Quom” went unheeded. “People
have to raise their voices against injustice and they have to be supported by the media and other components of civil
society.
“If you cannot bring about a revolution in the country as a whole, or do not see it as desirable, you can try to change the
immediate environment around you, being a desirable change in approaches to basic questions of civil and human rights.”
The inevitable happened gradually, the rot originating in the PIDC flats spread to the whole enclave.
Bath Island after the last monsoons was not livable. Many had to take shelter elsewhere. The PIDC flats had already
became a ghost complex, ramshackled, totally rundown, garbage littering the ground.
Only three out of thirty flats were occupied. Dark and filthy, they are not worthy of human habitation.
Indeed, situated as it was in the heart of the domain of the rich, the feudals and the entrenched, the multinationals, the
infusion of the middle class babus, as one multinational operative put it, was anathema, considered even a threat to the
privileged class. A feudal lording nearby dubbed these flats, as ‘kabutar khanas’ (pigeon-holes), but they were muchsought-after by PIDC professionals.
Had the upcoming builders followed the pattern of these flats, employees/ tenant- friendly, spacious, an architectural
elegance in simplicity, environment-friendly with open spaces, gracious living and quality of life that spawned a culture of
community consciousness, Bath Island and the rest of the city would have been pretty, that the people could have been
proud of.
For the last two or so decades the authorities concerned terrorised the residents, used all kinds of harassment and foul play
such as destroying their peace of mind, depriving them of basic necessities and then finally getting them ejected after years
of torment.
Now the destruction of the PIDC flats would seem to be on the cards which should not be allowed to take place. With the
dehumanising of the PIDC flats began the sorrows of the residents of the Bath Island, “an area not long ago a posh and
peaceful abode of middle class community, mostly government employees and the Parsi community”, as ‘A Bath Island
resident’ has put it in his letter, has “become haven for the builder mafia’s insatiable lust for making stupendous profit” that
must be stopped.
A collective and community-based resistance is indicated. Please join us.
FRIENDS OF PIDC FLATS AND BATH ISLAND, Karachi
(Dawn-6, Letter to the Editor, 20/02/2007)
Lines area residents demand restoration of playground
KARACHI: Concerned citizens and residents of Lines Area have protested against the arbitrary commercialisation of a
decades-old community playground located on former Survey No.148/1, Tunisia Lines, on Mubarak Shaheed Road.
In a letter addressed to the Project Director, Lines Area Redevelopment Project, the complainants have asked why a
playfield amenity plot, once used by the Karachi Grammar School and later integrated into the LARP for the benefit of the
area children and sportsmen, has been unlawfully leased for commercial purposes to the Army Welfare Trust.
41
The local residents complained that the playground spread over 5 acres had been sub-leased to Makro-Habib Pakistan for
construction of a ‘Cash & Carry Store’, and construction had started on site.
The residents said there is an extreme paucity of playgrounds, parks and recreational open spaces in Karachi, forcing
children to play cricket and football on the roads, risking their lives. Additionally, mounting social unrest and law and order
problems are being caused by lack of adequate recreation and play spaces.
The citizens also highlighted the laws forbidding the conversion of amenity plots to other uses, and asked that the
commercialisation of the open space be stopped and the playground be restored for the use of the community.
Copes of the complaint were sent to Nazim Mustafa Kamal and Karachi Cantonment Board President, Vice Admiral F. V.
Naqvi. Copies have also been sent to Marek Minkiewicz , the Managing Director of Makro-Habib Pakistan Ltd in Lahore
and to Patrick Kennedy, the Chief Executive Officer of SHV Holdings NV, a Dutch multi-natuiional that has a 70% - 30%
shareholding with the House of Habib.
Amazingly, when the residents asked the LARP Project Director to get the conversion stopped, he denied conversion or
leasing of the plot, stating that “to date this plot is a play ground in the approved Master Plan of LARP Scheme-35, CDGK.”
(Dawn-19, 20/02/2007)
Fire at PNSC building:
‘Floor could collapse’
KARACHI: An inspection team of the Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA) has advised the management of the
Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) to seal their premises where a ravaging fire destroyed the top six floors of
the 16-storey structure Sunday.
The team, called the Dangerous Cell Committee of the KBCA, visited the premises of the building Monday. According to
sources, the team has advised the management not to open their doors to any work or individual.
Sources said the team has also asked the PNSC to hire a consultant architect so that they get an independent and inside
view of how bad matters are inside the building. Floors 10, 11 and 12 have been completely burnt. Sources also warned
that there could be more damage if buttresses and makeshift pillars were not erected to support the present pillars that
have become extremely fragile. The team has also advised the PNSC to take the 11th floor more seriously than the others.
They have warned them that if supporting structures are not put in place, there is a chance that it will fall flat on the
remaining structure.
Also, Karachi Port Trust (KPT) Fire Department Fire Officer Muhammad Hanif told Daily Times that a short circuit was the
reason behind Sunday’s inferno. He said his men had gone inside the building after they managed to quell a major portion
of the blaze, and found open wires lying on the 10th floor.
“Someone was replacing these wires, which were close to the ceiling. This caused an electrical shock on Sunday. The
flames went upwards and in no time, the fire managed to spread across the other floors,” he said. “Since no one was
around that day (the weekend), no one saw anything. The only people around were on the roof and they were trapped. The
absence of smoking or even smoke or heat detectors was another reason why the blaze went out of control,” he said.
Hanif also said that the temperature of the fires were enough to melt any other structure of a similar height. “The building
would’ve melted if it was within the city. It was saved because it was next to the sea, where the weather was cooler.
Otherwise a normal structure like the PNSC building needs only a temperature of 300 degrees centigrade to melt down,” he
said.
A lack of equipment hampered fire-fighting. “The longest snorkel we have reaches a height of 85 feet, while the tallest
snorkel is with the city government, which reaches a height of 120 feet. Still both these snorkels were not enough to control
the fire,” he said.
Hanif also added that a crew of the fire department was still working arduously to cool things down. “We still have a crew
over there which is working in two shifts. They are finishing off the job,” he said.
Meanwhile Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Baber Ghauri has said that his three-member inspection committee will
submit its report in the coming six to seven days. “Also, a team of the city government visited the site and they will be
submitting their report to me in the next three to four days,” he said.
(By Fareed Farooqui, Daily Times-B1, 20/02/2007)
City council clash over Gutter Baghicha
KARACHI, Feb 20: The Gutter Baghicha land issue was taken up again when the City Council resumed its session on
Tuesday. Complete chaos prevailed in the house as the treasury and opposition accused each other of wrong doing as the
Opposition tried to convince the house to take up the issue.
Treasury leader Masood Mehmud slammed the Opposition for creating unnecessary fuss to achieve political motives and
rejected charges of bungling in the land, saying that these allotments were made when the PPP was in power.
There was an uproar in the house when the Opposition members led by group leaders Saeed Ghani and Rafique Ahmed
stood up to counter the arguments of Mr Mehmood. They levelled serious charges of land-grabbing against each other.
Presiding officer Naib Nazim Nasreen Jalil tried to convince both sides of the divide to maintain decorum in the house and
reminded the members about the issue’s legal implications as the matter was still in court. She invited the Opposition
leaders to discuss the matter in her chamber.
42
She repeatedly urged the members to take up the normal business agenda of the house. Despite her repeated warnings,
the Opposition refused and insisted that the Gutter Baghicha issue be debated, alleging that there were reports that the
government was planning to withdraw corruption cases against the officials who were allegedly involved in the land scam.
The Opposition members then staged a walkout by shouting and raising slogans against the treasury members.
Treasury leader Asif Siddiqui condemned the Opposition’s attitude, saying that it had boycotted the session when relief
measures for public welfare were being discussed in the house.
In the absence of Opposition, the house adopted 12 resolutions either unanimously or by majority votes.
A resolution expressed its concern over the misuse of official accommodation. The resolution which was adopted
unanimously, noted with serious concern that the houses and rest houses meant for city government officials were not
being misused. The house urged the government to get those houses vacated from officials no longer serving the city
government or were transferred to other departments so that the same could be allotted to CDGK officials.
A resolution to allow free treatment in General Ward and Trama Centre of Abassi Shaheed Hospital was also approved.
Besides uniform service charges was also proposed in different CDGK hospitals and health centres. A resolution
enhancing the rents of shops and stalls of the estate department was also approved.
OPPOSITION: Opposition leaders Saeed Ghani and Rafiq Ahmed in the presence of other group leaders held a joint press
conference where they termed the attitude of the presiding officer as baised.
They reiterated their stance that the amenity plot could not be used for any other purposes, saying the Gutter Baghicha
land was an amenity plot and no one had any right to convert it for any purpose.
They recalled the land had been declared as a national park and a gift to the people of Karachi by the President and
warned that any attempt to convert it for any other purpose would be met with resistance.
Mr Rafiq Ahmed also alleged that the government had made an underhand deal of the Kidney Hill Park land, alleging that
attempts were being made to convert all amenity plots for commercial purposes.
Treasury leaders Asif Siddique and Masood Mehmood denied the opposition charges saying that allotmentsmade in the
KMC officers housing society were legal.
(Dawn-17, 21/02/2007)
City council okays 18 resolutions sans Opp
KARACHI: The city council approved a record 18 resolutions in one go Tuesday after the opposition walked out earlier on
in the session.
Opposition members brought up the alleged Gutter Bagheecha land grabbing problem that was discussed during Monday’s
session leading to a ruckus in the house. Opposition members came armed with what they referred to as documented proof
of a history of corruption associated with the Gutter Bagheecha plot.
City Council Convener Nasreen Jalil asked them to schedule a meeting with her Wednesday, so that all the documents
could be read and a decision could be made. Also, she said, the matter pertained to the Sindh government and was thus
outside the domain of the council.
Opposition members continued, however, to speak. Some ruling party members got up and tried to speak on the issue as
well, saying that they had documented proof which went against what the opposition was trying to imply. Both sides were
told to schedule a meeting with Jalil, and when opposition members started chanting slogans, the city naib nazim called for
security to escort the protesting members out. At this point, the opposition staged a walkout, and conducted a press
conference separately.
The session then continued and the remaining house unanimously passed 18 resolutions, including approvals for new
postings within the city government, the repair and procurement of X-ray machines, an increase in various fees and taxes,
a decrease in hospital fees, activation of the Landhi Medical Complex, etc.
(Daily Times-B1, 21/02/2007)
Normal conditions at PNSC building likely to be restored today
KARACHI: The fire-ravaged PNSC building seems to be heading for normalcy and power supply to the building is likely to
be restored by Wednesday (today). After inspection by experts, the building has been declared safe up to the 10th floor..
However, inspection of the gutted storeys of the building, including 11th, 12th, 14th, 15th and 16th floors would be carried
out the same day by a joint committee comprising officials of the planning and estate departments of the PNSC as well as
private consultants to ascertain the damages to the fire-ravaged floors.
On a visit to the PNSC building on Tuesday, this correspondent saw employees of various institutions including banks, local
and multinational companies, present in their offices up to the 10th floor while the sanitation staff and personnel of the
PNSC were cleaning and removing debris from fire-ravaged storeys.
There was no electricity in the building and people had been warned through placing notices on the ground floor against
using generators for power supply.
An official of the PNSC administration department, who was looking after the restoration work, told The News that normal
activities from ground to the 10th floor would be restored by Wednesday as restoration of lifts, maintenance of electrical
wiring, appliances and other necessary repairs would be completed by Wednesday morning.
A strong contingent of over 120 sanitary workers and personnel of the PNSC were removing debris from the affected floors
except for 11th, he said, adding that a police team probing the cause of fire had also visited and inspected the building.
A committee of experts, including those from the PNSC, and private consultants, will again inspect the building on
Wednesday to ascertain the damage.
43
The PNSC official said the library of the Corporation having hundreds of books had also been gutted which, he said, was a
massive loss.
An employee of a local bank who has his office on the ground floor said he had come to his office as per routine on
Tuesday but there was no power so he just waited and let the maintenance staff do their work.
(The News-2, 21/02/2007)
1,100 katchi abadis encroaching on government land
KARACHI, Feb 21: The government has declared the 1,100 new katchi abadis set up in the city in the last few years as
encroachments on government land, which will not be regularised, officials in the Katchi Abadi directorate said on
Wednesday.
The officials said under the law they should be demolished. However, a proposal is under consideration to allot plots to
residents of these abadis in the government’s ‘Sasti Basti’ scheme.
The cost of a 80 square yard plot in the scheme is Rs34,000. Rs4,000 is to be paid as advance and the rest in monthly
instalments of Rs400.
The project envisages construction of 100 sasti bastis in Karachi. Each one will have a school, mosque, hospital, market
and community centres besides the usual utilities. These sasti bastis will be constructed on land lying between Malir and
Thatta along the National Highway. The Sindh government has provided Rs50 million as seed money for the project.
Expenses incurred on development work will be met by the directorate with income received from sale of plots.
Meanwhile, a long-term plan is under consideration for the re-development of katchi abadis. Multi-storey buildings in katchi
abadis will be built on the lines of a project for slum dewellers in Mumbai. The land thus vacated will be auctioned and the
income used for development of civic amenities.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) has offered funds for launching an awareness programme in katchi
abadis to teach residents how to use the civic amenities. It has asked the directorate to submit proposals in this regard.
(By Muzaffar Qureshi, Dawn-17, 22/02/2007)
List of 98 land-grabbers released
KARACHI, Feb 21: Sindh Revenue Minister Dr Irfan Gul Magsi has released a list of 98 persons who had either grabbed a
piece of the state land or using one for some purpose other than what it had been allotted to them for on a 30-year lease. In
most cases, the plots are being used as a farm house, cottage, water park, motel, hotel or sheds with boundary walls.
The 98 cases detected so far by the revenue officials pertain only to the Gadap Town and 23 of them appeared the fit
cases of landgrabbing.
In the last week of January, a massive land scam involving over Rs81 billion had come to light and it had transpired that
more than 23,000 acres of government land in the 18 towns of Karachi, besides more then 18,000 square yards of the city
survey, had been grabbed by unscrupulous people, believed to be those associated with the land mafia, through
manipulation of the revenue record.
Dr Magsi presided over a high-level meeting in his office and released the list to the press. He said all pieces of the state
land encroached upon anywhere in the province would be retrieved. For the purpose, he said, an operation had already
been launched.
He said some of those named in the list were ruling party officials.
The list has been sent to President Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Chief Minister Dr Arbab Rahim for
further directives regarding any action against them.
(Dawn-17, 22/02/2007)
KBCA chief looks into allottees’ grievances
KARACHI, Feb 21: The Chief Controller of Buildings, Karachi Building Control Authority, Mumtazur Rehman, has asked his
subordinate officers to immediately implement the orders he was issuing at the open kutchehry, and not to ignore the
same.He said this while speaking at the open kutchehry here on Wednesday where he also warned builders against
violating their agreements with the allottees at the time of booking or refusing to hand over possession on time for minting
money.
On a complaint lodged by a woman with regard to the Fancy Heights project in Sector 13-B, Scheme-33, the CCOB
directed the controller concerned to issue an official warning to the concerned builder against transferring the booked flat to
some other project and recovering additional amount illegally.
On the complaint of an allottee of shop number G-27/B, in Sea Seven Heaven project, he directed the controller
(complaints) to submit a report about the project plan and NOC for sale and advertisement. Taking notice of a complaint
lodged by a neighbour regarding illegal construction on plot number A-283, Block-D, North Nazimabad, the CCOB called
for inspection of the site by the concerned controller and action thereof.
Meanwhile, KBCA has declared advertisement, sale and booking of open plots in Gulshan-e-Kainat project, Survey No. 2,
3, 4 and 5 in Tapo Manghopir, without NOC as illegal, and warned people against entering into any deal relating to this
project.
(Dawn-18, 22/02/2007)
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Save Kidney Hill
KARACHI: Shehri has been trying to save Kidney Hill, an amenity plot of park space in KCSH Union area The case is fixed
for hearing in the high court on February 22nd 2007.
Since the withdrawal of the 15 local residents, Shehri is the only petitioner left. Over the past two days, even Shehri
members have begun to receive threats on the telephone, warning us to get out of the case — or else!
In order to diffuse the threat and establish that more residents of Karachi than just Shehri are actually interested in saving
open spaces for our future generations, we are urging NGOs and concerned citizens to become intervenors or to file a
separate case that can be joined with our case.
Are you interested? call us immediately as 453-0646 or 438-2298, or send us a return e-mail on info@shehri.org
(Dawn-19, 22/02/2007)
List of those involved in Rs81bn land-scam revealed
KARACHI: The Sindh government has started an operation against the land mafia and builders involved in the recentlyunearthed occupation of government agricultural land worth Rs81billion. The land, meant to be on 30-year agricultural
lease, was sold illegally for commercial and residential purposes. This was disclosed by the Sindh Minister Board of
Revenue Dr Irfan Gul Magsi while talking to The News at his office on Wednesday.
Expanding on this statement, he said that the department has completed a list of 124 important personalities, which
includes the names of leaders from the ruling PML, builders and officers ñ both retired and serving.
According to him, the Sindh government is now awaiting the directive of President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime
Minister Shaukat Aziz to take further action. Investigations against some influential masterminds, who made billions from
the encroachments, had also started, he said.
Officials have said that the names of Hoozor Bux, Sajjad, Muzamil, Shoib, Obid, Jawaid, Khan Muhammad, Nasir and,
other influential people, had been sent to the federal government for inclusion on the ECL to prevent any attempt to escape
from the country.
Dr Magsi was also of the view that action against the land mafia to recover government property was imperative and, in this
regard, asserted that he was committed to exposing their illegal deeds.
Providing details of scam, Magsi explained that a majority of the land involved was leased for 30 years for agricultural
purposes. However, owners violated the rules and used the land for commercial purposes by building hotels, clubs and
commercially-run farmhouses.
He stressed that this operation would not stopped or frustrated even in the face of any sort of pressure.
According to officials involved in the scam are as follows:
Deh Kalkani: Abdul Aziz (two acres), Muhammad Ali Goth (20 acres), Roshan Goth (50 acres), Agha Mehmood (16 acres),
Khuda Bux (20 acres), Abdul Aziz (six acres).
DEH NARATHAR: Faisal Cottage (20 acres) built 37 bungalows and cottages and sold in Rs6.5 million. Riaz Billys (50
acres) built 56 bungalows and sold Rs1,25,000000.
Alim Adil Shaikh an important leader of ruling PML-Q (12 acres) and covered the land with boundary wall, Shakir Farm (4
acres), Yousuf (4 acres), Memon Farm House (8 acres), Jungle Farm House (9 acres) built swimming pool and bungalows
and Chiko farm House (9acres).
DEH SHAH MURAD: Chandna Memon Farm (34 acres) swimming pool and water park, Memon farm House (8 acres)
swimming pool, Al-Zaib Farm (6 acres) Bungalows, Paradise Farm (5 acres) bungalows, Checko Water Park (8 acres)
water park, Baba Akhtar Park (5 acres), Khazir Farm Villages (Saleem Memon) (50 acres) farm house,
Al-Jannat Farm Village, farm house, Mir Ghuram Khan (one acre) hotel, Tariq Hussain (2 acres) bungalow, Shangreela
Farm House (4 acres).
DEH TAISER: Rasool Bux/ Tharo Village (40 acres) village.
DEH TORE: Major Farm House (6 acres) - swimming pool, rooms; Conl Farm House (6 acres) swimming pool, rooms,
Swiss Village (6 acres) bungalows, Al-Jabbar Society (100 acres and another 9 acres), Ghousia Society (50 acres),
Shamim Siddiqui (32 acres), Gul Muhammad (1 acre) hotel, Jalaluddin (4 acres) garden hotel, Faheem (34 acres)
restaurant, Showrang Khan (3 acres) hotel,
DEH KONKAR: Nadira Begum (16 acres) palm village, swimming pool and bungalows, Shaikh Perveez Subhani (4 acres)
farm house and swimming pool, Tahira Durrani (4 acres) Durrani farm house, swimming pool, Muhammad Musa ( 16
acres) bungalows, swimming pool, Muhammad Esa (16 acres) swimming pool and hut, Fakhruddin and Shabnum (20
acres) bungalows and swimming pool,
DEH KHARKHARO: Sukoon-Inn Resorts and Picnic Point (4 acres), Tareef Inn (4 acres) farm house and swimming pool,
Village Garden (9 acres) bungalows and swimming pool, Aisah Farm House (4 acres) swimming pool and rooms, Sattar
Farm House (8 acres) farm house, Tariq Farm House (4 acres) swimming pool and farm house, Amir Farm House (8 acres)
swimming pool and rooms, S-R farm house (4 acres), swimming pool rooms, Sain Sajid farm house (4 acres), Karim Bhahi
(4 acres), Amir Sahib (4 acres), swimming pool and rooms, Chandni Farm house (4 acres) swimming pool and rooms, farm
house (4 acres), Ali Ali Farm House (4acres) swimming pool and bungalows, Water World Park (10 acres) swimming pool,
rooms, Point farm House ( 4 acres) swimming pool, rooms, Aamir Sahib (4 acres) swimming pool, rooms, Zarina Farm
House (6 acres) bungalows, Country Club (100 acres) bungalows, Diamond Farm House (4 acres), Bacho Farm House (16
acres) swimming pool, rooms, Bashir Farm House (4 acres) swimming pool, Gimni Farm House (16 acres) swimming pool,
bungalows, Murad Farm House (6 acres) swimming pool, rooms, Siddique Saya Farm House (B-1) rooms, Nursary (mama)
Arif farm house( 2 acres), Usman Jokhio and Mama Arif (5 acres) hotel, rooms and shops, Tota Farm (5acres), Wahid
45
Sahib (5 acres) Bungalows, Bilawal Farm House (4 acres) swimming pool and rooms, Ayoub Farm House (4 acres)
bungalows, swimming pool, Noor Farm House (4 acres), Ali Fazal House (4 acres), Nagoori Kanta (2 acres) running Kanta,
DEH KHATHORE: Rahat Gul Pathan (5 acres) petrol pump, Major Zubair Aiwan and Illahi Bux Balouch (4 acres) petrol
pump, Saeed Ahmed Khoso (4 acres) hotel, Not know (4 acres) rooms and boundary wall, Abdullah Pathan and Din
Muhammad (2 acres) two hotels,
DEH KHADIJI: M/S Lucky Cement Factory (1000 acres) land was allotted for 30 years lease by Mines and Mineral
department but land was used for commercial purpose.
Abdul Razzaque (one acre) hotel, Lal Khan Jokhio(one acre) hotel, Union Council Darsano Chnna (10 acres) water pump
and rooms, Razzo Jokhio and Iftikhar former councilor (2 acres) hotel, Muhammad Shafiq and Jameel Ansari (4 acres)
leased was cancelled but rooms were built on this land.
DEH AMILANO: Mashooq Mangsi, (2 acres) hotel, Amin Shaikh (2 acres) commercial use, Muhammad Arif Memon (4
acres), Mian Wali and Jokhio (5 acres) hotel, shops garage, Nasir Iqbal, Yousuf and A Nasir (15 acres) bungalows,
swimming pool, Ghulam Akbar and Shahjehan Shah (15 acres) Bungalows, swimming pool, Nabi Bux Baloch (4 acres).
DEH CHUHAR: Haji S/O Bashko Jokhio (4 acres) hotel, Mashooq Magsi (15 acres0 shops, Ayaz Kalani and Maqsood
Kalani (170 acres) rooms, Zar Shah Pathan (2 acres).
DEH Boil: Jamil Ansari (4 acres) Shakil Kashmiri and Sikandar Jokhio (4 acres) hotel, Supparco gas (1000 acres)
encroachment.
(By Tahir Hasan Khan, The News-3, 22/02/2007)
32,229 acres of govt land vacated, says minister
THATTA, Feb 22: Sindh Minister for Revenue Dr. Irfan Gul Magsi said on Thursday that his ministry had so far vacated
about 32,229 acres of state land encroached upon and occupied by land-grabbers in Karachi and Thatta.
The minister said while addressing a press conference at the Makli Circuit House that some 22,000 acres of state land in
Karachi and 10,229 acres in Thatta had so far been vacated.
Six tapedars and four mukhtiarkars of Thatta out of a total of 23 tapedars and 11 mukhtiarkars throughout the province had
been active in the land racket for a couple of years but many of them were now facing cases in courts, he said.
He denied outright any discrimination in the operation against land-grabbers and said that on his way to Thatta he had
himself supervised bulldozing of boundary walls around an usurped piece of land near Dhabeji on the National Highway
claimed by a Seth Zakria.
He said that the records of pieces of land claimed by an industrialist and a builder on the National Highway in Dhabeji were
being scrutinised. They too would be brought to justice if found guilty, he said.
Mr Magsi said that 35,000 of total 60,000 villages, declared feasible after a survey conducted in 1987 under Goth Abad
Scheme, would be regularised.
The government had revived the scheme after a gap of 10 years through an ordinance, he said and added that the project
director of Goth Abad Scheme would camp for two days every month in Thatta to prepare Sanads (ownership deeds) of
villages in the district. He said that the department would consider genuine cases of villagers in Karachi, Thatta and
Jamshoro and take steps to vacate state land usurped by land mafia in connivance with revenue officials and police.
The minister asked the EDO of revenue to prepare feasibility report about a journalists’ colony in Makli in response to a
request made by the president of Thatta press club.
(Dawn-4, 23/02/2007)
Lines area NGOs demand regularisation
KARACHI, Feb 22: The NGOs based in Lines Area have demanded regularisation and grant of lease to inhabitants of the
area through the process of upgradation instead of redevelopment, process.
In a moot organised by Lines Area Rehabilitation Society, the representatives of non governmental organisation (NGOs)
observed that in the 25 years since the inception of Lines Area Redevelopment Project (Larp), numerous social and
technical problems have emerged. Moreover, the Larp, has become unworkable.
The meeting which was presided by former Union Nazim, Mehfooz-un-Nabi Khan also urged that the concerned authorities
restore the original status of the old Grammer School Ground in Tunisia Line and withdraw the allotment of Z.C. plots along
the road side of the ramp of F.T.C Flyover in order to ensure a healthy environment for the residents of the area and also to
cater to the future needs of expansion of roads forever increasing vehicular traffic flow in heart of the city.
The speakers at the meeting expressed concern over the illegal restoration of 317 fake allotments by Larp and the
unauthorised waiver of heavy amount of Non Utilisation fee (NUF) recoverable from defaulters of dues.
They said this had caused substantial financial loss of millions of rupees to the exchequer. They further demanded that the
eligibility of some 200 recent allotments be cancelled and unauthorised alteration in the planning also be withdrawn.
In his remarks, Mehfoozun Nabi Khan said that Lines Area Redevelopment Project Government Karachi (CDGK), and
therefore, all type of “eligibility” for A, B and C categories of plots be determined by locally elected representatives in the
CDGK. The public represent the area in LARP both legally and morally.
A Lines Area Action Committee comprising of representatives of NGOs was also formed on the occasion.
(Dawn-17, 23/02/2007)
46
Action initiated against illegal occupiers of govt land in Sindh
THATTA: Sindh Minister for Revenue Irfan Gul Magsi said on Thursday action has been initiated against 11 Mukhtiarkars
and 21 Tapedars on charges of corruption and irregularities.
This he stated while talking to notables and journalists at the Circuit House here on Thursday.
The minister said the government has recovered from illegal occupants 22,000 acres in Karachi and 10,229 acres in
Thatta. He said that the government was committed to rooting out corruption from all departments, adding that revenue
officials who were found guilty in the land scam would be dismissed from their services.
He said under the directive of Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, action has been initiated against “Qabza”
groups to recover the government land from their illegal possession. He said action would continue to bring transparency to
all land transactions.
He said people got government lands for agricultural and poultry purposes but sold out these lands for other purposes,
adding that the government has issued instructions to officials to stop such transactions where the original purpose of the
purchase of land is violated. He said the Katchi Abadis and villages would be regularised after proper checks of records of
the ownership rights achieved before 1987.
Dr Gul Magsi said a survey conducted by his department showed 35,000 villages were with legal status. He added that the
residents of all these approved villages would start getting Sanads (record of rights) during the current month.
He said he had directed two of his department’s officials to visit all districts of the province and supervise the handing over
of ownership rights to genuine occupants of the land. However, he added that illegally occupied villages built after the year
1987 would be reclaimed by the government.
He said that in future all government lands would be cancelled if the buyers violated the original purpose of the allotted
lands.
Earlier, the minister visited government lands in Dhabeji and Gharo which have been allegedly occupied illegally.
Sindh Adviser Syed Aijaz Ali Shah Shirazi, District Nazim Syed Shafqat Hussain Shah Shirazi, District Coordination Officer
Muhammad Usman Panhwar, officials of the revenue department and notables of the area were present on the occasion.
(By Dr. Mumtaz Uqaili, The News-8, 23/02/2007)
Incentives given to protect heritage bldgs
KARACHI, Feb 23: The Advisory Committee for Sindh Cultural Heritage has recommended amendments in The Sindh
Rented Premises Ordinance 1979 as a token of incentives to the owners of protected buildings and minimise the rampant
violations of heritage laws, sources told Dawn.
According to sources, the advisory committee in its last meeting considered various aspects of preservation of cultural
heritage. The review of violations of the heritage laws brought under focus the punitive clauses and it was then realised that
besides the enhancement of fines, to a level that it is be market value related, there was also need to consider easements
to be provided to the owners of properties as incentives, which are enlisted under the Heritage (Preservation) Act.
The sources said the Sindh Rented Premises Ordinance 1979 came up for discussion and the Advisory Committee for
Sindh Cultural Heritage recommended that the government be moved to make suitable amendments to make matters easy
for the owners of the old buildings, which are declared protected under the Sindh Cultural Heritage (Preservation) Act 1994.
Other well placed sources in the provincial culture department when asked to comment said it was observed in the meeting
that as the issue of preserving these buildings, was binding on the owners under the said act, but some of these premises
were given on rent since a long time and the rents were not consonant with prevailing market values in most of the cases.
They said because the rents were much less than the market value, some times a situation arose where the owners and
landlords found that it was detrimental to their personal interest to preserve these old structures.
The Advisory Committee asked the secretary culture to prepare a summary for the government suggesting some
amendments in The Sindh Rented Premises Ordinance 1979.
In the amendments the Advisory Committee recommended a raise of up to 500 percent in the rent where in the rent had
not been increased in the last 15 years. Further raise can be claimed/requested under Section 8 of the Ordinance.
The new rule will be applicable to the premises which are declared or enlisted protected premises under Sindh Cultural
Heritage (Preservation) Act 1994.
(By Hasan Mansoor, Dawn-17, 24/02/2007)
Kidney Hill
By Ardeshir Cowasjee
MY column last week was devoted to Kidney Hill, a 62-acre area lying between Karsaz Road and Shahid-e-Millat, the
original 1966 park notification showing 18 acres of the total devoted to a water reservoir which would serve hundreds of
thousands of citizens in the adjoining residential societies.
It related how three statutory agencies, including the federal, provincial and city government, had signed in June 2006 an
‘Agreement of Settlement’ to unlawfully convert two-thirds of this notified park area neighbouring the Karachi Housing
Cooperative Society area into residential plots for the benefit of the neighbouring Overseas Cooperative Housing Society
(OCHS). (The agreement had annulled a 1984 Presidential Order forbidding any conversion or residential allotment in this
area.) Fourteen affected residents and the NGO Shehri filed a petition in the Sindh High Court against this illegality.
47
What was not mentioned in the column was that during the year preceding this ‘Agreement of Settlement’ members of the
OCHS had several meetings with Sindh Governor Ishrat-ul Ebad on how this long standing matter could be resolved. The
resolution eventually turned out to be the creation in the park of 120 residential plots of 400 square yards each, a project
which would generate for various pockets and funds approximately Rs10 billion.
The governor is quoted in yesterday’s Dawn under the headline: “Parks to be city’s identity : governor”. He stressed that
“parks and games activities were the guarantee of a peaceful atmosphere of any city and all round development activities
were a manifestation of the vision of the government and the emerging parks in every part of the city were a reflection that
the people want peace.” Where does this leave Kidney Hill?
The column also told how the 14 local residents of the Kidney Hill area, who had petitioned the Sindh High Court against
the carving out of plots from parkland, had withdrawn the public-interest petition, stating “we regret not to elaborate a
reason”. It is a sad day for any country when the government of the day ‘persuades’ its citizens from pleading for their rights
in a court of law.
On February 22, 2007, an appeal by the sole remaining petitioner, Shehri, was printed in the Metropolitan section of this
newspaper, dateline Karachi, February 20: “Shehri has been trying to save Kidney Hill, an amenity plot of park space in
KCSH Union area. The case is fixed in the High Court for February 22, 2007.
“Since the withdrawal of the 15 local residents, Shehri is the only petitioner left. Over the past two days, even Sherhri
members have begun to receive threats on the telephone, warning them to get out of the case -- or else!
“In order to diffuse the threat and establish that more residents of Karachi than just Shehri are actually interested in saving
open spaces for our future generations, we are urging NGOs and concerned citizens to become interveners or to file a
separate case that can be joined with our case.“Are you interested? Call us immediately at 453-0646 or 438-2298, or send
us a return e-mail on info@shehri.org.”
(Nothing much happened on the 22nd other than the filing of a vakalatnama by Barrister Abdul Hafeez Pirzada on behalf of
the Overseas Society, and an adjournment of the proceedings to a later date.)
In response, four concerned citizens and one NGO (Helpline Trust, Taj Haider, Arif Hasan, Navaid Hussain and me) have
given their vakalatnamas to Barrister Gilbert Naim-ur-Rahman and an intervenor application has been filed in the high
court. Reportedly, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan is filing to be impleaded through Barrister Kamal Azfar.
Additionally, a number of political personalities and city councillors, as reported in the lead story in the Metropolitan section
of Dawn on February 21, at a joint press conference the previous day “reiterated their stance that the amenity plot could not
be used for any other purposes, saying, the Gutter Bagheecha land was an amenity plot and no one had any right to
convert it for any purpose. They recalled the land had been declared a national park and a gift to the people of Karachi by
the president and warned that any attempt to convert it for any other purpose would be met with resistance.
“[it was] also alleged that the government had made an underhand deal of the Kidney Hill Park land, alleging that attempts
were being made to convert all amenity plots for commercial purposes.”
Our ‘authorities,’ those who direct the governance of this city and regulate our lives, and wittingly or unwittingly destroy and
degrade our environment were quick off the mark following my last Sunday’s column.
The next day, February 19, the normal ‘threats’ began directed at certain citizens involved in the Kidney Hill petition, the
usual bumph which unfortunately cannot be lightly dismissed as those behind it are well practised in violence. These
threats have continued through last week, up to Friday.
Inspector-General of Police, Sindh, Jehangir Mirza, and Chief Secretary of the province Fazlur Rahman have both been
made aware of this somewhat dangerous situation and are taking full measures to ensure that no harm comes to citizens
under their watch.
The final paragraph of last week’s column also told of the ‘commercialisation’ of the five-acre Webb playfield in the Lines
Area of Karachi by the Army Welfare Trust and Makro-Habib for the construction of a ‘Cash & Carry Store’. It emerges that
Makro-Habib is an old hand at the conversion of amenity spaces.
A number of residents of Model Town Society in Lahore have been battling in the Lahore High Court for the past year over
the ‘commercialisation’ by Makro-Habib of 80 kanals (10 acres) of a garden plot in their society.
Quoted hereunder is an excerpt from the November 11, 2006, observations of the learned single judge, Justice Sheikh
Azmat Saeed, in the judgment handed down in the writ petition dealing with the issue:
“Similarly it was also stressed very vehemently that the proposed project constitutes economic growth and will bring
financial benefit to the country, city and the locality. In this behalf, suffice it to say that no doubt foreign investment is to be
encouraged but foreign investors are not above the law and must conform to laws of the land and must necessarily also
exhibit sensitivity to the rights and privileges of the inhabitants of the area. The learned counsel for the petitioner has rightly
drawn the distinction between growth and development. The two concepts are not synonymous and all growth must be
measured against the collateral damage accrued thereby. Even otherwise, growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of
a cancer cell.”
History will record the growth of various forms of ‘cancer’ in our society : the conversion of parks and playgrounds, the
construction of grandiose projects on the remaining open spaces and beaches, the attempts to establish a ‘world-class city’
in Karachi, a city in which over half its population resides in katchi abadis, where a polluted and inadequate water supply is
distributed, where 400 millions gallons per day of raw sewage is dumped into the sea.
The case of Kidney Hill, if pursued, and if the ‘authorities’ understand and cooperate, may well provide a watershed in the
case of our infected environment.
(By Ardeshir Cowasjee, Dawn-7, 25/02/2007)
48
Musharraf to perform balloting on 27th: Taiser Town
KARACHI, Feb 24: President General Pervez Musharraf would perform the computerised balloting of the third phase of the
low-cost housing scheme – Taiser Town – on February 27.
The director-general of the Malir Development Authority (MDA), Ameerzada Kohati, told Dawn that some 139,000
applications were received for 240sq-yards and 400sq-yards residential plots against 7,000 plots in the two categories.
In November last, the MDA launched the third phase of the Taiser Town Housing Scheme and invited applications for
240sq-yards and 400sq-yards residential plots. The total price of a 240sq-yards plot is Rs0.528 million and that of a 400sqyards plot Rs1.2 million, besides the amount has to be paid over a period of three years.
The MDA earned Rs139 million by selling the application forms at Rs1,000 each (non-refundable). The photocopy of those
forms was also acceptable.
Talking about development in the Taiser Town, Mr Kohati said that the uplift work was going on speedily and the
possession of the 80sq-yards, 120sq-yards, 240sq-yards and 400sq-yards plots would be given to the successful persons
within a period of three years instead of five. He said the president was scheduled to perform the computerised balloting for
the third phase of Taiser Town on Tuesday at a ceremony to be held in Governor’s House.
In the previous two ballotings, which were also performed by President Musharraf, the MDA allotted 34,762 plots
measuring 80sq-yards each in the first phase and 19,587 plots measuring 120sq-yards each in the second phase.
In the third phase of the Taiser Town project, people deposited Rs31,000 for a 240 sq-yards plot and Rs51,000 for a 400
sq-yards plot through pay orders in the name of the MDA and since last four months their amount was lying with the MDA.
However, after February 27, the MDA would start refunding the amount to the unsuccessful candidates and the process
would take at least a month to complete.
(By Azfarul Ashfaque, Dawn-19, 25/02/2007)
Land near heritage site given to industry
KARACHI, Feb 26: The revenue department has allotted over 68 acres adjacent to the historic Chaukandi Graveyard in Bin
Qasim Town which is a heritage site. This action has threatened the very existence of the historic tombs and created a
huge hue and cry among the local population who want parks and other entertainment-oriented projects on this land.
Well sources told DAWN that the Land Utilisation Department, Government of Sindh allotted 68-15 acres in Deh Kantho of
Bin Qasim Town to a private firm M/S Precious Industrial Park and entry in official record of Rights (Village Form II) was
made in September last year.
The allowing of industrial activity adjacent to a heritage site which is regarded as the most frequented place by Karachiites
spawned a great hue and cry, which culminated on Saturday when the Bin Qasim Town Council passed a resolution
unanimously denouncing industrial activity in the area.
Syed Yousuf Shah, a member of the Town Council moved a resolution in which he said the then provincial government in
1994-95 had allocated some 80 acres of the land located between the graveyard and the National Highway for District Malir
Complex, which included hospitals, parks and other projects of public interest.
“But, after the inception of the city government, this plan was suspended,” he said, adding, the people and public
representatives were engaged in constant correspondence with CDGK officials to establish a 100-bed hospital and a park
in front of Chaukandi Graveyard but no action was taken.
The resolution said the revenue department had allotted 68-15 acres from the same piece of land to a private firm despite
its status as an amenity plot. “This land is property of people and Bin Qasim Town and we deem it illegal to allot it to a
private firm. We demand of the government to allocate this land for the betterment and welfare of the people of area,” said
the resolution.
Investigations show the deputy district officer (revenue), Bin Qasim Town CDG Karachi, has written to the Town Police
Officer of the Bin Qasim Town saying that this piece of land had been allotted by the provincial revenue department to
Precious Industrial Park that had started work on the site i.e. construction of boundary wall etc.
“But, some miscreants and land grabbers are creating hindrance in smooth construction work of the project as reported by
the manager Precious Industrial Park, hence requested legal assistance,” claimed the DDO (Rev) in the letter. He
requested the TPO to provide security provide legal assistance to the said company “so that foreign investors could
continue their investment without any fear”.
However, experts say whenever the tribal people established this graveyard (16th Century onwards) they chose the
grounds which were high and at vantage to be seen from all around. It rendered grace and majesty to their highly
decorated or carved tombs.
“To deprive this historic place of its setting is against the heritage principles,” said an expert. He said the place filled with
these stone-carved graves is the most frequented tourist site in whole of Karachi as borne out by the visitors’ book. “There
should be a park to promote the site. Instead, the government has embarked on a path that threatens the very existence of
the historic tombs by creating an industrial estate violating the Antiquities Act by allotting even the transit area.”
“These tombs are made of very fine Gizri sandstone that fares very badly against the industrial and automobile exhausts,
and the resultant corrosion affects the calcareous stone and the relief/carved designs lose their strength and become dull,”
said Dr Kaleemullah Lashari, an eminent archaeologist, who has conducted an exhaustive study on the stone-carved
graves.
The experts said the government should have consulted the department of environment before putting huge industrial area
in the middle of the populated locality.
“One wonders will these industries be able to clear through the environment assessment impact or is the government
machinery that will get them through,” remarked another expert.
49
According to Dr Lashari such funeral structures are unique in their content and design and are found nowhere in the world
except Sindh and Balochistan.
(By Hasan Mansoor, Dawn-17, 27/02/2007)
Former city nazim criticises govt: Change in amenity plots status
KARACHI, Feb 26: Former City Nazim Naimatullah Khan on Monday condemning the government’s plans to convert the
Kidney Hill and Gutter Baghicha lands from amenity to commercial / residential purposes has demanded that these antipeople plans be abolished. He was speaking at a press conference held at Idara Noor-i-Haq.
The speakers also condemned the government and said that some civic minded concerned people who had challenged
this conversion in a court of law had been threatened and were forced to withdraw their cases. They said that they would
move the court against this theft of public spaces.
They these lands, worth billions of rupees, were reserved for amenities purposes and parks were to be developed on these
sites, but the government was robbing the citizens of these open and green spaces which were absolutely necessary for
healthy cities to counter the ever increasing atmospheric pollution.
They said that under a March 26, 2002 Sindh government notification, an amenity plot could not be used for any other
purpose, other than for which it had been reserved. He said that earlier under a Martial Law notification (Feb 8, 1982)
conversion of the Kidney Hill from park to residential purposes had been banned.
They said that the government on November 11, 2005 had repealed the Sindh Disposal of Urban Land Ordinance 2002
which has exposed the intentions of the government that it wanted to convert all amenity plots in the city into commercial
and residential plots so that the rulers could pocket billions of rupees in the process.
They said that it was very unfortunate that the rulers themselves have turned in to robbers and have taken up the role of
land mafia, but now the citizens have woken up and they would stop this theft.
Giving some background of the issue, the speakers said that originally the total land of Kidney Hill was 62 acres, but seven
acres had been encroached and now out of the remaining 55 acres, 20 acres were being given to a cooperative society for
residential purposes under an illegal agreement, the rest was being converted in to commercial and residential plots.
They said that similarly the valuable Gutter Baghicha land was being distributed among the officials, though President
General Musharraf had announced that Gutter Baghicha would be made a model park.
They said that they would not let the government rob citizens of their open spaces. They also condemned the government
for failing to provide safety and security to the concerned citizens who were trying to protect these precious lands from land
grabbers by moving the courts.
They said that these concerned citizens were threatened to take back their cases and members of an NGO that is active in
protecting the city lands and is also a party to this case in the court were also being threatened to withdraw its case. The
NGO’s office was attacked and its chief (who still has a bullet in his body) and others were injured when the builders’ mafia
opened fire many years back for resisting the construction of an illegal high rise building in the vicinity.
They also urged the superior judiciary to take notice of the fact how the concerned citizens and NGOs which were trying to
protect the rights of the people were being threatened. They also urged the authorities to take notice, and stop this illegal
act, of the Sindh government and the city government.
Mr Khan; chief of Al-Khidmat Group in the City Council, Rafiq Khan; MMA MNA Mohammad Hussain Mehnati; MPAs
Nasrullah Shajji, Yunus Barai and Gulshan-i-Iqbal UC 1 nazim Junaid Mukati spoke on the occasion.
(Dawn-17, 27/02/2007)
Housing scheme at Kidney Hill
Citizens unite to challenge ‘illegal’ development
KARACHI: Gathering at a local hotel on Monday, citizens groups have united to file petitions against the proposed land
development and conversion of Kidney Hill/ Ahmed Ali Park into a housing scheme.
Kidney Hill lies between Karsaz Road and Shahid-e-Millat and is spread over 62 acres, including an 18 acre water.
Fourteen residents of the area and the NGO ‘Shehri-CBE’ had filed a petition in the Sindh High Court against this illegal
development, however the residents later withdrew their petition without any explaination.
Residents argue that the main water hydrant plant situated in the Kidney Hill area supplies water to the whole of PECHS,
Bahdurabad and other Union areas - approximately some half a million households. They expressed fears that if the park
area was converted into a housing scheme, millions of people will have their supply of water disrupted. They also pointed
out that converting a public park into a housing society is against the law.
The case is still in the Sindh High Court, where residents asked the court to declare the area reserved as a public amenity
area solely for the recreation of citizens. They prayed the court would stop the conversion of the park.
Shehri Chairperson, Roland de Souza told The News that he and other members of the NGO have been constantly
harassed with threatening phone calls. They are, de Souza says, facing intimidation and harassment almost on a daily
basis tactics so that they step back and abandon the case.
The Helpline Trust (HT), which is playing an active part in this fight, has asked the civil society if they will allow this kind of
intimidation and behaviour to continue. “Will the sovereign citizens of this country be able to work in an environment
whereby their families are threatened just because they raise their voice,” asked Hamid Maker of HT.
Whenever elected representative are questioned about their conduct in public development projects, they silence civil
society through physical threats and intimidation, he added. NGOs say that Kidney Hill Park has become a watershed in
how civil society should react and how political parties must behave in the public arena. Political parties need to be
accountable to their masters, to the taxpayers, to the citizens.
50
The park has brought the vested interests, the mafias, the so-called political parties, their supporters and well wishers on a
head on collision course with civil society. Previously it was about shrinking space for citizens; now the space is slowly
becoming non-existent, states HT in a press release.
They asked all citizens to unite and come forward to deal with this extreme situation, and also decide the rules of conduct
and behaviour that should govern how political parties can react to dissent and opposition from civil society in any matter.
M. Naim-ur-Rahman, Advocate, Supreme Court of Pakistan expressed his anger at the public’s attitude of nonparticipation. “Most people feel scared of the terrible consequences Most people call this ‘fight for the right’ impossible and
impractical but “If you have already made up your mind in the beginning, how will you fight onwards!” remarked the
Advocate. He said that he doesn’t know what the result will be but his job is to fight for right and he will continue to do just
that.
Former cricketer, Waseem Akram and TV Artist, Sajid Hassan along with his wife were also amongst the petitioners. Hamid
Maker of Helpline Trust told The News that they are planning to hold a march very soon, in order to express their
determination over the issue.
(The News-2, 27/02/2007)
Parties, NGOs ask why govt is converting amenity plots
KARACHI: The Sindh government has started converting all amenity plots into commercial and residential areas, after
which these plots will be sold, former Karachi city nazim, Naimatullah Khan said at a press conference at Idara Noor-e-Haq
Monday. This, he said, was against the law, and was also equivalent to robbing Karachi of its rights.
City council member, and Khidmat panel group leader, Rafiq Ahmed Khan, MMA MNA Muhammad Hussain Mehenti, MMA
MPAs Nasrullah Khan Shaji and Younus Barai, Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town UC-1 Nazim Junaid Mukati also spoke.
“A 62-acre piece of land on top of a hill (commonly referred to as Kidney Hill) is being converted into a commercial and
residential area,” Khan said. “This is despite the fact that the Sindh government’s gazette (dated March 26, 2002) claimed
that no amenity plots would be used for any purpose other than that which it was reserved for. In spite of this, the 62-acre
piece of land was decreased to 55 acres through encroachments. Of this, 20 acres were allotted illegally to the Overseas
Cooperative Housing Society.”
Previously, a notification issued by the martial law administrator on February 8, 1982, said that the Kidney Hill Park will not
be converted into a residential area, he added. The current government’s intentions, however, are apparent in the Sindh
government’s gazette issued on November 11, 2005, Khan said. “The Sindh governor repealed the Sindh Disposal of
Urban Land Ordinance (SDULO) of 2002 without any reason. Later, this was converted into an Act.”
“Why did you need an ordinance in 2005?” Khan asked. “If the government is bent upon robbing citizens of their rights, who
will protect them (the citizens)?”
Khan demanded that the November 2005 ordinance and the ensuing act be repealed immediately, and the March 2002
gazette be put back into place. “Otherwise, we will go to court. We will not allow the Kidney Hill land, worth billions of
rupees, to be used for anyone’s personal gains,” he said.
“A similar problem is faced at Gutter Bagheecha, SITE Town,” Khan said. “This piece of prime land is being distributed
among government officials for residential purposes, despite the fact that President Musharraf had announced that Gutter
Bagheecha was be made into a large amusement park, similar to Disney Land.”
Speakers at the press conference further demanded that Kidney Hill and Gutter Bagheecha should remain parks.
Shehri CBE is among the parties campaigning for the land. “Political parties are pressuring NGOs to make them stop all
campaigns,” said Amber Alibhai of Shehri CBE. “We strongly condemn that. A petition has been filed at the Sindh High
Court on behalf of 32 citizens. We received threatening phone calls on February 19. This was while we were still making
preparations to file the petition. Callers told us to not file it. We have sent a request to the IG Sindh to protect us.”
According to its website, Shehri’s stand is that the 1017 acres of Gutter Bagheecha, the pre-Independence municipal land
located in S.I.T.E. Town along Manghopir Road, is a public amenity space. Such amenity spaces cannot be converted to
industrial, commercial or residential use, but must be used for the public welfare of the citizens of Karachi in general and
the residents of the surrounding areas in particular.
Shehri adds that, a Karachi Municipality map of 1892 shows that the Gutter Bagheecha Plot No. K 28/108 is 113 years old
and its surrounding area was transferred to the Karachi Municipality by the British Crown free of cost.
Its appellation of ‘gutter’ originated from storm drainage channels of Lyari River known as the Shone Drainage System.
Later these channels also took the sewerage water, originating in the adjoining built up areas, which was then used to grow
cereals, green fodder and vegetables. It later came to be known as the Sewage Farm.
At the time of partition, the Bagheecha was referred to as ‘the largest urban forest in Karachi’. Apart from the cultivated
area, there were also large tracts of natural vegetation. Old inhabitants speak of deer roaming freely and of an abundance
of flora and fauna. In 1969 map of Karachi, Gutter Bagheecha is shown as a ‘Municipal Garden’ spread over an area of
1016.76 acres.
Urooj Zia adds: The Kidney Hill Park (also known as the Ahmed Ali Park), spread over 62 acres in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town,
UC-1 is now yet another “disputed piece of prime land.”
Daily Times obtained a set of documents from Rafiq Ahmed Khan (member of the opposition in the city council). They
included a letter that was sent out on February 8, 1982, from the martial law administrator’s headquarters to the KMC
municipal commissioner, and a copy of an agreement which designated various portions of the land to the parties
concerned.
According to the letter (dated Feb 8, 1982), “as per the president/martial law administrator’s directive number 871 of 1981,
the Kidney Hill Park will continue to remain a park and will not be converted into a residential area. The letter was signed by
Lt. Col. Muhammad Yousuf Saad, on behalf of the Martial Law Administrator.
51
At the current market rate of one billion rupees per acre, the land in total costs Rs 62 billion. On May 25, 2006, an out-ofcourt agreement was drafted (under Order 23, Rule 3 of the Civil Procedure Code) by the Karachi Cooperative Housing
Society Union (KCHSU).
According to this agreement, the KCHSU comprises a union of 24 cooperative housing societies, and was registered on
January 25, 1949, under the Cooperative Societies Act of 1925. On June 8, 2006, the agreement in question was signed by
the Sindh government (through the secretary, cooperation Sindh Secretariat Karachi), the City District Government Karachi
(CDGK), the Government of Pakistan (through the secretary, Ministry of Housing and Works Islamabad), and the Karachi
Cooperative Housing Society.
The total area of the Kidney Hill Area, which was 62 acres, has been reduced to 55 acres due to encroachments, the
agreement read. The available area (55 acres) was distributed among various parties: KESC (1.3 acres), a police station
(0.40 acres), a mazaar and a mosque (1.05 acres), a park (21 acres), roads and infrastructure (10.25 acres), and a KWSB
water reservoir (1 acre). The remaining 20 acres were allotted to the Oversees Cooperative Housing Society (OCHS)
Limited through the KCHSU.
According to some sources within the city council, the mazaar in question is that of Pir Pagaro’s father.
All internal development shall be conducted jointly by the Oversees Cooperative Housing Society Limited in coordination
with the Pakistan government within a year. A joint account was also supposed to be opened for the development of the
Kidney Hill Scheme, to be operated jointly by the KCHSU MD and the OCHS secretary.
All development charges for the Kidney Hill area were to be paid for by the allotees. The park was to be developed by the
OCHS in coordination with the KCHSU within six months from the date of possession. A general layout plan was to be
approved and sanctioned by the Master Plan Group of Offices.
“The pending Court Procedure (No. 1314/1990) shall be disposed off by an order of the court,” the agreement concluded. It
was signed by representatives of all five parties involved: the Overseas Cooperative Housing Society Limited (OCHSL), the
Sindh government, the CDGK, the Karachi Cooperative Housing Society Union (KCHSU), and the Pakistan government.
Signatories included the OCHSL Honorary Secretary, Capt. Aijaz Haroon, the OCHSL chairman, CDGK DCO Fazal-urRahman, the Sindh government’s Secretary Cooperation Mumtazur Rahman, the KCHS MD, and the Ministry of Housing
and Works (Islamabad) Secretary Abrar Alam, among others.
(Daily Times-B1, 27/02/2007)
Karachi to get one of world’s tallest towers
KARACHI, Feb 27: President Pervez Musharraf has said that one of the tallest buildings of the world is planned to be
constructed in Karachi. He was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of Bagh Ibne Qasim here on Tuesday night.
The president referred to the project pertaining to the beach and islands' development and said this would be a mega
project of international standard, adding that for this the land would be reclaimed from the sea and “we hope that in the
centre of this project there will be a building 1,947 feet high.
He said with development projects like these, Karachi would attain a higher stature in the world.
The president said a three-year elevated expressway project would be launched on Sharea Faisal, adding that there was a
mass transit project from Sohrab Goth to Keamari and the elevated train service would also be initiated in five sectors.
(Dawn-1, 28/02/2007)
Rally against land allotment near heritage site
KARACHI, Feb 27: A number of PPP workers and their leaders and other supporters took out a rally and staged a sit-in in
Bin Qasim Town to protest against the allotment of land adjacent to the historic Chaukandi graveyard to a private industrial
firm.
The protestors marched from Razzaqabad Bus Stop to the Bin Qasim Town office; then they marched to the Malir
Development Authority’s office and staged a sit-in, which blocked traffic on the both tracks of the National Highway.
The protestors, led by PPP MPA Sajid Jokhio and others, chanted slogans against the government and said the authorities
were doling out precious land and priceless heritage to private parties to the extent that they had even did not maintained
the sanctity of one of the most frequented heritage sites.
They warned that they would resort to full-fledged agitation if the government did not withdraw the allotment immediately.
(Dawn-17, 28/02/2007)
Taiser Town balloting performed
KARACHI, Feb 27: President General Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday performed the balloting for the third phase of Taiser
Town Housing Scheme at the Governor’s House.
The new scheme was initiated on the President’s directives to all provinces to start housing schemes for low income group
families. Sindh took the lead in this respect.
Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad welcomed the President on his arrival at the venue where the balloting was held. The
governor in his briefing said after the allotment of plots in Taiser Town, finances would also be arranged for the from
financial institutions to construct houses.
(Dawn-17, 28/02/2007)
52
Govt land should be given to the poor: Musharraf
KARACHI: President Gen Pervez Musharraf said on Tuesday the vision and policies of the government were directed
towards poverty alleviation and control on unemployment.
Speaking as the chief guest at the balloting of 4,962 plots, in Taisar Town Housing Project of the Malir Development
Authority, he emphasised Sindh should have industrial estates on the pattern of the Punjab.
Due to effective economic policies, the poverty ratio has registered a 10 per cent decline, while unemployment has reduced
by 1.5 to two per cent and with continuity of policies, these will register further decline in the coming years, the president
said.
On the occasion, the president was given a briefing about the development of New Malir Housing Project (NMHP). “I give
credit of these two projects — Taisar Town and New Malir Housing Project — to Governor Ishratul Ebad,” Musharraf said.
Musharraf said it is his firm belief that the government land should either be given to the poor through low-cost housing
schemes or be brought in the use of industry. He said this would help alleviate poverty and also reduce unemployment.
He referred to the inauguration of three industrial estates in the Punjab, including Sundar, Faisalabad and M-3 value-added
city industrial estates. He said the land for these estates was acquired, handed over to the private sector and a board
formed for their management.
Musharraf said Sundar has emerged as a really “Sundar” (beautiful) estate with most modern infrastructure facilities. He
said all the 700 plots there have been sold out and by law the allottees have to construct units in two years. Similarly, the
Faisalabad Industrial Estate has 6,000 plots.
The president said that industries are now being set up there and so far 60 to 70 units have come up. He said when these
units will come out of Faisalabad city, it would help improve the existing infrastructure inside the city.
He suggested that this example should also be followed in Sindh, where if land will be given to the poor, they will be
benefited and this would help reduce poverty and when given to industries it would help reduce unemployment through jobs
made available in new units. He emphasised upon infrastructure development as much as possible but mainly on BOT
basis. He said the money thus saved could be invested in other schemes. “Let the investors construct roads, bridges and
flyovers on BOT basis and the money so saved be used on other projects of public importance, he said.
Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan, Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, State Minister Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain,
provincial ministers and advisers, Nazim Karachi Syed Mustafa Kamal, Naib Nazim Nasreen Jalil, DG Nadra and senior
officials of Sindh government were present.
(The News-1, 28/02/2007)
Taiser Town housing scheme:
5,000 families get plots
KARACHI: The president performed the balloting of 4,962 plots, including 1,818 plots of 400 sq. yards and 3,144 plots of
240 sq. yards, for the Taisar Town Housing Project (Malir Development Authority) Tuesday. This was the third ballot
performed by the president. The balloting has already taken place for the 80- and 120-sq-yard plots.
General Musharraf was also given a briefing about the development of the New Malir Housing Project. He said that it was
his firm belief that government land should either be given to the poor through low-cost housing schemes, or be brought to
use by industries. This would help alleviate poverty and reduce unemployment.
Referring to the inauguration of three industrial estates in the Punjab (Sundar, Faisalabad and M-3 value-added city
industrial estates), the president said that the land for these estates was acquired, handed over to the private sector and a
board formed for their management. “Sundar really has emerged as a really ‘sundar’ (beautiful) estate with modern
infrastructure and facilities,” he said, adding that all 700 plots there had been sold and by law, the allottees had to construct
units within two years.
Similarly, the Faisalabad Industrial Estate has 6,000 plots. Industries are now being set up there, and so far 60 to 70 units
have come up. He suggested that this example should also be followed in Sindh where land should be given to the poor.
When given to industries, it would help reduce unemployment through jobs made available at the new units.
The president emphasised infrastructure development, especially on a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) basis. He said that
money thus saved could be invested in other schemes. He dwelt on a National Vocational and Technical Education
Commission (NVTEC) that will offer three- to six-month courses. With what he referred to as a boom in the economy in
various sectors, the need for a skilled work force has grown manifold. He referred to nurses, plumbers, electricians and
waiters. A government internship programme has also been started and everyone who has completed 16 years of
education will get a job which pays Rs 10,000 per month.
Referring to Karachi, the president cited the examples of the K-III 100 Mgd additional water-supply scheme, the
development of Quaid-e-Azam’s mausoleum, Askari Park (in place of the old Sabzi Mandi which was moved to the Super
Highway), Bagh Ibn-e-Qasim, the development of the beach from Clifton to Shireen Jinnah Colony, Lyari Expressway, and
the Northern Bypass.
He said that now plans are afoot for the construction of an elevated expressway which will come up in few years while work
on the first corridor of the Mass Transit system from KPT to Sohrab Goth will start soon and work on five other corridors will
also be initiated thereafter.
The president advised City Nazim Mustafa Kamal to now focus on the basic requirements of water, electricity and
sanitation in Karachi — solid waste management in particular. He emphasised that Karachi has to have desalination plants
which on one hand will meet the water shortage and on the other hand generate electricity. Besides this, there should be
work on sewerage treatment. The president announced a reward of Rs 2 million for all those involved in the development of
the New Malir Housing Project.
The vision and policies of the government are directed towards poverty alleviation and control on unemployment, he added.
Due to the implementation of “effective” economic policies, poverty has registered a 10 percent decline.
(Daily Times-B1, 28/02/2007)
53
MARCH
Computerisation of land record begins
KARACHI, March 1: Sindh Revenue Minister Dr Irfan Gul Magsi on Thursday launched the first phase of computerisation of
record of rights project by pushing the button for automation of stamps and registration system.
The computerisation of records aims at ensuring a transparent system. The project, a part of a foreign funded Rs21 million
scheme to computerise all revenue records dating back to the 19th century, including hand drawn maps of properties which
would now be digitalised and preserved through micro films.
Launching the project Dr Magsi, who was speaking at a press conference at the offices of BoR, highlighted the benefits of
the project saying that through its website public could keep track of the status of their registration cases at any time by
feeding case number, key information on property schedules and other stamp act details as registration information for all
cases would be made available centrally at Karachi and Hyderabad at the main BoR Sindh offices.
The minister said that consultants were being appointed for computerisation of the entire record which was in the advance
phase as out of 10; two firms had been short-listed for the job.
He said that the main reason of corruption and complaints regarding revenue department was enormous powers which the
Tapedar and Mukhtarkar enjoyed and due to lack of information of the procedure people were being exploited.
But with the computerisation of the entire process information regarding stamps duty, required forms will be made available
on the internet and necessary data about availability of stamps and consumption at all treasury/sub-treasury offices will
also be available, he added.
In the pilot project, the offices automated included registration office Clifton, stamps office City Courts, main office BoR
Karachi and Hyderabad.
Dr Magsi said that during last three years the revenue from stamps duty had grown 15 per cent as from the year 2002-03
stamps duty collection had increased from Rs2,373 million to Rs3,840 million in 2005-06.
He said out of Rs13 billion revenue there were Rs5 billion from stamp duty alone.
The minister also said that the revenue department had also initiated Goth Abad survey and issuing ownership documents
(Sanads) to the residents. In this connection target had been given to all districts for completion of the survey.
He said that there was a ban on issuing of proprietary Sanads from last 10 years which had started from January 15, 2007
on the orders of Chief Minister Dr Arbab Rahim so that maximum facilities could be provided to the residents of Goths.
Mr Magsi said that in Karachi and Hyderabad electronic survey would start from next month.
However, the minister made it clear that action would be taken against land grabbers. He said the government already had
records of the original area of Goths
Earlier, acting chief secretary and senior member Board of Revenue Syed Anwar Haider and member Ejaz Qazi highlighted
the aspects of the pilot project and its benefits.
(Dawn-18, 02/03/2007)
10,000 acres for new industrial estates: CM
KARACHI, March 1: The Sindh government in a bid to provide improved medical facilities to people living in rural areas has
announced an additional Rs4,000 and Rs5,000 for doctors of grades 17 and 18 respectively and Rs3,000 for nurses to
attract them to perform duties in rural health centres and hospitals.
This decision of the Sindh cabinet was announced by Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim after presiding over the
cabinet meeting held at New Sindh Secretariat on Thursday.
The chief minister told journalists that the government had decided to make 10,000 acres of land available for creating new
industrial estates in Karachi and other towns of the province. The cabinet, he said had set up a committee to check
increasing traffic incidents by making recommendations to make fatal accidents a non-bailable offence and suggest
measures to ensure enforcement of traffic laws.
The cabinet also repealed the department of implementation created recently within the Services General Administration
and Coordination Department. With its winding up, the office of Additional Chief Secretary (Implementation) assigned was
also abolished.
The chief minister giving the back ground for this action said that the new department was giving an impression it was a
parallel office to that of the chief secretary as there was already an implementation cell working in the Sindh GAD
department and implementation was being monitored by the Chief Minister’s Inspection Team. He said Mr Mehar’s
services, a federal government officer, would be utilised either in a federal or some other provincial government
department.
The chief minister said the ministerial committee, which was set up for the planning department would continue its working
and help in better planning.
The cabinet deferred the decision of increasing the property registration fees and formed a committee comprising revenue
minister Dr Magsi, provincial adviser Kishanchand Perwani and M.A. Jalil, The committee had been asked to make
recommendations by the next budget.
The cabinet also decided that in future no societies, housing schemes and corporate schemes would be allotted land where
there was no provision for playgrounds were made. Likewise, no private sector schools, colleges and universities would be
issued NOC or charter until there was provision for play grounds.
54
Youth affairs minister Qamar Mansoor, told journalists that all those playgrounds which were turned into public parks or had
been encroached upon would be vacated with the help of the district governments and police. He also said that the cabinet
had also decided that all district, city and taluka governments would apportion two per cent of their budget for sports.
Labour and Transport minister Adil Siddiqui said that a present in cases of fatal traffic accident, the crime was bailable, a
committee comprising the secretaries of law, transport and home departments would recommend that it be made a non-bail
able crime.
The cabinet offered Fateha for those killed in Samjhota Express bomb blast and for Punjab Provincial Minister Zille Huma
Usman who was killed by a fanatic.
(Dawn-17, 02/03/2007)
Kidney Hill
THIS refers to Mr Ardeshir Cowasjee’s column ‘Kidney Hill’ (Feb 25). The story is not based on facts. In fact, Kidney Hill is
piece of land that lies in an area commonly known as the Karachi Cooperative Housing Society Union Area.
KCHSU comprises 24 cooperative housing societies. This area has a total of 1,175 acres, which were handed over to
KCHSU by virtue of a licence agreement signed by none other than the governor-general of Pakistan in 1954.
KCHSU was to develop this land for the rehabilitation of displaced people who came to Pakistan. The owner of this land is
the federal government which grants the lease of all the plots in the area, and not the provincial government.
The 1966 notification issued by the defunct KDA that Mr Cowasjee is quoting is only a notice and not an approval of a
scheme.
In other words, for any scheme to be an approved scheme, the defunct KDA was required to issue a notification inviting
objections from the common public. After the objections are entertained and cleared, the proposal is put up to the provincial
government for a formal approval to make it an approved scheme.
The notification of 1966 did not mature. It was, therefore, reissued in 1969. In 1969 again it met with the same fate. The
reason that the notification did not get the formal approval of the provincial government was that the land of Kidney Hill was
not the property of the government of Sindh.
It was technically owned by the federal government and before the provincial government could approve the scheme, it was
of vital importance that the process of acquiring the land was to be accomplished.
The defunct KDA never did that. Therefore the claim of Mr Cowasjee that this piece of land was amenity/park is not true.
In 1973, KCHSU allotted this land to one of its members, the Overseas Cooperative Housing Society.
OCHS paid the premium of Rs100,000 to the federal government and submitted a layout plan, which was duly approved by
the ministry of works, Islamabad, and sub-licence between KCHSU and OCHS was registered in 1979. Subsequently,
OCHS allotted plots to its individual members and handed over possession to them.
The federal government received premium price and ground rent from individual members also.
It was then that the defunct KDA/KMC forcefully tried to make a wall around this area and hence the dispute.
This dispute has been in the courts for over 20 years and the land is in the custody of the Sindh High Court on the request
of OCHS. The cost of chowkidars is also being borne by OCHS since 1991.
During the tenure of Jam Sadiq the Sindh government tried to construct a police station on one acre of this land. Till to date
that police station is incomplete as the court did not allow that.
To resolve this long outstanding issue, the Sindh governor constituted a committee and after many marathon meetings
between all parties an agreement was reached for an out-of- court settlement. OCHS which had a claim on 62 acres, and
had not surrendered a single inch in more than two decades, agreed to surrender 42 acres for park and amenities and
settled for a meagre 20 acres for its allottees whose vested right had been created way back in the 1970s.
Mr Cowasjee’s claim that 120 plots have now been created is baseless.
CAPT. AIJAZ HAROON
Hon. Secretary, Overseas Coop Housing Society, Karachi
(Dawn-6, 03/03/2007)
Land scams galore in Karachi
By Dr Noman Ahmed
THE past few weeks have been eventful where land scams in Karachi are concerned. A list of 98 land grabbers in Gadap
Town was released. The listed people had either violated lease conditions or occupied a portion of state land without legal
rights.
In the same vein, the government of Sindh declared the existence of over 1,000 new katchi abadis in different parts of the
city on state land. Gutter Baghicha, a prize parcel of amenity land, is being allotted to political favourites without the legal
course being followed.
Clandestine subdivisions and marketing of land along the Karachi Northern Bypass is another grey area in land
management. Disputed land use, conversion of railway land for real estate projects, transaction of Bundal and Buddo
islands, high-rise developments and the unabated land reclamation along the Mai Kolachi bypass are only a few indicators
of land management irregularities in Karachi.
Similarly, the federal government acquired an exceptionally wide land strip for the construction of the Lyari Expressway.
The move has created the lucrative provision of over 1.8 million square yards of land for real estate and speculation.
In order to restore sanity in development approach and rationality in land use, determination, transaction and
documentation, several factors need to be studied in an objective manner.
55
The current regime has clear intentions to use land as a commodity for sale and as an enterprise to generate quick
revenues. This business has the lowest risk for the government with a sure possibility of windfall profits. Therefore, to
remove the various hurdles, the legal framework has been trimmed down to suit the whims of our decision-makers.
In November 2006, the Sindh legislature repealed the Sindh Disposal of Urban Land Ordinance (SDULO) of 2002.
According to the movers of this legal initiative, the SDULO 2002 created red tape in the allotment of land for welfare
projects. Urban planning experts regarded this step as an attempt to demolish transparency in land allotments. This move
helped to promote discretionary powers as against institutionalised procedures.
The whole initiative of commodification of land is a direct outcome of the neo-liberal political doctrine that is being blindly
followed by Islamabad and its power extensions in provincial capitals including Karachi. In the conventional approach of
governance, land was regarded as a social asset that was placed under state control and under a contract of trusteeship.
Allocation, allotment and pricing of land were all acts that had to be decided according to public needs. Technical merits
and the neutrality of procedures were key pre-requisites. Seemingly, all these balancing merits are being undone by the
centralist approach of decision-making and implementation.
If the Sindh government wanted it could have used the provisions of SDULO 2002 for structuring an efficient and
transparent land management mechanism. For example, the contents of the law made it essential to document the land as
a pre-requisite for disposal. This automatically implied the survey and re-survey of land parcels, the authentication of
previously executed surveys and the addition of updated information.
The government also could have fairly established reserve prices of land parcels especially commercial and industrial
lands. The transaction of amenity plots was also to be streamlined. The law entitled the government to prepare and notify
rules and regulations for the routine functioning of land-owning and managing agencies. Much of the SDULO 2002
remained unfulfilled.
Land is a finite resource. Sindh, as a province, had considerable reserves of state land which later fell within the limits of
urban areas. Historically, this land which was considered an asset was carefully utilised for residential, commercial,
agricultural, recreational, industrial and other purposes, at least in the large cities. But it began to be viewed as a tradable
commodity. This gave rise to a land market which was entirely uncontrolled. Nascent market forces determined the
utilisation and transaction of land compared to rational public choices. With no thought being given to the social, ecological
or long-term economic aspects, land transaction continues unabated.
Political interest has been one of the prime factors determining land supply. This interest has superseded urban and
regional planning considerations, objectives and policies of the administration, fiscal liabilities and even legal limitations.
The chief ministers of various governments played a key role in land allotment due to the infinite authority vested in their
office and their political clout.
Bypassing laws, regulations and norms has thus become a routine exercise which does not let any land supply mechanism
function. In brief, land parcels have been allotted due to political pressure. Political bribes have also been given in the form
of land. The announcement and cancellation of housing schemes has been done on the same basis.
Land disposal schemes mostly developed as a clandestine marriage of convenience rather than a transparent and equal
opportunity enterprise. The attempts made in this respect have been severely criticised by the users, the media and
experts. Only recently, the government finalised the allotment of about 19,000 acres of land for the Education City project. It
has created many doubts. For example, subsidised land has been offered to many institutions operating on commercial
objectives without providing relief to the common people.
Traditionally, existing patterns of land ownership have a direct bearing on its transition in the urban scenario. Clan
influences, appropriation and possession of land are important factors that govern the direction of development. When land
was in private hands under traditional landlords, they lobbied with public sector officials to devise development
policies/priorities to maximise their own benefit.
The planning and development of communication schemes, transportation projects and investment in infrastructure
schemes were largely manipulated on the same basis. The fringes of large cities are the most important choices in this
regard.
Proper preparation and updating of land records and their communication to all stakeholders is a pre-requisite for effective
land management. Seventeen years ago, the now defunct KMC commissioned a broad-based study of urban land use and
management. The study, which was supported by the World Bank, aimed at analysing the various trends and dynamics of
land utilisation patterns. It provided a comprehensive analysis of the urban land market, real estate trends in various key
locations, informal settlements and legal and administrative elements affecting overall land supply and development.
Although the study was undertaken as part of the Karachi Special Development Project under donor assistance, it served
as a useful tool for understanding Karachi’s use of land and the development scenario.
However, like many similar attempts, it soon lost its significance as it could neither be updated nor properly utilised for
generating any appropriate planning and development mechanism.
The other irony is the fact that vital issues identified in the study are still valid today without an iota of difference in the
situation. It would be useful to relate the present land situation to the findings of that study to understand the prevailing
dynamics.
The floating mechanism for land and housing is so designed that speculation automatically evolves in the process. Land
development agencies from civilian and military domain allot land parcels at a very low selling price. As the owner
completes the formalities, he already possesses the opportunity of delaying construction and accruing profits on idle land.
Since powerful interest groups benefit from this in-built procedural defect, they are averse to any change in the practice.
Regulatory controls in the form of non-utilisation fees or any other form of levies are either non-enforceable or too
minuscule to bother the property owners.
56
A simple outcome is the artificial rise in property demands that results in a rush supply of land and housing without any
urban planning blueprint. Land sales along Super Highway, Defence Society and those near major transportation projects
are examples. These instances render land management and control an even more uphill task.
An absolutely uncontrolled market mechanism soon becomes a detrimental entity for stakeholders themselves. In Karachi,
the impotence of land control bodies has always been in evidence. Vested interests, in connivance with government
functionaries, have managed to keep planning agencies and building/town planning control departments separate from
each other. Thus urban planning, wherever and whenever performed, is only a ritual. Nobody is bound or regulated to
follow its prescriptions.
In the prevailing scenario, the government’s random actions and clandestine decisions give rise to serious doubts. If the
government assigns any respect for the transparency and efficiency for its projects, it must take a few steps without any
further delay.
One, a list of state-owned land parcels and reserves must be prepared and published for public benefit. This would be
greatly useful in stemming the surreptitious disposal of state land by officials and policymakers. It would also serve as a
vital knowledge base for urban and regional planning for Karachi.
Two, an efficient land information system must be created and made accessible to the public. Such a system acts as a
multifaceted database and information repository which is continuously adjusted according to periodical changes in the land
development status.
Three, the Sindh legislature must consider promulgating a revised piece of law to streamline the disposal of urban lands.
Without a guiding legal framework, little benefit can be expected from other initiatives.
Four, the sales, changes in usage and state of urban lands must conform to a development plan for the city which is valid
and derives consensus from all technical and professional quarters. Without a valid city plan, land scams shall continue to
haunt our cities for a long time.
(By Dr. Noman Ahmed, Dawn-6, 05/03/2007)
Development extremists
What criterion should be used to distinguish a 'pseudo-intellectual' from a true intellectual; a pseudo-democrat from a true
one; and a pseudo-nationalist from a true one? The common link, it seems from the received wisdom of our leadership, is
that all three discredited above are anti-development and anti-state. This is because they disagree, resist, organise and
claim their right to an alternative vision for the country. However, if the self-acclaimed state patriots ever studied the history
of development and politics, they would be humbled by the evidence that points out their own anti-people and anti-state
vision of development and governance.
There are several mega-development projects that are dwarfing Karachi's other mega-concerns -- it's a battle of concrete
over basic amenities. The Kidney Hill project, the beachfront development project and the plaza development for elite
services on Jinnah Hospital land, are three immediate issues being challenged by concerned, and informed, citizens. In
response they are either being ignored, dismissed as environmentalist loonies or receiving very real death threats. Land
mafias are notorious all over the world, but rarely do they get support and sanction from the state such that the mullahmilitary nexus is now replaced by a real-estate-military ethos that is increasingly pitting itself against the average citizen.
The history of colonial development is severely criticised by post-colonial analysts, particularly the civilizing ambitions of the
British Raj, which created cities in India to display its grand regalia and in which the Indian had no part. Ghalib observed
this colonial imposition in 1865; 'A great monkey, strong as a lion and huge as an elephant, has been born. He roves the
city demolishing buildings as he goes' (quoted in The Idea of India, Sunil Khilnani).
The crucial link between urbanisation and class tensions cannot be over-estimated -- unfortunately not resulting in class
solidarities as the cleavage between rich enclaves and slum poor become institutionalised. Instead, across South Asia we
observe the poor organising themselves, often through political patronage, to get access to basic services--water,
electricity, roads. It is inevitable therefore, that free-floating political forces exploit these relations. Therefore it is no
coincidence that while elite politics plays itself out in capitals such as Delhi and Islamabad, cities like Mumbai and Karachi
get divided by religio/political, sectarian or ethnic/caste political allegiances.
Committed, people-oriented, democratic governments cannot afford to ignore historical lessons which serve as warnings
and call for safeguards. It's not enough to have 'mangrove cities' or other band-aid measures. The wrath of nature, as we
have only too recently and tragically experienced, creates deep wounds that cannot be stemmed by mere human relief
after the disaster. Rather its how we nurture the environment that enables us to convert it into either a protective force or
encourage it to unleash its power to reclaim, in its continuous struggle against human encroachment.
The issue is not to stop development but that international, western-inspired mega-models must be reviewed and revised to
enable more citizen-centred alternatives. The challenge is not coming from a bunch of old world protectionists or 'foreignfunded' NGOs. Instead the concerns emerge from a consciousness that development projects must not be imposed (by
foreign or local firms), else they will further alienate and create a huge cleavage socially and politically.
Wrong development merely furthers economic disparities rather than creating true harmonious citizenship. We do not need
to become a Singapore or Malaysia - we need to become the best we can for the majority beneficiaries who are at the
moment slum-dwellers and the poor. Their only recreation and breathing space in times of consistent power outages and
lack of water are public spaces such as a free beach and free park. Why should we force them to become consumers or,
indeed, to seek recreation in state-of-the-art amusement parks with cartoon characters that are not just culturally foreign
but carry no educational nor cultural value?
Why do we value our cultural heritage so much less that we cannot renovate and conserve Sadder bazaar architecture or
Jheel Park but instead must construct glass and steel malls and new parks that are extravagant and ugly? The fear-
57
inspired need to build an image of modernity and enlightenment stems from an insecurity and desperation that makes us
accept neo-liberal, expensive, loan-driven development, unquestioningly.
Most of all, democracy calls for participatory decision making and this regime needs to take a deep breath and review the
tangible needs of communities. Grandiose, exclusionary designs can turn people into angry, disappointed citizens rather
than healthy, fulfilled, involved ones. Let's look at indigenous methods for developing our cities. After all, we wouldn't want
to be accused of becoming a pseudo Dubai, would we?
(By Afiya Shehrbano, The News-6, 06/03/2007)
Tallest buildings
THE PNSC building off the Keamari flyover caught fire recently and at least five floors of the building were completely
damaged. The building was, at one time, the second tallest building in the country. The fire started on the 11th floor in the
morning and by afternoon the fire-fighting authorities had left the building to itself because there was no way of getting to
those floors.
About 24 fire-tenders, eight belonging to the KPT and the rest from various parts of the city, were working constantly to put
out the flames. The two KPT-operated snorkels did not have enough pressure to propel water even up to the 8th floor,
while the city government’s snorkel fared a little better, managing to spray water a little above the 9th floor.
Ironically, shortly afterwards President Musharraf inaugurated a Rs20 billion KPT Tower complex which will be 1,947 feet
high (a patriotic gesture), and one of the tallest buildings in the city.
One would hope they use fire-resistant materials in the building and have proper fire-safety procedures in place, but even
then the city would need better fire-fighting facilities for the future.
The KPT (which generously spends on fountains and underpasses) should consider spending some of that money on firefighting facilities. These tall buildings could become very dangerous otherwise.
IBAAD HAKIM
(Dawn-6, Letter to the Editor, 07/03/2007)
KBCA laws to be changed, says city nazim
KARACHI, March 6: City Nazim Mustafa Kamal has said that there was a need to change the existing bylaws of the
Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA) to bring them at par with international standards.
He said this during a meeting with a delegation of Association of Builders and Developers (Abad) at his office on Tuesday.
He informed the delegation that the government was considering upgrading the existing bylaws on modern lines. He
maintained that the government will take builders and other stakeholders into confidence before any change in the existing
bylaws.
The nazim said that people of the metropolis were facing several problems due to builders. However, he appreciated Abad
for setting up a complaint centre in its office to rectify peoples’ complaints.
Mr Kamal informed the delegation that the government wanted to develop the housing industry and bring experts and
qualified people in this sector. He asked the association to ensure all builders to provide maximum facilities to citizens in
the residential projects that they build.
He was of the view that builders should improve their standard and do their business in accordance with the rules and
regulation, which will help in elimination of corruption from the KBCA and other departments.
The problems relating to the Scheme 33 also came up for discussion during the meeting and the nazim promised to resolve
the issues on priority.
Additional Vice-Chairmen KWSB Imamuddin Shahzad and Moin Khan, EDO Revenue Saleh Farooqi and other senior
officials were present in the meeting. Chairman Abad Abdul Hafeez Butt led the eight-member delegation.
(Dawn-17, 07/03/2007)
City govt not settling Kidney Hill case out of court, PA told
KARACHI, March 6: Sindh Local Government Minister Muhammad Hussain on Tuesday gave assurance to the Sindh
Assembly that there was no move by the City District Government of Karachi to settle the Kidney Hill case out of the court
nor anyone was allowed to encroach on the land earmarked for the Gutter Baghicha.
He gave this assurance in response to the points of order raised by Nasrullah Shaji of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal. In the
point of order, he had alleged that efforts were being made through the city government to settle the Kidney Hill case out of
court and hand over it to some builder. The case of Kidney Hill, which was spread over 62 acres with market value of over
Rs60 billion, was pending in a court since 1990.
The minister said the land was earmarked for the park and as such it should not be utilised for any other purpose.
Nasrullah Shaji also drew the attention of speaker towards Gutter Baghicha which was spread over 450 acres and being
encroached upon.
Dispelling the impression, the minister said the Gutter Baghicha was encroached upon 10 to 15 years back where some
housing societies had got themselves registered. Besides, he said, some land was allotted to the KMC Employees society
and they had got order from the court. However, he said the government had set up an inquiry committee to find out how
the names of those people who never had been the employees of the KMC, were mentioned in the list of allottees.
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After the questions’ hour, Iqbal Quaderi, who was presiding over the session as a member of the panel of chairmen,
allowed the members to raise points of order. Yunus Barai of the MMA drew attention towards arrest of 150 to 200 pilgrims,
including women and elderly people, on their return after performing Haj. He said if they had travelled on forged passports,
the action should be initiated against the officials responsible.
Responding to the point of order Provincial Minister Irfanullah Khan Marwat said they were Afghan nationals, who had
illegally acquired the Haj passports and Pakistani ID cards with the connivance of some staff. “No foreigner has any right to
get Pakistani passport and ID card as such they were being questioned to inquire about their accomplices,” he said.
Farheen Ambrin of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement drew attention of the house towards student-teacher ratio in
government schools. She also asked about the use of funds in the government schools.
On a point of order, Rafique Engineer drew attention of the chair saying that he was not proceeding in accordance to the
agenda.
The chair responded that it was the ruling of the speaker that the chair would take up point of orders after the questions
hour. Before the chair could give floor to some other aspirant members on the treasury benches, Rafique Engineer rising
from his seat started reading his privilege motion. This was objected by members from treasury benches including
Irfanullah Marwat, Muhammad Hussain, Sardar Nadir Akmal Leghari, Naila Inam and others.
Members sitting on the opposition benches started thumping the desk and Ayaz Soomro, Makhdoom Jameel and others
stood up, but before the situation deteriorated sanity prevailed on the opposition as Nisar Khuhro asked his colleagues to
take their seats so that the treasury benches should not have excuse to call the chair to prorogue the session again. Mr
Marwat had earlier asked speaker to prorogue the session for disobeying his instructions during supplementary questions.
Mr Khuhro asked the chair to bring the house in order.
Minister Muhammad Hussain pointed out the ruling of speaker that after questions hour members would be allowed to raise
point of order.
Fareeda Baloch, who was recognised by the chair, pointed out water scarcity issue in Lyari and accused that a political
party which had used water shortage for its politics was again creating hurdles when the present government was trying to
solve the problem for good. Without naming any party, she accused it of threatening the engineer and other staff of water
board which was working in Lyari.
Around 12.50, the chair announced prayers break for 40 minutes.
(Dawn-19, 07/03/2007)
SHC rejects KBCA plea for separate police force
KARACHI, March 7: The Sindh High Court on Wednesday rejected the Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA)
application for a separate police force at KBCA disposal to demolish illegal constructions in the city and directed it to initiate
demolition action with the help of City Government Anti-Encroachment Police or the police stations concerned.
SHC's division bench comprising Justice Musheer Alam and Justice Yasmeen Abbasi gave direction during hearing of a
petition filed by a citizen against illegal construction and various other matters regarding illegal construction in the city and
non-compliance of court order to demolish them.
Controller of Building (Vigilance) KBCA Atique Baig in the application submitted to the SHC stated that in a large number of
cases court passed order to demolish illegal buildings needed adequate police force on a regular basis. He prayed to make
arrangements to place the required police force at the KBCA disposal for the compliance of court orders.
AAG of Sindh Sarwar Khan stated that police force of the defunct KMC & KDA was placed at the disposal of the City
Government Anti-Encroachment Police Station. The DIG (Operation), DIG General Headquarters & the TPO concerned
could also be approached in case of a shortfall or requirement of additional force for the demolition of illegal buildings.
He stated that the duty of police force was not to carry out demolition itself but control law & order during demolition action
in the particular area. The KBCA had lost confidence of the public and the court for non-compliance of court order and now
they wanted to drag in all other agencies.CDGK counsel Manzoor Ahmed stated there was no need for a separate police
force for the KBCA as the police station at the disposal of the city nazim had sufficient staff with a DIG, two SHOs and 35
police personnel, which was generally sufficient to carry out any demolition operation. The DIG (Operation) and General
Headquarter always extended their cooperation whenever it needed.The division bench after hearing arguments directed
the KBCA to initiate demolition action and report compliance in all cases with the help of the City Government AntiEncroachment Police. In case of a shortage or requirement of additional force, a request should be made to the TPO
concerned.
It also directed to send a copy of the order to DIG (Operation), DIG Headquarters and others for compliance of court order.
TRUST: A division bench of the High Court of Sindh comprising Chief Justice Sabihuddin Ahmed and Justice Faisal Arab
on Wednesday issued notice for March 21 in a petition challenging sealing of the offices of Al-Rasheed Trust.
Petitioner Muhammad Suleman, a trustee of the trust, challenged the impugned action, which has been taken without a
show-cause notice.
The petitioner submitted that the trust was busy in different relief activities but on February 18 all such social welfare
activities were shut down when offices of the trust were sealed.
(Dawn-19, 08/03/2007)
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Pindi govt delays project
Murree losing orchards due to landslides
RAWALPINDI, March 8: Landslides and soil erosion mostly triggered by human activity are regularly destroying orchards in
the Murree Town, inflicting losses running into millions of rupees on the local farmers, Dawn has learnt.
However, the growing problem would have been controlled to some extent had the Rawalpindi agriculture department
launched a proposed rehabilitative project in March 2005.
Survival of a large proportion of people residing in the town’s 15 union councils depends on earnings from produce of these
apple, apricot, peach and guavas orchards.
But under the current circumstances the livelihood of this rustic population appears to be at stake.
Talking to this reporter, a farmer said the most affected areas included Loyerbun Kotal, Doonghian, Bandal, Bewal,
Phagwardi, Potha Sharif, Tarat, Gohrda Galli and Morra Sharif.
He said many gardens had been rendered uncultivable by soil erosion during the last few years.
The farmer community with the help of a local NGO, Rural Area Development Organisation (Rado), wrote a letter to
President Pervez Musharraf in December 2004 to take notice of the damage caused to their land.
The appeal resulted in a thorough survey by the agriculture department about the causes and effects of landslides in
Murree.
It was determined in the survey that deforestation, blasting for stone extraction, heavy construction, poor drainage, and
earthquakes were the major reasons for landslides. The slides also made an adverse impact on the fertility of land, besides
polluting the environment, threatening the human habitat, contaminating drinking water, minimising self-employment
opportunities, spoiling the catchment areas of Khanpur, Simly and Rawal dams, and increasing the maintenance cost of
roads.
The survey also paved the way for a proposal on launching a rehabilitative project entitled “Rehabilitation of Agricultural
Land through Stabilisation Measures for Land Slides in Murree”.
The plan was sent to District Nazim Raja Tariq Kiani in March 2005 for further action.
The proposed scheme included plantation, small water reservoirs on natural springs, loose stone retaining walls, Gabbion
structure, i.e. spur in nullah to check water erosion and check damming to reduce silt movement.
However, when the said scheme could not won departmental approval and landslides continued, Rado on behalf of area
people put up a complaint with the provincial ombudsman Rawalpindi region against the non-implementation of the project.
During proceedings in the ombudsman court, a soil conservation officer, while confirming a lapse on the part of the
government, said a project “Landslide Control in Murree Areas” was completed in 1991-92 and since then no new scheme
had been sanctioned to check landsliding.
Two months after the case registration, the ombudsman directed the Executive District Officer (Agriculture) in Rawalpindi to
make sure early execution of the rehabilitation project.
When this reporter contacted District Officer (DO) Soil Conservation Iftikhar Ahmed Qureshi, he said the proposal worth
Rs50 million was prepared a long time ago but was put on the back burner due to unavailability of funds.
Director-General Agriculture (Field) in his letter dated November 30, 2006, informed the officials in Rawalpindi that the said
scheme would be included in the annual development programme 2007-08, the district officer added.
(Dawn-2, 09/03/2007)
Reconsider allotment near Chaukandi
KARACHI, March 8: The Director-General of Projects and Special Initiatives (P&SI) has proposed to the provincial revenue
department to reconsider the allotment of over 68 acres to an industry near the historic Chaukandi tombs and said a
heritage park be developed on the same site.
The revenue department has allotted a land measuring over 68-15 acres adjacent to the historic Chaukandi Graveyard in
Bin Qasim Town which has threatened the very existence of the historic tombs and also created a huge hue and cry among
the local population who want parks and other entertainment-oriented projects on this land.
“I have proposed an ADP scheme for the coming year where in a park will be developed if the land is made available to us,”
the DG said in a letter written to the Member (Land Utilisation) of the Board of Revenue Karachi.
The letter referred to the people’s anguish on the issue reflected in the protest and a resolution passed by the Bin Qasim
Town for the cancellation of the subject allotment and the issue was raised by various newspapers. The deal was first
published in Dawn last month in which the Land Utilisation Department’s allotment of 68-15 acres of land in Deh Kantho of
Bin Qasim Town to a private firm M/S Precious Industrial Park was revealed.
Dr Kaleemullah Lashari, DG (P&SI) said the sandstone graves of exquisite beauty are a specialty of Sindh and no where
does such unique funeral architecture exist, which is why the site is a major tourist attraction. The historic Chaukandi tombs
are made of sandstone of local origin that unfortunately is not very strong and can be damaged by industrial exhausts in the
air, he added.
“The setting of this graveyard is of utmost importance as it stands on high ground and its builders wanted it to be seen from
all around,” said Mr Lashari. These protected monuments deserve our respect and we must not distort their setting.
According to international heritage conventions, the area between the archaeological or historical sites and neighbourhood
is to be separated by creating a buffer zone,” said the letter.
Another expert said: “There should be a park to promote the site. Instead, the government decided to threaten the very
existence of the historic tombs by creating an industrial estate violating the Antiquities Act by allotting even the transit area.”
The experts said the government should have consulted the department of environment before putting a huge industrial
area in the middle of the populated locality.
(By Hasan Mansoor, Dawn-17, 09/03/2007)
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Petition against plot conversion allowed
KARACHI, March 10: The Sindh High Court has allowed a petition against conversion of a plot in Mohammad Ali Johar
Society from residential to commercial. A resident of the society submitted through Advocate S. Iqbal Haider that residential
plot number 44-A, measuring 2,000 square yards, was ‘surreptitiously’ bifurcated into two plots measuring 1444 square
yards and 555 squate yards or thereabout and renumbered 44-A and 44-A/1, respectively.
Plot 44-A/1 was commercialised in March 1992 by the federal works ministry on the basis of a no-objection certificate
issued by the Karachi Development Authority (since merged into the city district government) in 1991. A seven-storey
complex consisting of shops and apartments was approved by the Karachi Building Control Authority. The builderdeveloper also obtained sanction for sale of the shops and flats.
Allowing the petition, a division bench comprising Justices Mushir Alam and Azizullah M. Memon held that the conversion
of the sub-divided plot without following the procedure prescribed by the Karachi Building and Town Planning Regulations
and the Sindh Town Planning Act was unlawful. Any superstructure built on an illegal foundation could also not be
sustained, it observed.
CONTEMPT CASE: Another builder-developer is to withdraw a contempt application filed by him against the KBCA under a
compromise reached during proceedings in the Supreme Court. The builder was issued a show cause notice for
amalgamating four plots on Shahrah-i-Faisal, Tipu Sultan Road and adjacent by-lanes and designing a commercial
complex on the merged plot.
The developer sued the KBCA for contempt saying that its show cause notice was issued in contravention of an SHC order
requiring the authority to sanction his plan without waiting for city district government’s approval.
The KBCA counsel, Shahid Jamil Khan, said the amalgamation and commercialisation of big plots situated on different
roads, only one of which had been declared commercial, was an illegality that could not be cured by any sanction or
approval. When the SHC suspended its show cause notice, the KBCA approached the Supreme Court. A four-member SC
bench disposed of the KBCA’s petition in terms of the respondent builder’s assurance that he would withdraw his contempt
application from the high court.
APPEAL MOVED: A convict sentenced to death for murder of Pakistan Steel chairman Sajjad Hussain has moved an
appeal in the high court through Advocate Azizullah Shaikh and N.M. Saheto.
Mohammad Khan Chachar was accused of firing fatal shots on Mr Hussain, the only witness in a PS reference against PPP
leader Asif Ali Zardari, near a DHA Phase II bungalow while he was returning from the Defence Club at 9.50pm on
September 11, 1998. Co-accused Zulfikar Ali Mirza and Dr Nisar Ahmed were declared absconders and Mr Zardari was
acquitted by the trial sessions court for want of evidence. Chachar was convicted.
The trial court awarded death penalty by way of qisas but also ordered the convict to pay diyat to the heirs of the deceased.
The appellant’s counsel said the impugned judgment was not in accordance with the law. There was no ocular or
circumstantial evidence and the appellant has been convicted only on the basis of a statement he gave to the police.
(Dawn-17, 11/03/2007)
Land bank — a quest for equity
THE government is taking an initiative to unlock the potential of millions of acres of state and private land for industrial,
commercial and housing use under a pre-defined land-acquisition and disposal mechanism. The Economic Coordination
Committee (ECC) would look into the question of creating a ‘land bank’ that would also feature unutilised state land,
including land in possession of military, railways, ports etc.
For acquisition of land, separate criteria would be put in place for different projects like for dams, hotels, wholesale
investors, agricultural enterprises and other industrial investments, and their pricing structures would be based on
respective productivity levels of each sector.
All these efforts are being made to facilitate the private sector which faces difficulties in acquiring large chunks of land for
investment because of multi-owner titles of land and also because, in most cases, such sales result in litigation under the
Land Pre-Emption Act.
According to a study carried out in 2005, the World Bank has identified five major barriers to foreign investment in Pakistan.
These are land acquisition, financial regulation, tax administration, business registration and labour regulation. In which
about 79 per cent investors identified land acquisition and site development regulations as barrier to investment. By
introducing this policy, state land in all cities would be made part of a 'land bank' for utilisation by the private sector for
investment.
Compulsory acquisition of land under ‘land bank’ has become a vital part of the overall development strategy of the state,
particularly in the context of competition to attract investments. State industrial development agencies compulsorily acquire
land, develop it and build up land banks from which they could readily offer consolidated tracts to industries that come in.
No doubt the government’s ‘land bank’ initiative is without merits. The stated aim of the scheme is to simplify the process of
land acquisition for foreign investors. Any type of foreign investment is a harbinger of national progress and, no doubt,
effective in terms of generating employment, income, infrastructure development and its contribution towards social
welfare. However, at the same time, the scheme is endemic with an opportunity for graft, nepotism and unfair treatment of
owners of private land whose land is forcibly acquired by the government, in most of the cases, by giving them a little
compensation.
In Pakistan, from the development era of 60s till date land may well emerge as the major resource of contention between
the government and the private landowners over the issue of fair and just compensation. By using its eminent power state
acquires land, develops it and sells or leases it to other private parties, the issue of the state favouring one section over
another comes to the fore.
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Eminent domain is used in all over the world and is recognised as a legitimate instrument to promote economic
development. Yet, there is something intrinsically unfair in the state taking property from `A’ against his will and passing it
on to ‘B’, another private person who can put it to more profitable use. Most cases of land acquisition offend the principles
of equity as they involve the compulsory acquisition of land from the weaker section at low prices for transferring it to
industries and builders who reap huge gains from the appreciation in land values after development.
The Land Acquisition Act on paper provides for fair compensation: in addition to the market value (the price at which a
willing seller would sell to a willing purchaser), it provides for damages to the land from acquisition, the resettlement costs.
In practice, this process is riddled with corruption and is dilatory. The market price is frozen as on the date of publication of
the notification of acquisition and as the time gap between the notification and the actual transfer is long — at times even
20 years — and prices rise several-fold meanwhile, the affected persons are invariably left with a sense of having been
cheated.
The existing example for this is Mangla dam affectees, a substantial number of families settled in Punjab and Sindh have
not been able to get possession of their allotted lands so far and thus numerous cases are pending in courts as their lands
have been grabbed by local influential people.
Another section of affected people is those settled in Jhang and Khushab districts. Even after three and half decades they
are still without ownership rights. In the Terbela dam case, provincial governments of Punjab and Sindh were directed to
allocate 60,000 acres. Only Punjab could provide the land asked for in that meeting whereas the government of Sindh
allocated only 10,667 acres.
Out of the 667 families who were issued allotment letters in the late 1970s by the Sindh government, over 250 families
have not been given possession despite the fact that most of them had already made payments. The affected people who
went to Sindh province to get possession of land had to face retaliation from the local people. Similarly, in Punjab a majority
of those who were allotted land were either forced by the influential people of the area to vacate the land, or were
compelled to dispose of their allotted land, as it is difficult to utilise or cultivate it.
Along this, optimal use of land is also a major concern given for private landowner, because mainly industrial units may be
allotted prime agricultural land, especially in Punjab. A case in point is the Punjab government’s decision last year to
acquire some 1,200 acres of rich agricultural land near Sheikhupura for a Mercedes-Benz assembly plant.
The owners were being paid a pittance and it also transpired that only 600 acres were required by the automobile
manufacturers, with the rest earmarked for a luxury hotel and golf and race courses. In another case by using the Land
Acquisition Act, the Government of Punjab Employees Housing Foundation acquired rich fertile private lands of
Bahawalpur, Multan, Faisalabad, and Gujranwala for building houses for retired, serving employees, here the notion of
‘public purpose’ for acquiring a land should be debated.
Meagre amount of the land for the land compensation is also not a new concern for the private landholders, in Multan the
Lahore High Court for the construction of Judicial Complex acquired lands, and notification sent by under the Land
Acquisition Act in October 2003. The land price set by a middleman about 5,000 per Marla, which after the intervention by
the senior member of B.O.R. the price of land was fixed at 9,000 per Marla, instead of the present market price 1,00,000
per Marla. Even Supreme Court has given a verdict reported in PLD 2004 SC 512 that any price for the value of land till
announcement of award being a potential value of land must be taken into consideration. Then the High Court reduced the
land from 919K-2 M to 719K-1 M and has yet to deposit the balance amount so that the district authorities issue the award
and payment to the landowners.
But still the affected people are waiting for three-and-half years for payment, where possession has also been forcibly taken
away since 14 June 2005. Similarly, there is a danger that both state and private land may be parcelled out at nominal
prices to favoured parties, which may then put portions of the acquired property to whatever use they see fit.
Land Bank must not only be assessed comprehensively for their social costs but must be implemented if they also serve
the purpose of equitable distribution of resources, wealth and opportunities. For this the first and the immediate imperative,
therefore, would be to drastically overhaul the system of paying compensation.
The very philosophy of the Land Acquisition Act denies the affected people any potential increase in the value of the land
from conversion to industrial or residential use, allowing only State government corporations, builders and developers to
reap the benefits of the appreciation. Unless the gains from land development are shared with the landowners in a
substantial measure, the system would remain unfair and would be unsustainable politically. There is strong need to
change the compensation process.
The second task would be to develop efficiently functioning land markets, combined with an effective and imaginative
system of land use planning to enable orderly development and the preservation of open and green spaces.
It is suggested that the federal and provincial governments should amend Land Acquisition Act 1894 and 1983 immediately
on issue of first notification under section 4 till the award time should be maximum 120 days otherwise section 4 will lapse
automatically. While determining the market price of land, the district price assessment committee should include the
affected people so that they agree at the price and 15 per cent compulsory land acquisition charges are increased to 100
per cent, this will help the rehabilitation of the dispossessed.
(By Nusrat Khurshedi, Dawn-Economic & Business Review, Page-V, 12/03/2007)
803 goths to be regularized
KARACHI, March 14: Sindh Revenue Minister Irfan Gul Magsi said on Wednesday that soon 803 old goths would be
regularized in Karachi and ownership rights would be given to their residents.
The minister said keeping in view the population growth rate in Karachi, the city and provincial governments were working
jointly to develop new townships.
Referring to the Goth Abad Scheme, he said it was going on in a transparent manner. In first phase of this scheme,
ownership certificates would be given to 1,310 goths in Tharparkar, 1,050 in Naushero Feroze, 828 in Shikarpur, 1,276 in
Jacobabad and 2,197 in Tando Allahyar. More goths in other districts would also be regularised, he added.
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He assured that all basic facilities would be extended to people at regularized slums and model villages would also be set
up to eliminate impression of rural-urban difference.
The minister noted that the revenue department greatly contributed to the national exchequer, hence putting it on modern
lines would be the first priority of the government. He said 80 offices of registration department were working across the
province, which collectively generated revenue of Rs4.5 billion. Under the new system, he said, the revenue department
had been put under administrative control of provincial government. The revenue department registered 170,000
documents in 2003 and 2004 while 265,000 in 2005 and 2006.
He said concrete steps were underway for the improvement of department. This included computerisation of registration
system to stop irregularities. Moreover, the auto machine system had also started functioning, he added.
He said that public complaints would be disposed of in a transparent manner in accordance with rules and regulations. He
reiterated that action against land mafia elements would continue and government land would be protected at all cost.
(Dawn-18, 15/03/2007)
SHC stays Kidney Hill land disposal
KARACHI, March 15: A division bench of the Sindh High Court on Thursday stayed the disposal of Kidney Hill land under a
compromise recorded by the court. A petition moved by Advocate Naimatullah Khan, the former city nazim, through
advocate Raja Qasit Nawaz, said the entire 62 acres of the land were earmarked for a public park but were later transferred
to the Overseas Pakistanis Cooperative Housing Society in violation of the law. After prolonged litigation during which some
of the petitioners withdrew their names under pressure, a ‘questionable’ compromise was reached between the parties
leaving only 20 acres for development of a park. He said an amenity plot could not be converted into residential one under
the law and any compromise to the effect was repugnant to the law.
A division bench consisting of Justices Mushir Alam and Mrs Yasmeen Abbasy observed that work on the park could begin
on the 20 acres allocated under the compromise but there would be no transfer of the remaining area till the next date of
hearing after two weeks.
The same bench adjourned the hearing of Gujranwala deputy nazim’s petition against cancellation of his matriculation
certificate by the Karachi education board.
The petitioner was present in the court on Thursday for verification of his handwriting but his counsel, Khwaja Naveed
Ahmed, said he had engaged advocate Dr Babar Awan, who wanted to appear himself and question the fact-finding inquiry
in exercise of writ jurisdiction.
The board has sent the petitioner’s answer sheets for comparison of his handwriting. The bench ordered that the case
would proceed on April 3.
(Dawn-17, 16/03/2007)
And then they came for me
First they came for the katchi abadis. The slums that house between 40 to 60 per cent of Karachi's residents were among
the first to be hit. Families lost their homes, their neighbourhoods, their schools, and their inalienable right to simply exist.
The residents of our katchi abadis live on the fringes of our society while carrying out the burden of ensuring that the rest of
us live comfortably by sweeping our streets, running our shops, serving our food, and driving our cars. They are not only
denied the right to housing and the right to choose their place of accommodation, but are also denied the right to
information by the city government which routinely refuses them sufficient notice about evictions and their status in
relocation efforts, should any exist.
The residents of Karachi's katchi abadis -- Hindus, Muslims, Mujahirs, Sindhis -- were told that their homes and
communities were eyesores. City officials had a job to do -- they were going to 'beautify' Karachi. The slums, and their
dwellers, just would not do. Nor would the residents of the katchi abadis be asked to participate and share in the progress
of a beautiful Karachi. They were told that they had a weekend to vacate the only lives they had ever known. When they
protested, their demands fell on the city's deaf ears. We said almost nothing in their defence and refused to share in their
suffering. The forced evictions did not concern those who mattered, we do not live in katchi abadis and so those who live in
what we pejoratively call 'rotten populations' were defeated and discarded.
Then they came for the women. The usual targets. Miss Mukhtar Mai, Dr Shazia Khalid, Ms Shazadi, Ms Safiya, Ms
Naseema, Miss Asma, Miss Nasimah -- all victims of honour killings, gang rape, revenge meted out by tribal jirgas and
justice courtesy of the Hudood Ordinances. And we did nothing. Because it was their family's problem. Because it wasn't
our women who were violated, our women were safe. Because someone decided that they were whores. Because they
deserved it. I saw it with my own eyes -- in Larkana city one year ago standing in a small room in Civil Hospital. The room
had a gauze curtain as a substitute for a door. The woman lying on the hospital bed was curled up into a foetal position and
she had blood running across her thighs. There were bandages covered in blood underneath her bed and she could not
speak because of her pain. The police would not file an FIR and refused permission for a rape test to be carried out. 'She
must have been a prostitute' someone whispered, as if that excused the violence done to her. Government officials
eventually put the word out -- 'there's no such thing as rape, it doesn't happen in Pakistan' they said. There were protests,
small ones. Mainly women attended them. They carried the placards and raised the slogans. But where was the rest of the
country?
Then they came for the activists, the intellectuals, the students, and the provincially disenfranchised. Their voices had been
heard too clearly, their meetings attended by too many like minded people, and their pamphlets incited the rumblings of
political change. Their noise was unacceptable. Men in uniforms, or plain clothes at times, knocked on their office doors or
woke them from their slumber and carried them away. There were no warrants. And there were no trial dates. They simply
vanished. Disappeared. And while the families of the disappeared held daily vigils for their loved ones and showed their
pictures to the press and public, we were safe. We weren't being carted off in the middle of the night and our gates are
guarded by chowkidars. It wasn't our grief. And so, we did nothing. We who can read and write and can lobby for the cause
of our countrymen, we did nothing.
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Then they came for the minorities. The Christians, the Hindus, the Shias. They killed doctors because they prostrated
themselves to God slightly differently than we did. A member of parliament is known to have called Shias infidels and
proposed a jail sentence of 15 years as punishment of their apostasy -- killing them all would take too much time. The
parliamentarian had nothing to fear; he was part of the holy pro-government alliance. Not too many people took to the
streets, certainly not those who were protected by their non-infidel status. We were safe. So, we did nothing. It wasn't us
they were gunning for.
Then they came for the poor, the peasants, the fishermen. See above. We are the privileged so we stayed at home and
read the social pages of a magazine.
Martin Niemoeller, a German theologian and anti-war activist, was made famous by a poem he wrote during the Nazi
takeover of Europe: "First they came for the socialists, and I didn't speak up, because I wasn't a socialist. Then they came
for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up, because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't
speak up, because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak up for me".
Now they've come for the lawyers. In an unprecedented and unconstitutional move the president suspended the chief
justice a week ago. The president's actions have made the lack of judicial independence and the non separation of powers
in this country dangerously clear: a small reminder to those who fete his rule that this is, above all, a military dictatorship.
The chief justice dismissed by the president has been instrumental in highlighting the regime's human rights abuses and
has been active in hearing cases related to political disappearances.
An advocate and TV personality, two professions that should rouse the highest of suspicions when placed alongside each
other, wrote an inflammatory open letter to the chief justice accusing him of corruption and receiving kickbacks. The letter
was meant to buoy the president's latest egregious decision. Pakistan's legal community didn't buy it. Lawyers have been
protesting and rioting on the streets of Lahore, Peshawar, and Karachi since the chief justice's illegal dismissal. The rule of
law has effectively been suspended in Pakistan, but the call to take to the streets has been heeded primarily by lawyers -we've got nothing to do with it, us non-lawyers, we're safe aren't we?
The situation today is tense; it could be the press who gets attacked next. It could be the professors after that. And maybe
then, if we do not stop thinking of our struggles as separate from each other and make the mistake of not banding together,
there will be no one left…
(By Fatima Bhutto, The News-6, 18/03/2007)
The salt of life
By Sumaira Jajja
In the city by the sea lies Kharadar, the Salty Gate. An old city neighbourhood of Karachi, falling under the jurisdiction of the
Saddar Town, Kharadar took its name from its close proximity to the Arabian Sea. Salt water, salty gate - the reference is a
bit dated now because the sea has receded. Once a beautiful suburb, Kharadar now is a busy thoroughfare with its fair
share of ups and down.
From the Native Jetty Bridge one can easily see the impressively grandeur
Karachi Port Trust building built with sandstone and the pinkish brown hued,
stoic looking Qamar House. Then there is the 1837 built Katrak Mansion at the
cross section. A few hundred yards away stands the iconic Mereweather
Tower, an imposing gothic structure that has put on a brave face to the
battering of time. From the illustrious Wazir Mansion that was the residence of
Quaid-e-Azam to the Ismaili Jamaat Khana, the Kutiyana Memon Hospital with
its old tower that now houses the reception, are just some of the landmarks
that pepper the streets of this locality.
With Mithadar, Sarafa Bazaar (the famed gold market), Kasara Bazaar and Lyari in close proximity, Kharadar acts as a hub
to this burgeoning zone.
As you walk on the KPT building road, the white high rise of Custom House is there amidst the chaos created by the
tankers and trucks. The first thing that hits you (your nose to be precise) is a foul stench. Next is the swarm of hurried men.
If you can make through this mess and can take a left turn from the Custom House, you will be on the Young Husband
Road which houses some of the oldest structures of this area, some of them dating back to the late 1800s.
In a one bedroom flat, I meet Bahauddin Khan, one of the oldest residents of this area. A retired employee of the KPT,
Bahauddin moved to this locality way back in 1947. The Hotchand Jamandas Building, where he resides, is dated 1910
while the bricks have 1897 engraved on them. In the daadhiya room (the one room flat with a small kitchenette and a
bathroom), he reminisces about the days that are no more. "Over the years, this area has undergone considerable change.
Before partition, Kharadar housed middle class Hindu families. After Partition, most of the new residents were migrants
from India and a sizeable population was that of Urdu speaking people," says Bahauddin Khan. According to Bahauddin,
over the years things have changed considerably. "Property prices have gone up while the sort of people now inhabiting
this area are a whole lot different. While it housed many middle class families before, now labourers from the Northern
Areas and other far off places have found housing here."
Talking about the old days, he says that very often the residents would lay there charpai out on the road to beat the
sweltering summer heat and there were no safety issues, "but now one would have to think twice before doing that so as
not to be crushed by a truck or tanker," he says referring to the heavy traffic that is found in the area now.
Right next to the Hotchand Jamandas Building is the Gandhi Building, dating back to 1927. The wear and tear has taken its
toll but what attracts the eye are the filigreed balconies. Made out of wrought iron, the safety grills are no less than a work
of art and are often taken out and sold at heavy prices to 'designers'. Just a few days days before, the floor of a balcony on
the first floor gave way, indicating the crumbling condition of the building.
Land grabbers and encroachers however do not give up. Allah Rakha Park is being eyed by the builder mafia and as a
resident puts it, "If this park goes, we would be out of the little space that our kids have to play in." Right on the side of this
park stands a decent looking apartment block which is built on a space reserved for a KMC toilet.
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The Michi Miani Market is a low priced market where you can find everything, from vegetables and fruits to household
items right under one roof. One interesting aspect of this market is that you will quite a few women shopkeepers who have
been selling goods for more than 50 years now. The most famous ones are the two elderly Ismaili ladies who have spice
shops in the same market and their fierce rivalry is well known.
Kharadar also has the reputation of having some of the most delicious food spots that could give Burns Road and Boat
Basin a run for their money. The Baa'kra hotels lining the streets are an example. Long before open air dining was a
fashion, these Baa'kra hotels were frequented by port workers who could find food at any hour.
One of the most interesting features of this locality is the way people
belonging to the various Muslim sects live in peace and harmony. Eid Milad ul
Nabi, celebrations of the birth of the Holy Prophet is just around the corner and
this time like every year this religious festival will be celebrated with much fan
fare. The entire area is ready to take on a green hue thanks to the green tube
lights that are placed on every nook and corner, every year along side fairy
lights and banners with Ahadis as Hamd and Naats are heard from speakers.
Similarly in Muharram, while the other areas of the city are gripped in tension,
here things are pretty calm. With lots of sabeel set up to serve drinks to the
crowds attending the majlis, Sunnis participate in this task with equal zeal as
the Shias.
In Ramadan, the area is converted into a gastronomic paradise. With stalls overflowing with mouth-watering goodies, it's
food heaven. Many a times a stranger would thrust a parcel filled with iftar in your hands near Maghrib time and there you
have it, a goodie bag with no price to pay.
On Eid ul Azha, people here outshine each other when it comes to buying animals for sacrifice. Not only do they buy the
best animals, they also give away the proper shares to the poor and needy along with cash and other goods. There is a lot
of community based charity as well with Bantwa, Okhai, Kuttiyana, Kathiyawari Memon and Ismaili communities as the
most active ones having set up a number of schools, providing scholarships to the deserving students, setting up clinics
and hospitals and even providing dowry and homes to young girls. The charity just doesn't end here.
Kharadar has the honour of having one of the oldest facilities of Edhi Foundation along with its other station in Mithdar.
Renowned world over for its operations, this endeavour of Abdul Sattar Edhi, a resident of Kharadar just goes on to show
how one small step can change the lives of many.
While Kharadar is generally seen as a low-income area, there are many well to do families residing here as well. One such
person is Mohammad Ali, a stockbroker cum estate agent by profession. Living in a shanty building, his three-bed room flat
is a wonder of wonders.
While the exterior has peeling paint, falling bricks and a wooden stair case that wobbles, his home is a haven of sorts with
central air conditioning and other such amenities. When posed with the question of why he still lives here, Ali replies, "I
have grown up in this area and cannot think of moving out. I have three flats on Tariq Road which I have rented out. If I
move out, I would become an outsider. So the best option for me is to provide my family with all the good things I can here
but it's up to my children if they want to stay here or move out when they grow up."
While many like Mohammad Ali and Bahauddin Khan have no problems living in Kharadar, there are other who want to
make a move if given a chance due to the security issues. "Mobile thefts have also increased in this area but we are
helpless. The culprits roam this area freely and in case of any complaints, the victims face dire consequences," says
Fahim, a fork lift driver at a godown facing the KPT Sports Complex. "Hit and run style of killings are common here, while
the menace of heroine is fast spreading too," asserting that the last thing he wants to see is to have his son or brother
addicted or be caught in a cross fire.
Walking out of the maze that is Kharadar, one is both amazed and appalled at the sights. From beautiful old buildings
crumbling away to the ugly concrete structures that are replacing them by the minute, this salty site is in a time zone of its
own. Bustling with activity, broken streets and crammed roads, a cacophony of sounds and a multitude of human beings,
Kharadar just adds salt to the boiling cauldron that is Karachi.
(By Sumaira Jajja, The News-41, 18/03/2007)
Saving heritage sites
SUCH is the state of neglect that even the shocking sometimes fails to have the intended effect. For instance, no alarm
bells rang after the New York-based World Monuments Fund listed two Pakistani sites in its biennial report on the 100 most
endangered cultural heritage sites. The WMF warns that the Thatta monuments, also known as the Makli graveyard, and
the Mian Nasir Mohammad graveyard in district Dadu are under serious threat from neglect and the ravages of time.
Erosion is rapidly degrading the Samma-era Thatta monuments, a vast necropolis that is one of only six Pakistani sites on
Unesco’s World Heritage List, while the Mian Nasir Mohammad graveyard of the Kalhoro rulers is at the mercy of
waterlogging and salinity. Both sites are in urgent need of protection, the WMF report points out. In the case of Makli, help
may be forthcoming from Unesco which is raising funds for its preservation.
These are not isolated cases. Several other cultural heritage sites across the country are also suffering from neglect. Local
influentials are burying their dead in the 18th century Kalhoro graveyard in Hyderabad, a site protected under the
Antiquities Act 1975. In November 2006, it was discovered that a cellphone company had begun constructing a
communications tower within the 5,000-year-old Moenjodaro ruins. The complicity of local officials is obvious from the fact
that this crime came to light only when a Unesco team visited the World Heritage site. Human activity aside, erosion is a
major factor in Moenjodaro’s decline. Poor drainage and salt build-up are meanwhile playing havoc with the Jhukarjodaro
ruins near Larkana. Even when the intentions are noble, the authorities can make a mess of things, a prime example being
the ‘restoration’ of the Ranikot Fort in district Dadu. Similarly ill-advised are moves to ‘beautify’ the Lahore Fort and the
city’s Shalimar Gardens, both World Heritage sites. At the same time, artefacts continue to be pilfered from sites and
museums, sometimes at the behest of influential local collectors, and many antiquities are smuggled abroad. These are
national, not local or provincial, treasures and efforts must be made to protect the country’s endangered cultural heritage.
(Dawn-7, 19/03/2007)
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Old villages to be regularised: Magsi
KARACHI, March 18: Sindh Revenue Minister Dr Irfan Gul Magsi has said the government is pursuing a policy to regularise
all old villages under Gothabad Scheme under which the residents of old villages are not only being issued certificates of
property rights but also being provided all basic facilities.
Talking to a group of journalists, he said in the first phase government had started implementation of the scheme in five
districts of the province where residents of 6,616 villages were being provided property rights. After regularisation of
villages in Tharparker, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Naushero Feroze and Tando Allahyar, goths in other districts would be
regularised. He said there were 803 old goths in Karachi which would soon be regularised.
He pointed out that the government was pursuing a policy to facilitate entrepreneurs in allotment of lands for setting up
industries and provide them all basic amenities without any hassle to put the province on the road to progress and
prosperity.
Mr Magsi said the government would welcome investment, particularly in agriculture related industries as 70 per cent
economy of the province was based on agriculture. Setting up dairy farming and related industries would help in earning
precious foreign exchange as there were vast opportunities of its export abroad.
Replying to a question, he said the government had devised a strategy to restore all those lands to the government which
were encroached upon by land mafias through fake documents and entries. The government was determined to protect its
land by all means, he added. He said all the complaints received by the revenue department were being investigated and
would be decided in the light of legal framework in a transparent manner.
(Dawn-15, 19/03/2007)
Random, non-transparent sale of urban land
By Dr Noman Ahmed
GOVERNMENT policies on land distribution have been criticised by politicians, environmentalists and economists who are
not in favour of selling precious lands randomly and that too in a non-transparent manner. These transactions have come
under attack because they do not conform with the environmental and planning criteria about land uses.
At present, many foreign investors are interested in development of cities including Karachi as the real estate sector is
tagged with the most lucrative investment opportunity. But the land-based investments can only be useful within the
framework of master plans and development priorities.
Urban and suburban lands are finite assets and cannot be treated as commodities. The distribution has to be carefully
undertaken after assessing the local requirements. Urban lands are routinely meant for housing of low income groups,
establishing manufacturing (and other enterprises), retail/wholesale centres, ware-housing, amenities, recreation centres
and the like.
After a proper land use proposal is finalised through consultations, the same can be referred to potential investors. In other
words, the prerogative of determining and finalising land sales must rest with the local institutions and no investor should be
allowed to pick and choose sites. To dispel the possibilities of corruption, transactions must be subject to public scrutiny.
The exercise for land-use choices must be done without delay as the pressure from investors is rising and the government
finds the offers too attractive to ignore. The city lands are more than parcels of investments. They can be turned into a
catalyst for various economic activities. The present investment trend seems to be stereotypical real estate options such as
condominiums, shopping malls, amusement places, corporate buildings and hotels.
If these options exceed the actual demand, there is a substantial possibility that the property market may stagnate in the
medium-term. As and when the bubble of speculation bursts, many real estate projects would be seen grappling with an
overall slump due to an over supply.
Such a scenario can be averted through planning and corresponding financial packaging. The government may identify the
areas where it requires private investment. Manufacturing, assemblage houses, strategic trading, amenity and social sector
facilities are obvious sectors wherein opportunities abound. A package of financial incentives and physical facilities can
create awareness of investment towards non-conventional domains also. Such an attempt will create diversity in the overall
economic context, which is also sustainable in the long- run.
For making real estate development meaningful, supply of land has to be supported by corresponding infrastructural
facilities. This happens to be a totally grey area. According to official records, the urbanised Karachi area is around 1800 sq
km. Another 1000 sq km area is also considered to be a hot commodity. However, much of this area lacks any kind of
threshold infrastructure. While the government is allotting land without any commitment regarding infrastructure provision or
extension, it is obvious that the land parcels will hook onto the available services in one way or the other.
It is not possible for investors with different profiles to procure/construct water supply, electricity, sewerage networks /
treatment systems, solid waste disposal mechanisms or access roads by themselves. Much of this infrastructure will have
to be shared through the already burdened city sources and networks. If the government intends to create a worthwhile
incentive, provisions of essential infrastructure and their judicious extension have to be planned before moving ahead.
While identifying areas where the real estate development has be facilitated as a policy, there should also be sensitive
areas/locations where moratorium on all forms of development needs to be imposed. This is required to protect the
precious city assets and to maintain equilibrium between environment and development.
Heritage sites, coastal fronts, amenity locations, national parks, conservation sites, highway fronts, land patches for
facilitation / expansion of infrastructural services (such as railways), ecological repositories and strategically reserve lands
must be saved. and must be used as a basic incentive for attracting an investment which should be not the end in itself.
Regulatory control over the development is a statutory responsibility of the city government. It is observed that due to
hurriedly instituted anomalies, this mandate is compromised. The situation has reached a point where the president and the
prime minister grant approvals to allotments and projects. In some cases, decisions are kept secret and only unveiled when
deeds finalised and plans approved.
66
The federal authorities also stand outside the control and coordination of the CDGK. The resulting chaos gives ample
opportunities to middle men and agents who distort the usual functioning of market mechanism. The case of Diamond City
along Bundal Island is an example. The disagreement prevailing between the government of Sindh, Port Qasim Authority
and concerned stakeholders clearly show the lack of transparency and violation of conventions. Land allotments are also
affected by political bunglings. For example, the chief minister’ s secretariat announced a while ago that land transfers are
not permitted as per the current policy. On the other hand, large tracts of land are earmarked for transfer and allotment to
assorted stakeholders.
The government should focus on decentralisation of commercial activities away from the already congested
neighbourhoods. After carefully conducted feasibilities new reserves of land can be opened. This approach can also help
reduce regional disparities.
(By Dr. Noman Ahmed, Dawn-Economic & Business Review, Page-IV, 19/03/2007)
Builder gets notice
KARACHI, March 19: Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali of the Sindh High Court issued notice to a builder for March 28 in a suit
for specific performance, possession, permanent injunction and damages.
Mrs Suraiya Jatoi, wife of Advocate Z. K. Jatoi, submitted through her counsel, Khalid Hameed and Liaqat Ali Khaskheli,
that she contracted to buy an apartment in the Greenbelt Residence. In accordance with the terms of the agreement, she
paid Rs3.5 million out of the total price of Rs5 million by March 2004. The balance amounting to Rs1.5 million was to be
paid by August 31, 2004, by which date the builder was bound to complete finishing of the apartment and deliver her its
possession. When she went to the builder’s office to pay the balance and take possession of the apartment, he started
making excuses. Despite her persistent demands, he remained unwilling to accept the balance and deliver possession.
The plaintiff requested the court to direct the builder to perform his part of the contract and transfer possession of the
apartment. She sought an injunction to restrain the builder from transferring the property to a third party. She also sought
damages for the mental torture and financial loss suffered by her.
CUSTODY EXTENDED: Justice Mrs Qaiser Iqbal, Officiating Administrative Judge for Anti-terrorism Courts of the Karachi
Division, extended jail custody of an accused, Hammad Naqvi, in the murder case of Maulana Atiq till March 26. He is
alleged to have been involved in a number of sectarian killing cases.
(Dawn-17, 20/03/2007)
10-year ban on sale of katchi abadi plots
KARACHI, March 19: The Sindh Katchi Abadis Authority (SKAA) has decided to impose a 10-year ban on sale and transfer
of plots in any katchi abadi in the province. The decision was taken at a meeting of the SKAA governing body here on
Monday with Sindh Minister for Local Government and Katchi Abadis Mohammed Hussain in the chair.
Mr Hussain said the move had become necessary to discourage land mafia and the investors who would purchase a large
number of plots in katchi abadis at the time of lease and hold them for a certain period to make high profits. As a result of
this practice, poor people remain deprived of their basic right to own a house.
He directed the SKAA director general to take measures for acquiring lands in all districts of Sindh for the Sasti Basti
project.
The meeting decided not to allow change of land use in any circumstances with the exception of amenity to amenity cases.
The decision was taken keeping in view the illegal use of plots in katchi abadis, especially for commercial purposes, without
permission.
The minister said SKAA should consult the TMAs concerned before issuing lease to any katchi abadi as this would result in
better coordination among the authorities concerned and improved facilities for the allottees.
He called for preparing a list of amenity plots allotted by the SKAA so far with the mention of their present status and nature
of use. On the occasion, a five-member committee was formed to examine the Business Regulations-2007 of the governing
body and the SKAA’s Low-cost Housing Scheme Regulations-2007.
Acting Additional Chief Secretary Local Government Ghulam Arif Khan, SKAA DG Ahmed Ali Lund and Director
Administration Abdul Ghani Jokhio apprised the minister of the process, criterion and position vis-a-vis the land grant and
lease.
(Dawn-18, 20/03/2007)
SHC restrains CDGK from resuming mosque plot
KARACHI, March 20: The Sindh High Court restrained the city district government from taking any coercive measure to
resume a plot being used by a trust for its mosque and madrassah in Gulistan-i-Jauhar.
Faizan Raza Trust submitted through Advocate Mohammad Sharif that plot ST-9, Block II, Scheme 36, was in its use with
the permission of the federal housing ministry since 1992 when the scheme was conceived by the Karachi Development
Authority. The city district government now intended to resume its land and demolish its structures terming its possession
illegal.
Issuing a notice to the city government for a date in office, a division bench comprising Justices Mushir Alam and Justice
Yasmeen Abbasy restrained it from taking coercive measures to dispossess the petitioner trust, which was asked to refrain
from raising any new construction or change the complexion of the property.
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PETITION ADMITTED: Another division bench consisting of Chief Justice Sabihuddin Ahmed and Justice Gulzar Ahmed
admitted a petition moved by Mst Khurshid Begum through Advocate Khwaja Naveed Ahmed.
The petitioner said she was allotted a plot in Sharafi Goth in 1957. The ‘goth’ was later taken over by the provincial
government and she was allotted a plot in Darus Salam Co-operative Housing Society, Korangi. The allotment was,
however, cancelled in 1984 for alleged non-payment of development charges.
She challenged the cancellation before an arbitration council under the Co-operative Societies Act. The council ruled in her
favour but the decision was overturned by the co-operatives minister in appeal.
Admitting the petition, the bench confirmed the stay granted earlier in the petitioner’s favour and restrained the respondents
from creating third party interest in the property.
DETENTION CASE: The division bench comprising Justices Mohammad Afzal Soomro and Rahmat Hussain Jafferi,
meanwhile, adjourned the petition and contempt application moved by Din Mohammad Zaidi against the detention of his
son, Dr Ali Raza Zaidi under the Security of Pakistan Act.
The petitioner’s counsel, Rasheed A. Razvi submitted that the detainee was taken into custody on his arrival in Karachi
from Dubai in July 2006. A Federal Investigation Agency official misled the court by filing an affidavit that Dr Zaidi never
arrived in Karachi. It was only a complaint to the President’s House that confirmed his arrival in Karachi.
The counsel said the detainee’s arrest under the 1952 Security Act was illegal. The federal government’s standing counsel
Mahmood Alam Rizvi sought time for filing comments on behalf of the ministry of interior and the bench adjourned further
proceedings to March 29.
(Dawn-19, 21/03/2007)
Report on irregularities in Sabzi Mandi affairs sought
KARACHI, March 29: Sindh Chief Secretary Shakil Durrani has taken notice of the alleged irregularities in the allotment of
shops in the New Sabzi Mandi and directed the agriculture secretary to submit to him a comprehensive report on all affairs
of the Mandi within a week.
Allottees of the shops, given to them in 2001 in lieu of their places of business in the old Sabzi Mandi on University Road,
have long been trying to draw the relevant authorities’ attention to, what they allege, financial irregularities, encroachment,
mismanagement and corruption on the part of the officials concerned, besides non-availability of water, power, sewerage
facilities and poor condition of roads.
Over the past six years, numerous complaints have been lodged with the authorities in this regard but nothing has so far
been done except for the formation of committees, they maintain.
President of the Malir Wholesale Fresh Fruit Merchants and Growers Association Mohammad Javed wondered that while
footpaths elsewhere in the city were being cleared of all sorts of encroachments, those within the New Sabzi Mandi were
being allotted to encroachers.
Demanding cancellation of all illegal allotments, he cited examples where an auction shed valued at Rs39,500 was allotted
to a party ready to pay an additional amount of Rs300,000.
He pointed out that in the car parking areas alone, 150 shops were carved out in violation of the Mandi’s layout plan
approved on February 14, 2005. Later, the market committee prepared a new layout plan to justify the move. If approved
and implemented, the new plan would create congestion and unhygienic conditions across the Mandi that would have no
parking facility or motorable road.
He also regretted that instead of recognising claims of the old KMC allottees, who were deprived of their legitimate rights on
one pretext or the other, favourites were given shops by the officials concerned.
Mr Javed recalled that about three months back, the government had made a commitment to allocate Rs270 million for
providing water, electricity meters and proper road communication facilities but the commitment was yet to be fulfilled as
yet. Even the road-building had not been started whereas the stakeholders were meeting the essential requirements on
their own and spending heavily on getting water. He lamented that the stakeholders’ complaints lodged with the National
Accountability Bureau over the past six years had failed to prompt some action while the irregularities and embezzlement in
the entry fee revenues were being committed unchecked.
He appealed to the chief minister and the secretary concerned to pay a visit to the Sabzi Mandi to see the deteriorating
conditions by themselves at the Mandi, which had been projected as the model market place of world standards and
financed by the Asian Development Bank. He also appealed to the provincial government to consider transfer of the
Mandi’s management to the City District Government Karachi in compliance of the SLGO 2001.
(Dawn-19, 30/03/2007)
NGOs express solidarity over Kidney Hill case
KARACHI, March 29: Representatives of the member organizations of the Pakistan National Committee (PNC) of IUCN on
Thursday expressed solidarity with a fellow member, Shehri, for its stand against the attempt to convert the amenity plot
known as Kidney Hill Park in Karachi, into a housing and commercial scheme.
According to a statement issued by the IUCN here, at a recent meeting of the PNC held in Lahore, a representative of
Shehri briefed members on the background to the Kidney Hill case .
The Shehri representative said that despite assurances of security given to the organization by the police and the Sindh
government, its members were receiving life threats on telephone and being harassed in different ways.
He said as a result of presumably similar pressure applied to residents of the area, who had originally joined with Shehri in
filing a public interest petition in the Sindh High Court, the residents had conveyed to the court that they wished to withdraw
the petition. Shehri had also withdrawn from the case, but the High Court held that since it was public interest litigation, it
could not be withdrawn.
(Dawn-19, 30/03/2007)
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APRIL
Grave Injustice
In the lush green Karachi War Cemetery on Stadium Road are buried 642 soldiers who laid down their lives during World
War I (1914-1918) and World War II (1939-1945). Amongst the dead souls are 525 soldiers from the United Kingdom, three
from Australia, 105 from undivided India, three from New Zealand, four from Canada and two from West Africa.
The beautiful, picturesque cemetery with healthy trees and beds of roses was constructed by the Commonwealth War
Graves Commission. The Commission continues to maintain the historical graveyard in a manner that is indicative of its
immense love, affection and respect towards the dead.
In the cemetery is also placed a voluminous book that chronicles the details of 25,000 soldiers and pilots who died during
1939-45 War and are buried in different graveyards across Pakistan.
The inscriptions on different graves show that some of the soldiers were very young. D.W. Earney, pilot in Royal Air Force
died on 28 December, 1943 at the age of 21; T. Harris, sergeant, wireless operator/ air gunner of the Royal Air Force died
on 28 January, 1944 at the age of 23; F. A. B. Brown, pilot of the Royal Air Force, died on the same day at the age of 22; J.
Mackinnon, aircraftsman, Royal Air Force, died on 17 May, 1944 at the age of 23 and H.G. Milne, pilot officer of Royal
Australian Air Force died on 17 May 1944 at the age of 22. "He died that we might live," says one of the inscriptions.
In sharp contrast to the Karachi War Cemetery are 179 graveyards in the 15-million strong megalopolis Karachi, 69 of them
managed by the city government and the rest by different trusts and non-government organizations, besides the ones
looked after by the cantonment boards. All of them are in a pathetic condition. Paucity of funds is understandable but a
cursory glance at these graveyards show how disrespectful as a nation we are towards our dead.
Some of these graveyards, for instance Mewashah graveyard, is 200 years old and has immense historical significance.
"My great grand father Syed Abdul Kabeer Pasha (1715-1865), popularly known as Syed Mewa Shah Ghazi died more
than 150 years ago," says Syed Kamal Shah Ghazi, caretaker of Mewashah graveyard.
In the Mewashah graveyard are buried not only the ancestors of Jam Saheb of Lasbella and several people of the Durrani
clan of the royal family of Afghanistan but also tens of thousands of ordinary mortals, including Muslims, Christians and
Jews.
Situated close to the Lyari River, the Mewashah graveyard comprises of several small graveyards of different communities
such as Bohris, Khoja Sunnat Jamaat, Junagarh Memon Jamaat, Sodagran-i-Delhi, Malabar Muslims, Ismailis and Okhai
Memon Jamaat.
"Nobody knows how many graves there are in this graveyard but there are four or five dead bodies buried in every grave,"
says Ghazi. "It was Queen Victoria who gave this piece of land to Mewashah, spread over from Bara Board in Sindh
Industrial Trading Estate (SITE) to Lyari, and he handed over its portions to different communities," he adds.
A map of the graveyard made in 1929 by Thawerdas K.M, land surveyor in the British government, shows Dhobi Ghat
graveyard, Madho Makadam graveyard, Sewage Farm No 1, Shershah graveyard, and Shershah Village in the jurisdiction
of Mewashah graveyard. The road leading to Mugger Peer bisects the Mewashah graveyard.
"Arabs are also buried here and slaves traded in Baghdadi and Shah Baig Lane in Lyari in yester years are also buried
here. But since there is no record, nobody knows how many people are buried here," he says. "Previously people would
also bury their dead on the roads but I firmly opposed it and had to face the wrath of gangsters," he says.
According to Ghazi, Mewashah originally belonged to Kunar Sharif, Afghanistan. "We still have land there," he points out.
"Mewashah was the youngest amongst his brothers. He would attend the Urs on a horse. Once his elder brother said he
would take the horse. Mewashah sat on a wall and asked it to move. The wall started moving. People made a complaint
with his brother that Mewashah has exposed the interior of the haweli. Mewashah was infuriated and migrated to India," he
claims.
"Mewashah hated the British colonialists and was arrested on the orders of Queen Victoria. As he was being taken to Kala
Paani on a ship, he asked the officials to allow him to offer prayers - he was denied. Suddenly they saw that Mewashah
was offering prayers on the surface of the sea. A big fish appeared from somewhere and brought him here. At that time the
place where you see Lea Market today was under water," he says. "When the incident was reported to Queen Victoria she
said Mewashah was not an ordinary mortal. Then he was invited to London respectfully and the British Army was told never
to infuriate him," he says.
Some of the other graveyards in Karachi, established prior to partition, include Malir Cantonment graveyard, Manghopir
graveyard, Shah Aqiq graveyard, Meeran Pir graveyard, Mai Gangi graveyard, Hussaini Bagh graveyard, Ali Bagh
graveyard, Bohra Daudi Bagh graveyard, Bostan Siddiqui Kachi graveyard and Karachi Christian Cemetery (Gora
Qabrastan) but almost all of them are in depleted condition.
Then there are graveyards that were established after Partition including Liaquatabad graveyard, Azizabad graveyard,
Paposhnagar graveyard, Sakhi Hasan graveyard, Golimar graveyard etc. But since Karachi has evolved into a mega city
with over 15 million population, existing graveyards are not able to provide necessary space for burial. In fact, old graves
are used for burial of the newly dead.
Many graveyards have been encroached and markets and residential colonies built on them without any let or hindrance. In
fact some graveyards have disappeared altogether. For instance, buildings have been constructed on Bara Imam
graveyard on Nishtar Road and Rexerlane graveyard. The sole exception is the Wadi-e-Hussain, a graveyard established
on Super Highway in 1999 that is the only computerized graveyard in the city.
With city's population increasing at the rate of 5 per cent per annum compared to 3.2 per cent per annum national growth
rate, essentially due to internal migration, the establishment of new graveyards has become all the more necessary but it
seems that even after death, people have to face a crass class society. This is very much evident if we compare Karachi
War Cemetery with other graveyards.
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Funds are available neither for the establishment of new graveyards nor for the maintenance of the old ones. The city
Nazim admits that the city graveyards have exhausted their capacity but we are bent upon burying the dead in old graves,
depicting callousness, disrespect and indifference towards the dead.
Dr. Shaukat Zaman, district officer, municipal public health, City Government says data is not available about the people
buried in Karachi daily but 528 acre of land has been acquired on the Super Highway to construct "model graveyards." He
says as far as maintenance of the graveyards is concerned, it is the responsibility of gravediggers but bye-laws have been
made for the maintenance of the "city of the silence."
"The number of graveyards in the city should be tripled," he says.
(By Shahid Husain, The News-41, 01/04/2007)
Hindus disallowed from entering temple
KARACHI: While Hindus all over the world celebrated Hanuman Jayanti Day (the birth anniversary of Hanuman) yesterday,
residents of Pawal Das compound in Lyari were deprived access to the historical Shiv Mandir located on its premises,
reports the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. The ground has been taken over by a self-styled Pir Syed Hussain
Mian Bukhari in contravention of the law.
HRCP demanded that the Sindh government and the City Nazim take immediate action against the encroachment to
ensure the rights of the Hindus in the larger interest of communal harmony.
According to the statement issued on Monday, Pawal Das compound was constructed in 1901 with more than100 houses
of the Hindu community located here as well as an old temple called Shiv Mandir. The compound was exclusively
earmarked for Hindus by the Government of Sindh province under the Evacuee Property Act 1957.
However, with the help of local authorities, land grabbers have been forcibly evicting residents from that compound as a
result of which only 35 families are left there. Residents of the area have brought to the attention of HRCP the fact that
butchers continue to slaughter animals in the area which is not only illegal, but provokes the sensitivities of Hindus.
(The News-2, 03/04/2007)
Future for conservation
A few weeks ago, a worried journalist friend called to inform me of the demolition of a beautiful haveli near the Walled City's
Roshnai Gate. The property had purportedly been bought by a hotel chain, which had apparently had plans to build a
gaudy commercial establishment in its place. Was there anything I could do to help, my friend asked? I was sceptical. How
could conservationists stand and watch the destruction of beautiful old building? Wouldn't the new development choke the
infrastructure of the already congested area? Wasn't there a law that could be impugned to save the structure's fate?
Despite his best intentions, my friend couldn't have been more wrong about the purpose of conservation and the scope of
the public's ability to preserve its built heritage.
Last year, I was engaged by a conservation society to challenge the Evacuee Trust Property Board's decision to develop
some of its properties. While the propriety of any such development of ETPB land is questionable (and better as the subject
of its own article), my clients objected to the development of only five sites. One of these sites, the Majithia Hall, located at
the intersection of Lahore's Nicholson and Empress roads, serves as a perfect example of some of the problems of
conservationism in a society that has all but forgotten its past.
The case currently rests, undecided and un-adjudicated, in the bowels of the Lahore High Court's record room, and I'll be
the first to admit that the only way the challenge to the ETPB's development plan can see success is if it can be established
that property like the Majithia Hall are of "religious significance or of historical or architectural importance" (the threshold
requirement of the law).
In researching for the case, I poked about a few libraries, performed an exhaustive internet search and -- this was the best
part of the entire exercise -- even consulted a few of those rare Lahori characters who still maintain the oral tradition. I am
sorry to report my search was more or less fruitless. I know for a fact that further inquiry into the history of Majithia Hall will
unearth nothing but an unending source of anecdotal treasures; good grounds for recognising the significance of any
historical artefact. But the fact that it will take so much effort to unearth so much of so little relevance is a profound insight
into the distinction between our desire to conserve our heritage and the things that actually merit conservation.
The name Dyal Singh still commands respect from Lahore to Amritsar. Apart from being the name of the noble personage
of Sir Dyal Singh Majithia, it is the name of a magnificent plaza on the Mall (protected, incidentally, from disrepair, by the
Punjab Special Premises (Preservation) Ordinance, 1985). It is also a name of a fine educational institution, a public library
and, in general, it is a reminder of a great philanthropic tradition and inter-religious harmony which once existed and unified
this city. Of course, the Majithia Hall, completed towards the end of the nineteenth century, was for many years the hostel
to the Dyal Singh College. But is simply remembering the function of a century-old building enough reason to preserve it?
Can the fact that artist A R Nagori (or anyone else, for that matter) once stayed in the hostel grounds be employed against
using the property for a more contemporary use? At what point and on what basis can the owner of a property be said to
forfeit his rights in the name of conservation?
The function of conservation is to preserve tradition and respect heritage. It provides a link to our past and an insight into
who we are. But for conservation to be meaningful there must be a tradition to preserve or a heritage to respect. And
importantly, one must not disregard the need for conservation merely because you or I cannot appreciate the value of
something.
There are, on either side of Aziz Bhatti road and in many other places in the Lahore Cantonment, buildings dating back to
the early days of the British annexation of the Punjab. Some barracks carry the date of their construction, and it isn't a
surprise to see some dating back as early as 1860.
The choice of the existing site of the Lahore Cantonment dates back to 1850, when Sir Charles Napier decided that the
Anarkali Cantonment needed to be moved. Despite stating his decision, no action was taken for several months. One day,
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increasingly frustrated by daily queries of when he planned to make the move, and to where, he was taking his daily
constitutional trip outside the administrator's office (the site of the current governor's house). He was approached by Henry
Lawrence and John Hardinge, both also on horseback, and asked once again when the troops would be expected to make
the move, and to where. This question apparently broke the camel's back, so to speak, and Napier took off on a gallop for a
full five minutes and, after coming to a halt, abruptly and arbitrarily announced the location of the new cantonment. The
place where Napier's gallop took him is now the site of the Garrison Church of St. Mary of Magdalene (Da Vinci Code fans
take note).
If one looked, I am sure a rich tradition can be gleaned from the histories of the barracks and other buildings the British
erected. Surely a survey of these sites could shed new and unprecedented light on what it was like to serve as a jawan in
the Company Bahadur. If nothing else, the story of the incredibly quick greening of the cantonment area can serve as a
lesson to city managers of today (by 1857, the cantonment was -- and some would say still is -- the most verdant area in
Lahore). If this is the case, then surely some of these buildings merit to conservation as well.
Anyone travelling along Aziz Bhatti road nowadays can see some of the first 'Chummeries' -- meaning barracks for
bachelors, or 'chums.' But anyone looking closer can see that immediately behind some of these barracks, large-scale
construction is being undertaken. This is for the expansion of a housing scheme, which can be accessed from Sarwar
Road. So far, the old barracks remain untouched, but this construction raises the question of the need and purpose of
conservation.
Unless and until we realise the relevance of the heritage around us, there is little hope for success in conserving it. My
journalist friend who called about the building being destroyed in the Walled City had no idea who it belonged to. He didn't
know whether it had any historical connection. He called merely because the building was old. You can't conserve age. You
can only conserve relevance. I think the day people take the history behind the built environment around them for granted
is the day conservation cannot be pressed into action. At that stage, we have only ourselves to blame.
(By Ahmad Rafey Alam, The News-6, 03/04/2007)
We will shoot you …’
MY family owns Mules Mansions, a building with a beautiful architectural façade which stands near the Boating Basin at
Keamari. It was built 90 years ago, in 1917, by my grandfather, Fakirjee Cowasjee, who was encouraged to put up this fine
building by the chairman of Karachi Port Trust, Sir Charles Mules, “… so that people arriving by sea may appreciate the
pleasant and enlightened city they are entering” (Shaukat Aziz’s tourists’ paradise?)
The courtyard has been occupied by a group of `unauthorised’ people. My brother, Cyrus and our caretaker, Kalay Khan,
have tried to reasonably persuade them to move out. On April 3, they received a letter by mail, purported to have been
written by `The Sector in charge, UC8, Burns Road Sector MQM’, a portion of which when translated from Urdu, reads:
“… if you continue to urge Mules Mansions tenants to vacate the building we will take action … firstly we will shoot Kaley
Khan and then next we will shoot you. Count your days after 24 hours … we will shift you to an unknown place and finish
both of you off. … If you inform the police you know they will be unable to take any action against us”.
The CPLC has been informed as have the seemingly `good’ faces of the MQM, Governor Ishratul Ebad and Dr Farooq
Sattar. This is a blighted country.
ARDESHIR COWASJEE
(Dawn-6, Letter to the Editor, 05/04/2007)
Sikh body demands return of temple
KARACHI, April 5: A representative body of the Sikh community in Karachi, Sikh Naujawan Sabah Pakistan (SNSP), has
demanded that Gurdwara Ratan Tala, which they say exists on the property in the name of Shiri Guru Sikh Sabah, be
handed over to them. The gurdwara is located on Plot No. AM335 near Preedy Police Station in Saddar.
Built in the early 20th century in the heart of the city, Gurdwara Ratan Tala is one of three gurdwaras in the city. The one in
Arambagh, which was sealed in 1993 after a dispute between the Hindu and Sikh communities, was opened in 2005 for six
months but was again closed. The matter has been pending in court since then.
The only place of worship for the 2,500 Sikhs living in Karachi is Gurdwara Karachi Sikh Sangat, located in the Naryan
Pura compound in Ranchore Line.
Gurdwara Ratan Tala holds special significance for Sikhs, which they believe is the place where 250 people of their
community were martyred in 1947. However, the building was never used for worship till 2005.
A visit to the site shows that the gurdwara is crumbling. A college, Govt Nabi Bagh Z. M. Science College, functions in the
compound of the gurdwara. One can also see the residential quarter of the college watchman just behind the gurdwara,
where a mosque also stands.
Asked why the Sikhs remained silent over the matter for so many years, Chairman and General Secretary Sikh Naujawan
Sabah Pakistan, Sardar Ramesh Singh and Bhola Singh, said: “We have been struggling to recover the gurdwara, but we
never had a representative body to raise the issue, while the leaders of the minorities never took the matter concerning
Sikhs seriously.”
Also, there was an element of fear being a minority community, points out Karan Singh Rai, a member of SNSP. With the
permission of MPA and former principle of the college Syed Shakir Ali, some elders of the community entered the gurdwara
in 2005 for the first time and started worship.
This continued for some weeks till a former college principal, Professor Allah Bux Awan, complained to the police that
‘college students were being disturbed by the worship.’
He also requested that the education department demolish the gurdwara as it was in a dilapidated state. An attempt was
also made to demolish the gurdwara and the temple is closed since then.
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The SNSP members claim that this property is in the name of Shiri Guru Sikh Sabah and that the authorities of Saddar
Town have documentary proof. A copy of the documents was denied to the group by the DDO Saddar Town.
However the SNSP’s claim to the gurdwara and its compound is substantiated by Nishan Sahib, a flag which marks all
religious places of Sikhs, that is visibly engraved on some bricks of the gurdwara and a remaining section of the old
boundary wall.
The SNSP, though, doesn’t want the mosque to be moved. It wants the college and the watchman’s quarter to be shifted to
some other place so that arrangements can be made to distribute free food during gatherings, and so that a community
centre and guest house for visitors can be built.
At the moment there are 600 students studying in the college. According to Principal Rehmat Hussain Jafri, the college was
set up in 1958 and was nationalized in 1972. The property, according to him, was already under litigation by another party.
Shahid Nazeer Khawaja, Administrator Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), Karachi, supported SNSP’s claim and said
plot No. AM335 was registered in government records as a gurdwara and was one of the three evacuee properties which
were not transferred to the education department on the grounds that the college was functioning in the premises of a
religious place. It was given to the education department as a tenant, but the department never paid its dues.
Though Khawaja wasn’t able to confirm the litigation of the said property, he said he only came to know about it through the
college principal when he was investigating the issue to write a report on the gurdwara. He said the matter had to be solved
in a way that didn’t hurt religious sentiments or the educational cause.
“We don’t want students to come out on the streets and start protesting. I have visited the place myself and have sent a
report to the federal ETPB. A team of experts on temples will soon visit the place to sort out the matter.”
(Dawn-17, 06/04/2007)
Housing problems
THE citizens of Karachi are facing housing problems as the government search for new plots of land for building houses
continues.
But the fact is that already vast vacant plots have been lying uninhabited for the last 20 years in Scheme 33 on the Super
Highway due to lack of infrastructures.
Many people who have their plots leased in such societies as Sachal Sarmast Town and Gulshan-i-Rehman are living in
rented houses/flats as they are not able to build their houses due to lack of infrastructures.
We request the government to revive these societies and develop infrastructures so that plot holders can build their
houses.
M.A. HASSAN
(Dawn-6, Letter to the Editor, 08/04/2007)
CM bans Sonmiani land transfers
QUETTA, April 8: The Balochistan government on Sunday imposed a ban on transfer of all kinds of land till the completion
of a survey of the Sonmiani and Lairi tehsils in district Lasbela, where the construction of a port had been proposed.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting here held under the Chief Minister, Jam Mir Mohammad Yousuf.
The meeting reviewed issues related to the proposed port including the provision of land and rights and interests of the
local population.
The chief minister gave directions to the concerned departments and officials to complete the survey of the areas as soon
as possible. "The rights and interests of the local people must be protected at all costs," he said, adding that the
government would take all possible measures in this connection and all issues would be discussed with the president and
prime minister.
Provincial chief secretary K.B. Rind informed the meeting that he had undertaken an aerial view of the proposed area on
Sunday in view of the decisions taken at a high-level meeting on the project held in Islamabad under the chairmanship of
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.
(Dawn-3, 09/04/2007)
Real estate boom in Gwadar
WITH the handing over of operating rights of the Gwadar port to the Singaporean firm and its inauguration on March 20, the
land prices in Gwadar have increased manifold.
Today, property deals in Gwadar are a lucrative investment. The prices of residential, commercial and industrial plots are
going up. There is a real estate boom and businessmen from all over the country and abroad are showing interest in the
area. In this city areas, such as Zero Point, West Bay, East Bay, Sangar Housing Scheme, Newtown Housing Scheme,
Chib Kalmati, Kiya Kalat, Washin Door, Door Ghatti, Ziarat Machi, Jaurkan, Shanikani Dar, Ankara, Karwat, Shabi,
Pishukan, main Jewani Road, main Airport Road and main coastal highway, have become the focus of real estate investors
and brokers who seem active in buying and selling commercial and residential plots from one acre to 1000 acres.
The Gwadar Development Authority (GDA) has reportedly so far issued No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to 60 private
housing societies. The rich investors are being lured into buying industrial and residential plots in and around Gwadar on
payment under different packages.
Before the port inauguration, there was a dip in property prices in the city. This was mainly linked with the fears about
security of investment. Moreover, a land scam also came to surface making people reluctant to invest in residential,
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commercial and industrial plots here. This trend affected the prices of real estate as people who had purchased residential
or commercial plots started selling them to avoid further losses.
The situation has reversed after Islamabad signed an agreement with the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) for operating
the Gwadar Port. Moreover, the government’s announcement of setting up a large industrial estate, a free-trade zone and
other projects, including oil terminals and refineries, attracted investors again to invest in Gwadar real estate. The provincial
government has allotted plots in the Gwadar Industrial Zone for construction of warehouses to facilitate importers and
exporters.
More than 50 private housing and commercial schemes are currently selling plots in the new port city. The prices of real
estate have gone up by 100 per cent. A residential plot of 1,000 yard in Gwadar’s Sangar housing scheme was available at
Rs1 million in January but today its price has doubled to Rs2 million. It is speculated that the price nay go up further.
The government has planned to spend $7 billion in the next eight years to improve the road-infrastructure for which a
network would be ready by 2014 to link China and South Asian republics through Gwadar. It has also been planned to set
up a civic centre in Gwadar that would be completed by August 2008. The port project aims at accommodating facilities that
will help develop Gwadar as an industrial city-- privately- owned warehouses and cold storage, private cargo-handling
equipment, truck yards, and corporate infrastructure such as offices along the same lines as Jebel Ali, Hong Kong,
Malaysia and Singapore.
The housing schemes and high-rise construction on commercial plots have been planned like those in Dubai, meeting the
international standards. The government also plans to establish hotels, motels, playground, boating clubs, theme parks,
Marino and other recreation projects in this city. The future port city will be connected to the whole of the country through
land, sea and air links. Ware housing, buildings, commercial plots, support services and other facilities have also been
planned to promote industrial activity in the port city.
The Balochistan government has directed officials concerned to hand over industrial plots to allottees in Gwadar special
industrial zone. With the functioning of industrial zone, Gwadar would become a hub of industrial and trade activities. The
government has also reserved 3000 acres for the development of Gwadar Industrial Estate (GIE) to meet the demand of
industrial plots and to cope with the needs of industrialisation in the port city.
Located at Karwat on the Mekran coastal highway, about 40 km from Gwadar, the Gwadar Industrial Estate (GIE) is the
first industrial estate of the emerging port city and the biggest in Balochistan. Over 1,100 plots have been allotted to
industrialists in the estate. The GIE will meet the demand of industrial plots and cope with the needs of industrialisation in
this port city. About 3000 acres have been reserved for the purpose.
Major groups belonging to Karachi and Punjab are engaged in real estate and construction business in Gwadar. The
business groups from Balochistan and other local investors especially those affluent and feudal figures should also come
forward, purchase land for housing schemes and industrial estates in Gwadar and announce special package for the local
buyers.
Contrary to this, local landlords are set to benefit from the opportunity and are keen to sell their property on desirable cost
to interested builders and developers, who are presently active in launching new housing projects. In fact, these landlords
of the area are the natural and primary beneficiary of the Gwadar port project. The value of their land has skyrocketed after
operation of Gwadar port making them millionaires overnight.
Political instability and unsatisfactory law and order situation have been hampering the real estate business in the province
as a whole. The incidents of sabotage like bomb blasts, rocket attacks and attacks on national installations like rail tracks,
gas pipelines and power grid stations have also restricted the investment in the property business.
There are so many unanswered questions and unsettled matters of socio-political nature but real estate investment is
picking up. Speculative trade in real estate is booming., at least for the time being.
(By Syed Fazl-e-Haider, Dawn-Economic & Business Review, Page-IV, 09/04/2007)
LAND SCAM
Grabbing of KU Society land unearthed
Another land scam was unearthed in Karachi and this time the land mafia have encroached 19 acres of land allotted to the
Alumnae Cooperative Society (ACS), an organisation of former Karachi University students.
Disclosing this, sources said that the mafia had sold the land worth Rs400 million to builders for construction of a
commercial project, who announced to construct a project on this land.
Sources said that the Alumnae Cooperative Society complained to the Sindh governor, city Nazim and other authorities of
departments concerned but no action had been taken so far against the land grabbers.
The Alumnae Cooperative Society said the government allotted 19 acres land to the society 27 years ago in Scheme 33,
Deh Thomong.
However, the land was encroached by the land mafia in connivance with some of the society members. They stated that
the land mafia and some society members started membership campaign of the society but students of the KU were not
registered as members of the society and enrolled outsiders as members.
The Alumnae Cooperative Society also complained to Adviser to Sindh CM on Home, secretary housing, DIG complain
cell, town Nazim Gulshan, TPO Gulshan and area police but to no avail.
They complained the land grabbers allotted 1000 yard plots to 31 favourits, 600 yard plots to 29 and 400 yard plots to 32
favourits.
They complained that a person Javed Iqbal had changed the maps and documents and registered the said land by
changing the record in the board of revenue documents.
The land was registered to Abdul Hameed son of Khamiso Brohi and his attorney Muhammad Ebrahim son of Abdul Jabbar
and Muhammad Waseem son of Fateh Muhammad.
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Later, the authorities concerned showed that persons with the above mentioned name are the owners of this land, but the
authorities of the Board of Revenue (BoR) declared such record as forged and doubtful and recommended action against
the land mafia.
The land grabbers sold the land to Javed Iqbal son of Ahsan Ghani and M Salim son of Abdul Aziz in connivance with the
BoR and others departments concerned.
(The News-13, 10/04/2007)
Illegalities in New Sabzi Mandi
Most of the physical allotments in New Sabzi Mandi have been illegally awarded to newcomers. Many of the allotments
include land from the parking lots.
According to a document made available to The News, 33 allottees, a majority of whom are newcomers, have been
awarded allotments from the parking lot in violation of the rules and regulations.
“This flagrant step of the ‘market committee’ will lead to a traffic mess inside and outside the new fruit and vegetable
market,” said experts acquainted with the area.
According to the official document, Wali Khan bearing file No. 550, who is a newcomer, has been alloted an open space at
P-6 (P stands for Parking). Likewise, Zahoor bearing file No. 1923, who is also a newcomer, has been alloted an open
space at P-6 for setting up a vegetable shop.
Traders at the New Sabzi Mandi said that allotment orders, possession orders, challan of payment, advisory note and site
plans are still being issued despite the end of the official timeframe.
It is learnt that Rs1.5 to 1.6 million is being illegally charged for allotments for a shop of 240 square feet in the parking lot.
Some growers who have a specific quota in the allotments in New Sabzi Mandi are being forced to sell their allotment files
for Rs0.1 million only and the same plot is being sold from Rs.0.8 million to Rs1 million.
The traders also complained that there are no proper cleanliness arrangements in the market and added that only five
security guards are deputed at the Mandi whereas salaries of 40 security guards are being illegally withdrawn.
They also said that there are no dustbins in the market and there are only 40 to 50 toilets.
The traders demanded that ground surveys of all the shops should be conducted with the cooperation of the office bearers
of different associations to unearth illegal allotments.
They demanded that original documents should be checked by the authorities concerned and that the rightful should be
given their due rights.
The traders claim that the rules regarding the size of shops are also being violated and some persons have been allotted
plots measuring 1000 and 1,200 square feet.
It is learnt that the authorities concerned have taken note of the violations in the allotments and started investigations.
(By Qadeer Tanoli, The News-14, 11/04/2007)
Malir river ruthlessly plundered
Malir Valley, previously considered the food bowl of Karachi, has been reduced to a deplorable condition, due to the
ruthless excavation of sand and gravel from Malir River over the last 60 years. This has resulted in the death of a majestic
river.
“Sixty billion cubic feet of sand and gravel have been drained from the river so far,” says Arif Hasan, a leading town planner
and architect who has written extensively on environmental issues.
“Deep aquifer takes billions of years to generate,” says Hasan, adding that there is no denying the fact that an imbalance
has occurred in the region’s ecology and measures need to be adopted to rectify the damage caused by negligence.
Prior to August 14, 1947, when Pakistan came into being, the Valley was a lush green oasis, rich in fruits, vegetables and
grain, and productive enough to provide gainful employment to all its inhabitants.
The very name “Malir” in Sindhi means “green and fertile.” Not surprisingly, poets and saints including Shah Abdul Latif
Bhittai have sung about its beautiful landscape.
However the speedy urbanisation of Karachi and ruthless exploitation of sand and gravel from the Malir riverbed, have
resulted in an immense loss, especially in terms of land degradation and loss of fertility. These also pose a grave threat to
local farmers and herdsmen.
The construction boom and high-rise building syndrome in the megalopolis Karachi, have ruined and disfigured River Malir.
Ruthless exploitation of sand and gravel from the riverbed and valuable farmland are devouring the topsoil that contains
those fine particles and organic matter that make the soil fertile.
Soil erosion, in combination with ill-conceived policies, has often transformed fertile lands into barren expanses. Overgrazing, browsing and ruthless exploitation of tree cover on the one hand, and negligence in forestation on the other, result
in the loss of vegetative cover, accelerating the pace of soil erosion.
Once the vegetative cover is lost, there is no way to get hold of organic matter and those fine particles that make the soil
productive. The water retention capacity of the soil is also affected. Thus begins the process of land degradation and
reduction in soil fertility that ultimately leads to desertification.
The river has not only been supporting orchards and crops, but it has also been ensuring the provision of 500,000 gallons
of water for Karachi daily, for nearly 60 years continuously.
The Gadap area of Malir, situated 44 kilometers north of Karachi, has also been playing an important role in providing
pastures for the livestock of nomadic tribes of southern Sindh. The Malir Valley comprises Memon Goth, Gadap, Kathore,
Motran, Kirchat and Mol Sharif, to name a few distinct areas.
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In yesteryears Malir supplied 30 trucks of papaya to Karachi’s market daily. Today, hardly one truck load of this fruit leaves
for the city. Villagers recall that the valley ensured the supply of “hundreds of tonnes” of papayas, bananas, guavas and
other fruits to urban centres. Today more than 500,000 farmers have been rendered jobless due to the havoc created by
the “reti bajri mafia.” (sand and gravel mafia)
“The riverbed has been extensively degraded because of the excavation of millions of tonnes of sand. The phenomenon
has exposed the rock bottom with the result that the river has lost its absorption capacity and flash floods have become
common,” says Dr Mirza Arshad Ali Baig, former director general Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
(PCSIR).
Check dams and sub-surface dams should be constructed. These will stop seepage and help accumulate sand and gravel.
Since these will be small dams, the aquifers will have a life of 15-20 years. Furthermore, plantation and water management
is needed, suggests Arif Hasan.
(By Shahid Husain, The News-13, 11/04/2007)
KBCA bylaws apply to Cantt areas equally, says minister
KARACHI, April 11: Sindh Minister for Local Government Mohammad Hussain has dispelled the impression being spread
by some builders and developers that they could not be touched by law on violating building rules because they operate in
Cantonment areas.
Presiding over a meeting in his office on Wednesday to discuss housing projects in the jurisdictions of Clifton, Malir and
Faisal cantonments, the minister said such builders were out to amass as much profit as possible assuming that no action
could be taken against them on violation of laws.
“With the cooperation of cantonment boards, action would be initiated against such builders and developers,” he said,
adding that it was the government’s responsibility to provide maximum possible facilities to allottees and for this purpose
and every necessary step would be taken.
The minister appreciated the cooperation pledged by the Director, Military Land Cantonment, and said this would resolve
the problems being faced by allottees of projects in cantonment areas.
The meeting decided that a representative from each cantonment board would regularly attend the open katchehry to be
held by the LG minister every Wednesday in his office to help redress problems of the allottees of the projects in
cantonment areas.
It was further decided that the Karachi Building Control Authority would extend technical assistance to cantonment boards
for effective implementation of building by-laws and monitoring of housing projects.
Director Military Land and Cantonment Banat Khan Masud assured the minister of full cooperation to be extended to the
KBCA, in particular, and the Sindh government in general.
He sought transfer of KBCA knowledge and expertise with regard to building control by-laws to the cantonment boards.
Chief controller of buildings told the meeting that the KBCA was committed to strict implementation of building by-laws and
this would be ensured at all costs.
The meeting was also attended by CEOs of Karachi and Malir cantonment boards, representatives of Clifton and Faisal
cantonment boards, DO Land Department and other officials.
(Dawn-19, 12/04/2007)
Lines Area mosque put under police protection
KARACHI, April 11: The Lines Area mosque attacked by enraged protesters on Tuesday night has been out of bounds for
worshippers since its takeover by a heavy contingent of police.
A young man was shot and wounded and a police vehicle set ablaze late on Tuesday night when differences between the
followers of two schools of thought led to a mob attacking and laying siege to the Jama Masjid Ahle Hadis, Tunisia Lines.
More than a dozen people, including the pesh imam and moazzen of the mosque, were besieged by the supporters and
activists of the Sunni Tehri. The besieged including the Jamiat Ahle Hadis Pakistan (JAHP) media advisor Mohammed
Yousuf Salfi, were evacuated by the police early this morning.
Eye-witnesses said protestors set on fire more than a dozen motorcycles parked in the mosque compound as a heavy
contingent of police took out the besieged people in a police vehicle from the mosque.
The Brigade police said they lodged a case of arson against the Sunni Tehrik activists. They said four ST activists –
Mohammed Asif, Mohammed Sakhawat, Mohammed Jawaid and Rehan Qadri, were arrested for arson and acts of
violence.
The SHO, Inspector Najam Altaf, told Dawn that a police contingent had been deployed at the mosque to stop any more
violence. “The mosque has not been sealed, though no prayers were held,” he added.
The trouble started on Sunday when a JAHP leader, Mufti Mohammed Yousuf, delivered a dars (speech) at the mosque. A
mob surrounded the mosque and set ablaze a vehicle to protest against the speech.
Tension and fear gripped the neighbourhood as the police picketed all exit and entry points to Lines Area. DIG Operations,
Mushtaq Shah, told Dawn that a police mobile van was set on fire and man sustained a bullet wound in the violence.
(By Tahir Siddiqui, Dawn-17, 12/04/2007)
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DHA wants security guards’ tents removed
A letter has been sent to the Home Department by an officer of the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) regarding shifting of
security guards and tents within the premises of the residential area and asking that all unauthorisd guards be removed.
Sources said it was stated in the letter that various government officials residing in DHA Phases-I, II (including extension),
III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII were provided security guards from the police, Frontier Constabulary and the Rangers. These security
personnel were deputed to guard senior officers and ministers.
It added that these guards were accommodated in tents outside their bungalows contrary to the DHA bye-laws. Guards
living in the tents were a security hazard, hampered traffic flow at some , and created unhygienic conditions.
The letter said, “It is requested that the concerned departments be directed to shift the tents within the premises of
residential accommodation and all unauthorised guards be removed to save the manpower”.
(By Salis bin Perwaiz, The News-14, 15/04/2007)
Housing scams
It is heartening to note that a Senate standing committee has asked the government to introduce more checks to better
regulate private housing societies in Islamabad. For those who have been duped and deceived by illegal or shady housing
societies (and there are many who have fallen victim in this manner), it will also raise the hope that the government may
come to their aid and help them in recovering money handed over to those behind many a scam. Such things are nothing
new in Islamabad or the rest of the country for that matter. Every now so often, one gets to read in the letters columns of
various newspapers troubling accounts of people who invested their life savings into a housing project only to find that the
whole thing was a scam and that even after years of waiting they are no closer to getting their dream home.
There are many ways in which the scams take place. Sometimes, the housing society informs the buyer that the project is
being disbanded and that the money will be returned. The only problem with this is that it takes some time before the
money is returned and when it is, a certain percentage is deducted under the head of 'processing and administrative costs'.
This is nothing but outright robbery since there is no logic why the purchaser should be punished on account of the project
not going ahead as planned. In reality, this is just a nifty way to make some money; the allotments are cancelled and then
re-sold at higher prices. Of course, scams can happen even in societies that do eventually provide homes to their clients.
Here, the difference between the facilities and quality as promised in glitzy infomercials aired on various TV channels and
what is really given is substantial. But the poor purchaser has no forum to turn to, except to file a legal suit. However, since
this option means several years of wrangling in court and expensive legal fees, most homeowners end up doing nothing.
To add to this, some housing societies, once possession has been handed over, introduce all kinds of unnecessary and
arbitrary charges on residents, and failure to pay results in even higher fines and/or withdrawal of amenities and other basic
services. In some instances, those who operate and own these housing schemes operate above the law as if they were
heading a state unto itself. Of course, all this cannot possibly happen without state and official patronage. In exchange for a
suitable plot or two, conniving officials look the other way and simply ignore the shenanigans of these housing society
managements. The Senate committee is up against a formidable foe.
(The News-7, 15/04/2007)
Land-grabbers warned
KARACHI, April 15: Taking notice of encroachments on 4.5 acres of Railway Society land in Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Town Nazim
Mohammad Wasay Jalil ordered officials to remove them with immediate effect.
During visit to the town areas, he said a grand operation would be launched soon against land-grabbers. He warned such
builders that they should surrender illegal structures and end encroachment voluntarily, otherwise, strict action would be
taken against them. The town nazim directed the officials concerned to remove encroachments on water pipelines land as
well as plots near the high tension power wires in Mughal Hazarah Goth.
Wasay Jalil said these encroachments had put the lives of residents and passers-by at risk. Besides, he said land grabbers
were also at constant danger due to the illegal occupation of land.
He said that encroachments were damaging water and sewerage system and footpaths besides creating hurdles in the
process of development work.
He also inspected the ongoing development work near Baitul Mukkaram mosque. Naib Nazim Shoaib Akhtar, TMO
Shafiqur Rehman and other officials were also present.
(Dawn-14, 16/04/2007)
Historic Hindu temple being choked by CDGK
Religious activities of the Hindu community remain affected at one of the most historic temples in the city, Shree Ratneswar
Mahadev Temple, situated within the premises of newly renovated Baghe Ibn-e-Qasim in Clifton.
This temple is held in high esteem amongst Hindus all over the world. It is also one of the oldest temples of its kind in the
region. However, the importance of the temple seems to have been set aside by the city government which is busy blocking
its space in a bid to develop the Bagh Ibn-e-Qasim. The Hindu community feels disappointed that such a historic temple is
being gradually reduced in size by the CDGK.
Parking space for the temple has been all but taken away and promised construction by the city government of parts of the
temple has also been delayed. Despite repeated calls from elders of the Hindu community, the CDGK has turned a deaf
ear to their requests. This has caused heartburn and anger.
The issue of parking for Hindu worshippers continues to be ignored by the City District Government Karachi and this has
caused problems for people attending the religious festivities. On festival days, the number of visitors can run into the
thousands.
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When the construction of the park began two years ago, the only available parking lot outside the temple was taken away
to utilize space for recreational purposes, neglecting the hardship the Hindu worshippers would have to face as a
consequence. As an alternate, the Hindus were later permitted to park their cars in the paid parking lot alloted for the park
visitors.
“Monday is our holy day when Hindus from all over the city visit the temple and the weekly mela. Around 4,000-5,000
people turn out to attend the fair but only 300 passes have been issued for parking by the city government, which is
insufficient,” said Mukesh Kumar Chawla, President Hindu Panchayat Committee.
Moreover, complained the custodians of the temple, it is the old and the disabled who have to suffer the most because they
cannot walk so far. Earlier, the visitors and those who could not walk were also allowed to park their cars in an underground
space so the senior members of the community could easily access the temple through the back door. “This was later
denied because the city government believed it would disturb the park visitors and obstruct the beautiful view of the park
from above,” he said.
It seems that the parking requirements of the temple and its visitors was not taken into account when the Bagh Ibn-e-Qasim
was being redeveloped.
At the same time, the parking space is one of the problems that the temple faces. Mukesh Chawla added that the
construction of the additional area allotted to the temple was a promised piece of land allotted by the City Government after
the demolition of an encroached area above the temple. This was, however, done to ensure a “better view of the park.”
It was mutually agreed between the District Officer CDGK, Liaquat Ali Khan that the second floor of the temple would be
replaced on the ground floor and first floor in lieu of the damage caused by the City Government.
“We are grateful that the government allotted us a plot but the construction of this new space was to be carried out by the
Parks and Horticulture Department of CDGK as committed in September 2005 but that did not happen so we had to
proceed with construction through self-financing,” said Chawla adding that the community has spent approximately Rs.1.8
million to date but due to the shortage of funds now, the construction had to be stopped.
Dr. Raj Ashok Motwani, Vice President of the Managing Committee at the temple also disclosed that this inaccessibility is
causing a hurdle for the labourers involved in the construction of the temple.
“We are working on extending the space but if the parking issue remains unresolved, the number of Hindus visiting the
temple will decline,” added Chawla. This temple is visited by a large number of Hindus daily because it is open 24 hours for
the Yatris (pilgrims) to perform their religious activities.
(By Aroosa Mansoor, The News-19, 16/04/2007)
Arbab takes notice of illegal construction in DHA
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim has taken notice of complaints from MPAs about the construction
of an illegal multistoried building in Defence View Phase-II. He has asked the chief secretary to take legal action against
such elements and the officials involved.
The chief minister’s inspection team, in its report, has stated that the building was constructed illegally, as the space was
reserved for single-unit bungalows. The report recommended immediate demolition of the building, as it is in the seismic
zone. According to the report, Karachi Building Control Authority’s officials, posted in Jamshed Town, are involved in this
matter. It is recommended that their cases should be referred for anticorruption.
(Daily Times-B1, 16/04/2007)
Sindh offers 3,000 acres to Qatar for cattle farming: Cabinet meeting
KARACHI, April 17: The Sindh government has welcomed an offer of the Qatar government for investment in cattle farming
and decided to provide 3,000 acres for the project.
This was decided at a Sindh Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim at the New Sindh Secretariat
on Tuesday afternoon.
Briefing newsmen on the decisions taken by the cabinet, the chief minister said the government had decided to give 3,000
acres of Bani Ser cattle farm areas. He said the government had decided to provide the land on a 30-year lease to many
entrepreneurs, in Thatta and Keenjher areas for cattle farming in the past, but as they failed to utilise the land their lease
was cancelled.
In reply to a question, he said the Qatar government had asked for 10,000 acres for cattle farming. He said the Qatar
government had also shown interest in setting up a cement factory and a hotel. According to the proposal, the Qatar
government would establish a modern hotel on Sharea Faisal near the KWSB offices. However, he made it clear that the
land for the hotel project would be offered only after the approval of a security committee in accordance with the
government policy.
The chief minister told newsmen that the decision on the letter of the Government Reforms Commission, headed by Dr
Ishrat Hussain, was deferred in the cabinet meeting, as the commission had asked for adoption of a blanket resolution from
the Sindh Assembly to implement the reforms in Sindh.
He said it was beyond his comprehension that when everyone was talking about provincial autonomy, how could any
provincial assembly give such blanket authority. The cabinet had suggested the commission to send its recommendations
on reforms so that the government could take a decision on its implementation.
In reply to a question, he said the commission had given a presentation in his presence to the federal cabinet which
objected to many of its recommendations. He said the recommendations of the commission were not binding on the
assembly.
The cabinet also gave approval to the Sugar Factories Act 1950 amendment bill for eliminating the role of middle men in
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sale or purchase of sugarcane and contravention of the act was made punishable with imprisonment of up to two years or a
fine which may extend to two million rupees or both.
Recalling the necessity of amendments to the Sugar Factories Control Act 1950, the chief minister pointed out that there
were complaints that sugar factory managements were neither starting the crushing season on time nor growers were paid
proper payment of the cane. Now contravening of the provisions of the act was made punishable, he said.
Under the proposed amendment, no person other than the cane grower shall sell or supply cane to the factory and all
purchases shall be made directly from the grower.
The government would establish a board which would give recommendations to fix the minimum rate of the cane. The
board would comprise the Secretary Agriculture, Cane Commissioner, representatives of the Pakistan Sugar Mills
Association, Sindh Abadgar Board, Chamber of Agriculture, Sugarcane Growers Association, and government nominees.
The factory management shall pay quality premium at the end of the crushing season at such rates as may be determined
by the government in proportion of sucrose recovery. The payment to grower shall be made through cheques within 15
days of the cane supply, otherwise a mark-up rate fixed by the government shall also be paid to the grower in addition to
the principal amount.
Offence under this act shall be cognizable and compoundable. However, no police official shall take cognizance of the
offence except upon a complaint in writing made by or under the authority of the cane commissioner.
Besides, the cabinet decided to start wheat procurement from February 15 next year. It was also decided that feasibility of
silos would be prepared for developing wheat storage capacity in each district.
(By Habib Khan Ghori, Dawn-17, 18/04/2007)
SHC asks housing society to pay costs
KARACHI, April 19: The Sindh High Court on Thursday imposed Rs25,000 as costs on a petitioner society which falsified
information to seek action against a builder and the Karachi Building Control Authority.
A non-governmental organisation moved a petition alleging that a multi-storied commercial structure was being raised on a
residential plot (No A-40, Block 13-D, Gulshan-i-Iqbal). A division bench comprising Justices Amir Hani Muslim and Mrs
Yasmin Abbasy sought a report to ascertain the correct position. It transpired that a ground-plus-one floor bungalow was
approved for the residential plot by the KBCA in 1999. A bungalow has been constructed in accordance with the plan and
there was no violation involved. There was no multi-storied structure or commercial complex on the plot.
Awarding the costs in favour of the owner of the bungalow, the bench ordered that the petitioner society would not move a
new petition without paying the costs.
The bench also directed the chief controller of buildings to submit a report in respect of residential plot number B-20, Block
13-A, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, which, according to another NGO has been commercialised by the builder.
According to the petitioner society, 54 shops have been built on the plot. A report submitted by a deputy controller of
buildings was found to be inadequate and the bench asked the CCOB to explain the correct position.
BALOCH COLONY PS: Justice Zawwar Hussain Jaffery, meanwhile, directed the DIG (Operations) and the Jamshed
Town police officer to answer the allegation that the police force had illegally occupied a 1000-square-yard plot in Baloch
Colony and raised unauthorised construction on it.
The owner of the plot submitted through Advocate Faiz H. Shah that he was being harassed by police to relinquish his
ownership rights over the plot, which had been unlawfully occupied.
(Dawn-17, 20/04/2007)
Peasant tense
The 31st ministerial meeting of Cairns Group was held in Lahore last week. Ever since Pakistan decided to join it in
December 2005, small farmers associations and civil society organisations of country have been showing great concerns
over this step of government. They think that instead of joining this group, Pakistan should follow G-33's stance — of which
it is a member— on WTO agricultural negotiations. G-33 is a group of developing agricultural countries.
No wonder the recent ministerial meeting faced a great resistance from small farmers' associations and civil society
organisations. The Sustainable Agriculture Action Group (SAAG) organised a 'Peasant's Resistance Convention' as a
parallel event to Cairns Group Ministerial Meeting in Lahore. Over 100 small farmers' organisations and representatives of
many other NGOs and research organisations from all provinces of the country participated in the convention.
According to organisers the objective of this parallel event is to resist anti-farmer policies of the WTO and to assert that civil
society has many apprehensions with regards to Pakistan's position in WTO agricultural negotiations, which ignore
protection of peasants and small farmers in the country.
They also held a protest rally against the Cairns Group meeting. A participant of the protest procession Anwer Baloch, a
small farmer from Balochistan, while talking to TNS said that this is wheat harvest season and no farmer can afford to leave
his field for even a single day "but we are in Lahore for the last three days just to registered our protest against anti-peasant
policies of Pakistan government and Cairns Group."
Tahir Hasnain Executive Director Economic Justice and Development Organisation (EJAD) Pakistan says that Pakistan is a
member of G-33 that demands provision of Special Products (SPs) and Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM) in agriculture
to protect agriculture; and G-20 which challenges Northern agriculture subsidies and other protection measures. "But later
Pakistan joined the Cairns Group that strives for market access to export agricultural products."
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Tahir says that at the Doha Ministerial Summit in 2001, Pakistan presented the idea of 'Development Box' for seeking high
protection for agriculture in developing countries to safeguard food security, livelihood and rural development concerns, and
taking the same agenda it became an active member of G-33 and G-20. "However, after Doha, Pakistan changed its
position radically against the interest of the farmers due to certain international and national pressures."
According to him it is evident that Pakistan has totally changed its position, for instance, policy decision for corporate
farming, Pakistan joining the Cairns Group, and its soft position on SPs and SSM. "All this was done with the claim to end
the stalemate in the Doha Round negotiations while ignoring the interest of the 91 per cent of poor farming community at
the national level."
Some have their strong reservations on Pakistan's dual stance over agricultural issues on different international forums.
Wali Haider, research and publication coordinator of Roots for Equity Karachi tells TNS that Pakistan has recently
submitted 'Modalities for the Selection and Treatment of Special Product' in the WTO. According to him many G-33
members were surprised and disappointed both by the content and the procedure of Pakistan's proposal. The position in
the paper is in contradiction with much of the group's stance. "Pakistan proposes that all SPs have to have tariff cuts which
is contrary to the G-33 position which proposes at least 50 per cent of tariff lines exempted from tariff cuts."
He tells TNS that Pakistan's statement in the recent G-33 meeting was taken as an effort to divide the group. "Venezuela
pointed out right way that in future Pakistan must make sure that the proposal is not interpreted as a G-33 proposal."
Shujaat Ali Khan Secretary SAAG thinks that agriculture in Pakistan is already deteriorating and needs protection while
government is talking about liberalising and free access to market. "Because of irrational and liberal exports of citrus to
China and other countries this year, the prices were high in Pakistan and national market also witnessed its shortage."
According to him if Cairns Group's stance of free market access is approved we may have to face similar situation for all
agricultural products.
He says that during the Cairns group meeting farmer leaders from member countries met on April 16. From Pakistan only
few influential farmers participated and none of the small farmers or their organisations is allowed to attend the meeting.
"Pakistan being the host country should chair the meeting but instead it was Australia that chaired the three day meeting,
which clearly shows Pakistan position in the group."
Shujaat says that in the backdrop of this we reject Pakistan's membership with the Cairns Group. He believes by doing so,
Pakistan is representing certain minority interest groups by ignoring majority peasants and small farmers. "Pakistan needs
mostly the defensive stance in agriculture negotiations but since peasants and small farmers in country are marginalised
and unorganised, Pakistan does not have priority in defending agriculture. On the other hand, Pakistan is moving towards
offensive stance because of influence of few landlord feudal farmers and commerce influential groups who have great
interest in exporting agricultural products no matter if the local consumer suffer food insecurity."
(By Aoun Sahi, The News-Political Economy, Page-IV, 22/04/2007)
Illegal sale of federal quarters in Karachi
The sale and purchase of federal government quarters, as well as illegally constructed shops and residential and
commercial structures raised on encroached land is going unchecked in the city in connivance with the authorities
concerned.
Over 3,000 quarters were constructed by the federal government in colonies known as Jehangir East and West Quarters,
Clayton Quarters and Martin Quarters over 325 acres of land and allotted to employees of various federal government
departments including Federal Works Organization (FWO), living in Karachi. These colonies, which used to be calm and
peaceful residential areas with wide streets, greenery, huge playgrounds, parks and all other basic facilities in the past,
have now turned into slums and their actual inhabitants are moving to other developed city areas, including Gulshan-eIqbal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Gulshan-e-Maymar, etc.
A survey of these localities revealed that most of the prime land in these colonies has been encroached upon by landgrabbers, who have constructed shops, ugly housing structures, workshops and godowns. The sale and purchase of these
structures is going on without any fear of the law. An estate agent in the area, commonly known as ‘Shah Ji’ in the Martin
Quarters, said that residential structures and shops were available for sale as well as on rent in all these federal colonies
with all basic facilities including electricity, gas and water.
“Of course, the practice is illegal but it goes on, as we have been assured by the authorities that nothing will happen to
inhabitants of this area or occupants of shops. Soon, ownership rights of federal land would be given to locals and prices of
this land will be touching peaks,” he said.
According to Shah Ji, the dealing of any residential structure or shop here is carried out on a simple stamp paper and the
place sold is mentioned as ‘Malba’ (debris) in the sale deed. “People don’t sell or purchase any house or shop here; instead
they deal in debris. It is evident from the deal’s procedure that nothing is legal and of no importance in any court of law. Yet,
the business is flourishing as people are keen to live and do business in these localities,” he said.
He said monthly rent of a house, constructed adjacent to government quarters on encroached land was about Rs3,500 to
4,000, where all utility services, including electricity, gas and water, was available. Shah Ji added that shops in the area
were now being sold from Rs300,000 to 600,000 ñ depending on the location.
At the same time, federal quarters, too, were available on rent as federal employees, who had been allotted these quarters,
had either moved to other more developed localities in the city or had gone abroad.
A visit to Jehangir East and West quarters, Martin and Clayton quarters revealed no maintenance work had been carried
out for last several years, the sewerage system was in very bad shape while water supply also required major repair work.
An official of Federal Estate Department, which looks after the federal property in the city, informed The News on condition
of anonymity that his department was aware of the situation but could not do anything due to restrictions imposed on them.
“Federal Housing and Works Ministry through a notification issued in 2003, had imposed a ban on allotments and ejections
of inhabitants in federal colonies in Karachi. They have eliminated our role by doing so and have provided a cover to illegal
activities,” he claimed.
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He said they knew that instead of federal government employees, labourers, fruit and vegetables merchants and other
people were living in federal quarters on rent, but they could not do anything owing to departmental as well as political
pressures. “These areas fall in the constituencies of Federal Housing and Works Minister Syed Safwanullah and Sindh
Minister for Environment Dr Sagheer Ansari and both of them want no interference from any government agency in locals’
affairs,” he added.
He claimed that the federal maintenance department, which looks after complaints about maintenance and provision of
utility services in federal quarters, is also not approached these days as all development activities were being carried out in
the area by the town administration.
A resident of the Martin quarters and federal government employee living in a govt quarter said that, a few years back, the
Sindh govt had forwarded a proposal to develop all 325 acres of federal land in Karachi into a modern residential area by
constructing multi-storied apartments and providing them to people at affordable prices.
Terming it a step towards grabbing of precious government land, he said the first step towards this multi-billion landgrabbing scam would be giving ownership rights to area people, majority of whom are illegal occupants as most of the
federal government employees, to whom these quarters were allotted, had either passed away, moved within the city and
country or had gone abroad.
(By M Waqar Bhatti, The News-13, 22/04/2007)
Land for new Defence Complex
Affected people promised due compensation
RAWALPINDI, April 22: Military authorities gave out an assurance on Sunday that people settled on the land acquired for
the Defence Complex Islamabad (DCI) would not be evicted without payment of compensation, an issue being pursued by
the Capital Development Authority (CDA).
The military authorities, who for the first time declared the new General Headquarters (GHQ) as DCI, said the complex
would house the ministry of defence, Joint Services Headquarters, GHQ and other services headquarters.
Sources involved in the establishment of the DCI told Dawn that after completion, the area of three services headquarters,
including that of the already established Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and Pakistan Navy, would be declared as a new
cantonment.
A spokesman for the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Directorate said land for the complex comprising the sectors of
E-10, D-11 and area north of E-10, was acquired by the CDA during 1969-70 and only after built-up property (BUP) awards
these areas would be handed over by the CDA.
He said so far BUP awards for E-10, service road area between sectors E-10, E-11 and sector D-11 had been finalised with
the residents living in these areas under an agreement.
The affected people, he said, had been paid the cost of BUP as per rules along with allotment of plots by the CDA.
He claimed that the entire process had been undertaken to the satisfaction of the residents through their representatives
and notables of the area without any use of ‘force’ or ‘coercive means’.
“Their due benefits in shape of payments and cheques and allotment of plots have been delivered on their doorstep,” he
added.
Even after announcement of the awards, few people lodged appeals which too were accepted by the CDA and the affected
people were accommodated accordingly.
With regard to people, who are settled north of E-10 and D-11, the spokesman said the CDA had already acquired
alternative area which was being surveyed. On completion of the survey, the CDA will enter into an agreement with the
actual affected people of the area and they would be awarded double benefits on the lines of sectors E-10 and D-11.
The spokesman said some people had illegally constructed havelies, houses and other encroachments in the area north of
E- 10, and warned them to refrain from such activities, as CDA held comprehensive record of inhabitants of the area.
(Dawn-2, 23/04/2007)
Land worth billions of rupees retrieved
KARACHI, April 24: The Sindh government has retrieved 500 acres of prime land in Deh Lal Bhukkar, Keamari Town, from
land mafia by demolishing the boundary wall and removing encroachments, Sindh Revenue Minister Dr Irfan Gul Magsi
said here on Tuesday, adding that the market value of the land was in several billion rupees.
The minister was speaking on the occasion of the launching of anti-encroachment drive in Keamari Town under the
supervision of DDO Revenue (Keamari Town) Mohammad Rafique Qureshi.
Dr Magsi said that extreme action would be taken against land-grabbers and no one would be allowed to usurp the stateowned land by raising structures overnight.
Expressing his determination to wipe out the land mafia, he said the mafia was a curse and it was duty of every citizen to
join hands with the government to root it out from the society.
He also appealed to people not to indulge in any deal with landowners without verifying the ownership documents and this
would be in their own interest.
(Dawn-18, 25/04/2007)
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Govt plans to give Clifton slum Mumbai makeover
KARACHI: The Sindh government is thinking of building high-rise apartment blocks over two katchi abadis in an experiment
it hopes will replicate what the Indian government did in Asia’s largest slum, Dharavi in Mumbai.
According to the plan, the two ‘model’ katchi abadis, Shah Rasool Colony
in Clifton and Essa Goth in North Nazimabad, will be chosen first
primarily due to their ethnic compositions, Daily Times has learnt. Essa
Goth is predominantly made up of Sindhi-speaking people and the people
of Shah Rasool Colony are mostly Sindhi-, Urdu- and Pushto-speaking.
The Sindh Katchi Abadi Authority (SKAA) made this proposal to the
Sindh government for a which a meeting is expected to take place today
at Governor House. If this project is successful, SKAA will extend this
plan to 539 katchi abadis which were notified after March 23, 1985.
In Dharavi, the Indian government built 10 high-rise flats on a self-finance
basis out of which two were sold to pay for the project and the remaining
eight towers were handed over to the residents of the settlement. “This is a unique kind of plan in which these settlements
will be modernized into posh localities,” SKAA DG Sindh Ali Ahmed Lund told Daily Times Tuesday. He said that the
proposed plan would change the entire shape of these settlements.
According to the plan, in the first stage, a part of the project will be built on an empty plot. Families will then be moved into
these flats and construction will start on the land they have vacated. “We are sure that the residents will agree to such a
modernization project,” Lund said, adding that his department has planned to hold seminars, walks and mass awareness
programs to persuade the residents to agree to this project.
The government may face an uphill task though. On Monday, the residents of Shah Rasool Colony prevented a threemember SKAA team from surveying the katchi abadi. The team had gone there to collect basic information needed for the
PC-1 for the project such as the number of residents in the colony, the number of houses and any existing development
schemes.
When the team entered the colony, started asking residents for information and started distributing a form, the news spread
like jungle fire. Panicked residents came out thinking that the team had come to force them to vacate the land. This panic
reached a climax in a protest demonstration by the women and children of the colony who chanted slogans against the city
district government as they mistakenly believed it had sent the team. They warned the team that any move to push them
out would be resisted.
The SKAA survey team was given the cold shoulder and it had to leave. Residents said that the government had to make
an agreement with them before initiating any plans on their land.
(By Amar Guriro, Daily Times-B1, 25/04/2007)
61 high court judges allotted plots in Islamabad
ISLAMABAD, April 27: The government has allotted plots to 61 high court judges in G-14, an under-developed residential
sector in Islamabad, Housing Minister Syed Safwanullah told the National Assembly, here on Friday.
In a written reply to a question raised by Bilqees Saif, the minister said the plots had been allotted by the Federal
Government Employees Housing Foundation.
Of the 61 judges who obtained plots, 43 belong to the Lahore High Court (LHC), eight are from the Peshawar High Court
(PHC), six from the Sindh High Court (SHC), two from the Balochistan High Court (BHC) and one from the Azad Jammu
and Kashmir High Court (AJKHC).
The housing minister told Dawn that although residential sectors of FGEHF were opened to provide accommodation to
federal government employees, plots there are also offered to judges and journalists, under their prescribed quotas.
Contrary to its own rules, the government has recently allotted plots to all federal secretaries and grade-22 officials, also in
sector G-14, although most of them already owned a plot in Islamabad in the government schemes.
The following is the list of high court judges who have been provided offer letters for plots in Phase-IV in G-14: Justice
Khalid Paul Khawaja, Justice Sheikh Abdul Razzaq, Justice Rana Muhammad Arshad Khan, Justice Muhammad Ashraf,
Justice Muhammad Roshan Essani, Justice Mansoor Ahmad, Justice Muhammad Ghani, Justice Muhammad Zafar Yasin,
Justice Parvez Ahmad, Justice M Naeemullah Khan Sherwani of LHC, Justice Qazi Ehsanullah Qureshi of PHC, Justice
Bashir Mujahid of LHC, Justice Malik Hamid Saeed of PHC, Justice Farrukh Lateef of LHC (Multan Bench), Justice Tanvir
Bashir Ansari of LHC, Justice Rustam Ali Malik of LHC, Justice Syed Jamshed Ali of LHC, Justice Saiyed Saeed Ashhad of
SHC, Justice S Ali Aslam Jafri of SHC, Justice Shahazad Akbar Khan of PHC, Justice Shaikh Abdul Rashid of LHC, Justice
Muhammad Sadiq Leghair of SHC, Justice Muhammad Akram Baitu of LHC, Justice Muhammad Mujibullah Siddiqui of
SHC, Justice Fazlur Rehamn Khan of PHC, Justice Muhammad Akhtar Shabbir of LHC (Lahore Bench), Justice Syed
Zawwar Hussain Jaffer of SHC, Justice Chaudhary Ijaz Ahmad of LHC, Justice Mohammad Sayeed Akhtar of LHC, Justice
Syed Manzoor Gilani of AJKHC, Justice Muhammad Farruki Mahmud of LHC, Justice M Muzammal Khan of LHC, Justice
Ali Nawaz Chowhan of LHC, Justice Mahmood Akhter Shahid Siddiqui LHC, Justice Muhammad Sair Ali of LHC, Justice
Mian Hamid Farooq of LHC, Justice Sardar Muhammad Aslam of LHC, Justice Sheikh Hakim Ali of LHC, Justice Syed
Sakhi Hussain Bukhari of LHC, Justice Rao Naeem Hashim Khan of LHC, Justice Tariq Pervez of PHC, Justice M Javed
Buttar of LHC, Justice Khawaja Mohammad Sharif of LHC, Justice Maulvi Anwarul Haque of LHC, Justice Zia Pervez of
SHC, Justice Abdul Shakoor Paracha of LHC, Justice Waseem Sikandar of LHC, Justice M Bilal Khan of LHC, Justice
Syed Zahid Hussain of LHC, Justice Nasirul Mulk of PHC, Justice Sarmad Talal Osmany of SHC, Justice Mohammad
Khalid Alvi of LHC, Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry of High Court, Justice Akhtar Zaman Malghani of BHC, Justice Tallat
Qayyum Qureshi of PHC, Justice Mian Mohammad Najumuzzaman of LHC, Justice Dost Mohammad Khan of PHC,
Justice Ahmad Khan Lasher of BHC, Justice Mian Saqib Nisar of LHC, Justice Ammanullah Khan of LHC and Justice Asif
Saeed Khan Khosa of LHC.
(Dawn-2, 28/04/2007)
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Attachment of amenity plot ordered
KARACHI, April 27: The Sindh High Court on Friday ordered attachment of a 14-acre plot in North Karachi pending an
inquiry into its conversion.Representing the city district government, Advocate Syed Jamil Ahmed submitted that plot
number 19, 14-B, North Karachi Township was an amenity plot, which was unlawfully allotted by the defunct Karachi
Development Authority officials.
He said he would submit the report of an inquiry being conducted into illegal allotment of the amenity plot by the city district
government within three weeks.
The allottees’ counsel, Gohar Iqbal, said the plot belonged to the central government and was converted into a residential
area for settlement and rehabilitation of refugees. A non-governmental society submitted as intervener through Advocate
Rizwan H. Nadeem that the plot was earmarked for development of a park and could not be used for any other purpose.
A division bench comprising Justices Mohammad Moosa K. Leghari and Amir Hani Muslim adjourned further hearing to
May 18.
KBCA STAYED: The same bench also passed an order to restrain the Karachi Building Control Authority from demolishing
an unauthorised structure on plot number A-293, Block 2, Gulshan-i-Iqbal.
Advocate Syed Jamil Ahmed submitted on behalf of the owner that the plot housed a school on a commercialised road.
There were several educational and other institutions functioning in the area but the KBCA had chosen to act against one
institution. The impugned KBCA notice, the counsel said, was discriminatory and mala fide.
The bench issued a notice to the KBCA for May 18 and restrained it from taking any coercive action in the meantime.
(Dawn-17, 28/04/2007)
Action against land grabbers
KARACHI, April 27: The land mafia has caused losses of billions of rupees to the Sindh government by occupying
hundreds of acres in Karachi. However, the government is determined to restore its grabbed land and no pressure will be
accepted to stop the ongoing operation against the land mafia. These views were expressed by Sindh Revenue Minister Dr
Irfan Gul Magsi, while talking to a group of media men in his office. He pointed out that around 700 acres had been
restored in Keamari Town where the operation was in progress against land-grabbers.
The minister said that in Scheme 33, the land mafia had occupied 957 acres through forged documents. He said action
would also be initiated against those government functionaries involved in the forgery.
(Dawn-18, 28/04/2007)
Political parties line up behind Clifton colony residents
KARACHI: Political parties are starting to get involved against the Sindh Katchi Abadi Authority’s (SKAA) proposed plan to
build high-rise apartments in two katchi abadis. The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), Pakistan People’s Party
Parliamentarians (PPPP), Awami National Party (ANP), and various other parties are uniting in opposition.
SKAA recently came up with a proposal, and not a concrete plan as the colony residents appear to believe, to take two
colonies and attempt to build self-financing apartments on them. This idea came from Dharavi in Mumbai where apartments
were built on empty land, the residents of a slum were moved there and then the land they vacated was used to build more
housing. Some of the housing would be sold so that the construction could be paid for.
After a joint call by the parties, hundreds of residents, including a large number of women and children, gathered after
Friday prayers at the main roundabout that connects Shah Rasool Colony to Khayaban-e-Tauheed and Neelum Colony.
The annoyed residents staged a protest against the SKAA’s proposed plans.
MMA MPA, Nasrullah Shaji, MMA MPA, Younis Barai, ANP leader, Abid Hussain, former PPP group leader, Najmi Alam,
and others, led the protest.
People from all three parts of Shah Rasool Colony rushed to the roundabout to protest. They chanted slogans against the
City District Government Karachi, city nazim, local government minister, SKAA, and the MQM.
Addressing the crowd, and later talking to Daily Times, Nasrullah Shaji rejected the plan, alleging that the MQM has
personal interests in the matter. He alleged that the plan is not for development, but for the destruction of the colony. “For
the past four years the MQM’s leadership has been either killing or running down its opponents,” said Shaji. He said that
the plan was a fraud and warned that the opposition parties will not allow the government, at any cost, to initiate such a
controversial plan. The colony was established before the creation of Pakistan and almost all the residents have acquired
their leases, he added. “How can SKAA imitate a plan for a place that is no longer a katchi abadi as it is already leased,”
asked Shaji. MPA Younis Barai added that the opposition parties will go to court for justice.
Elderly residents of the colony also addressed the crowd. “In all this time, the government never even thought of building a
hospital for the colony, why do they want to initiate such a development scheme all of a sudden,” said Maulana Shafique
Rehman, the pesh imam of Jama Masjid in the colony. Most of the residents appeared to be of the opinion that the
government has a hidden agenda.
(Daily Times-B1, 28/04/2007)
Plan to upgrade katchi abadis
KARACHI, April 29: In a conceptual proposal prepared by the Sindh Katchi Abadi Authority (SKAA), Shah Rasool Colony, a
slum occupying about 12 acres adjacent to Abdullah Shah Ghazi’s shrine in Clifton, has been selected as the first katchi
abadi to be given a makeover on the lines of Mumbai’s Dharavi project, where they built apartment blocks in shanty towns
for poor people of that area.
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Dawn learned through reliable sources that the project, which is in its planning and research stage, will be presented to the
governor later in the week.
According to reports the SKAA had selected two katchi abadis, namely Shah Rasool Colony in Clifton and Essa Goth in
Nazimabad, for the experiment but it is now being said that Essa Goth is no longer being considered, although later if
results in Shah Rasool Colony prove successful, the SKAA intends to extend this plan to all the katchi abadis regularised
under the Katchi Abadi Act of 1987 whereby slum areas established before 1985 were leased out to the residents of the
area.
As the project is still in its planning stage, survey teams have been sent out to the location. If the proposal gets an approval
from the government, NGOs will be engaged to carry out awareness programmes to inform the residents of the colony
about the project and how it will benefit them. But before reaching that stage, a number of things would be added to the
initial plan, just as certain things can be ruled out when the subject is taken up at a forum. That’s when it will be given a
definite outline or shape.
At the moment it can only be said that this is a 10- to 15-year project that will provide the residents of Karachi’s katchi
abadis adequate, free housing. The people living in the area will not be displaced altogether as the project will be carried
out in phases. Starting with one acre, which according to an estimate has around 25 to 30 houses, they would build one
building, of ground plus eight floors each, one at a time. The residents relocated in the first phase would be provided
another accommodation nearby.
There would be proper legal agreements that will mention a specific time period. After completion of the first building, they
may move into the new flats. Not just they, the residents of the second acre where the next building will be built, will also be
moved into this first building which would have enough room to accommodate them as well, vacating that piece of land and
so on.
One wonders if the buildings too will eventually become slums as the people are not used to this kind of living. But then
there are residents’ unions and associations to take care of maintenance and all that. The residents of this area are not
really expected to sell off the flats as their livelihoods are attached to that area. They work as gardeners, cooks and maids
in the posh area that surrounds the slum.
According to Tasneem Siddiqui, former director-general of the SKAA, the proposed project is workable but it is also not
without problems.
“This kind of a project needs long-term sustained approach and in Karachi and Pakistan, you can never be sure of
continuity in the government. Suppose you dislocate 500 households for a set period of time and the government changes
during that period? If the new government decides to shelf the project, what happens to those people then?
“This is a human settlement issue which has to be well-thought up before implementation. In the Dharavi project in Mumbai
they worked with four elements – the private sector which is the financier and developer, the city government, NGOs and
communities whose job it was to sit down with the people and educate tell them about it all.”
Mr Siddiqui stressed the need for the developer “to be reliable, one who is able to deliver within the given timeframe.” About
the Dharavi project, he further said that “a special law was passed in Mumbai for the project. Like where they allowed
ground plus four floors, they were given permission by the government to construct two more floors so that the builder got
his cost from selling the extra two floors.”
Although the Dharavi project was somewhat a failure, the planners here are said to have taken into account its weaknesses
and faults. The covered area of the flats in Mumbai was 200-square feet, which is insufficient. The construction quality was
substandard too. But first things first, the people should be willing to go along with the idea of beautifying Karachi. As Mr
Siddiqui pointed out, “It is doable, desirable but it is painstaking and difficult. You first need to build trust between the
government and the people.”
(By Shazia Hasan, Dawn-13, 30/04/2007)
MAY
SHC bars transfer of land to DHA
KARACHI, April 30: The Sindh High Court has restrained the provincial government from transferring private land to the
Defence Housing Authority for development of its phase nine near Malir.
A number of petitioners submitted through Advocate Adnan Memon that thousands of acres at Deh Khadeji and Deh Abdar
inherited by them from their ancestors were being transferred by the provincial government to the DHA. They also have
their ancestral graveyard in the area.
According to the DHA, however, the land was being lawfully acquired and 50 per cent of the price had already been paid.
A division bench comprising Justices Amir Hani Muslim and Yasmin Abbasy adjourned the hearing to May 3 and barred the
transfer of land in the meantime.
CLAIM AGAINST PAF: Another division bench consisting of Justices Mohammad Afzal Soomro and Rehmat Hussain Jafri,
meanwhile, gave the military estate officer another two months to decide the claim of Nur Begum, who claims that her 42
acres have been occupied by the PAF for its Malir airbase.
On a petition moved by her in 1999, the court had directed the estate officer in February 2003 to decide the matter within
six months. According to the military land office, the area was acquired in the 1940s.
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Petitioner Nur Begum sued for contempt when her claim was not settled by the estate officer even after a lapse of four
years. Giving two months more to the respondent, the bench omitted the names of the PAF base commander and the
administrative officer from the list of alleged contemnors.
(Dawn-17, 01/05/2007)
A disconcerting twist in an already sad story
When his home was razed by the town administration early this month, it revived in his mind the bitter and agonised
memories of the terrible days he went through in East Pakistan after it became Bangladesh.
Sitting on the rubble of what was his home just a month ago in sector 11 of Orangi Town, Shamimuddin finds himself
running after an ever-elusive freedom, which had, so far, already cost him two migrations.
As an eight-year-old child, he went through the first migration from his birthplace, Ghazipur, in India, to East Pakistan and,
at 27, he was forced to leave Dhaka for Karachi, which, till March 29, had been no less than a ‘promised land’ to him.
But his misery continues. At 64 now, Shamimuddin has, once again, been compelled to make a third migration for his
survival as his home, along with 79 others in Mansoor Nagar in Orangi Town, had been declared as being illegally raised
on ‘grabbed land.’ The declaration comes 31 years after he settled there under the government’s programme for the
rehabilitation of stranded Pakistanis who had migrated from Bangladesh in the 70s.
And now no option is available. “For over a month, I have been condemned to live in a tent with my 9-member family,” he
says. “We are still shocked and not ready to accept homelessness based on the reason that we had been living on
‘grabbed’ land.”
The tragic tale of Shamimuddin is that of all the 80 families whose homes were demolished by the town administration in
sheets four and five of Mansoor Nagar in densely populated Orangi Town. The area is spotted to settle more than 100,000
deprived families that migrated from Bangladesh in 70s.
After more than 30 years, inhabitants of this area have come to know that the place they have been living on is not meant
to provide shelter to displaced Pakistanis from Bangladesh but is a ‘grabbed piece of land.’
“Actually, this is city government land, which has planned a new project in this area,” says Abdul Haq, Nazim Orangi Town.
“We have only evicted land grabbers and not the residents. People of Mansoor Nagar have been co-operative and realise
the situation, so we did not need to use any force.”
But a visit to the area narrates a different tale. Ruined houses, tented families and confused faces disclose almost
everything that the families fear to reveal. One Farida dares to share what she wants, but probably will be unable, to forget.
On April 4, almost a dozen members of the town administration with bulldozers and tractors escorted by the area police
dragged her and her six children out of their home when their father was out to earn a livelihood. There was no prior notice.
“In a flash, our home was reduced to debris,” she says. “They (the town administration) manhandled me and my children
when we resisted; they didn’t even allow us to collect our household goods.”
Called stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh, Farida’s family is deserted, once again, but this time within the homeland.
Located in north-western part of the metropolis, Orangi Town is known to be home to more than 150,000 Bihari families,
who migrated from Bangladesh, from 1976 to 1981, after civil war led to the separation of East Pakistan.
More than 100,000 families were settled in this area in the outskirts of the city in the early 80s by the social organisations
and individuals with government support in place. Over the years, inhabitants of Orangi Town managed to install low-cost
sewerage and water supply system on their own under the highly-regarded Orangi Pilot Project.
The move pushed authorities to realise and regularise most of the parts of this Katchi Abadi, while others were waiting to
get a lease for their homes until the town action happened. “Different governments have always recognised Orangi’s
significance therefore everyone shared its contribution to some extent,” says Salim Shahid, General Secretary of Awami
Welfare Association. Recent episodes convinced him to fight under the banner of Tehreek-e-Mahsooreen Mashriqi
Pakistan.
He cites over Rs6 million Asian Development Bank-funded water supply project launched in 1993 for the people of
Mansoor Nagar, which establishes residential status of the area. But the facts are not very convincing for authorities.
“If anybody wants to protest, he can, but the laws can never be changed or relaxed under demonstrations,” says Haq, the
town Nazim. “We have already reclaimed 200-acres from land grabbers in Gulshan-e-Zia and are determined to follow up
here in Mansoor Nagar.”
Families like Farida’s and Shamimuddin’s in Mansoor Nagar gave up protests and now wait for a miracle to get them their
homes back. “In that hope, I visit this home everyday since it was demolished,” says Farida. “For the rest of the world it’s
yet another pile of rubble, but for me and my family it’s still home.”
A few of them still choose to try and make a difference. “We are preparing to file a petition in the High Court to challenge
the demolition,” says Shahid of Awami Tehreek-e-Mahsooreen Mashriqi Pakistan. This can be an expensive move for the
poor habitants, he says, but he is firm to seek justice as his people have already paid a heavy price to pursue freedom.
(By Imran Ayub, The News-13, 02/05/2007)
32 plots allotted to NGOs, private schools, NA told
ISLAMABAD, May 4: The federal government on Friday informed the National Assembly that the Capital Development
Authority (CDA) had allotted 32 plots to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and private educational institutions in
different sectors of the capital during the last two years.
The government came under fire when opposition members Nayyar Hussain Bukhari and Yasmeen Rehman (PPP) raising
the issue in the house during the question hour said some influential business tycoons had been allotted plots at subsidised
rates for setting up educational institutions in Islamabad.
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They said the benefit was not being passed on to the students in terms of fee structure. There was no mechanism in place
to monitor heavy fees being charged by them. They alleged that the plots valuing billions of rupees in the open market, had
been given to blue eyed ones for millions.
Opposition members gave a tough time to the seemingly unprepared Minister of State for Interior Zafar Iqbal Warraich, who
failed to properly respond to the queries about the monitoring mechanism to check fees of private educational institutions.
Treasury MNA M P Bhindara was of the view that there should be parliamentary committee to ascertain whether or not the
owners of private schools have built their buildings after they got the plots.
In a written reply, the federal interior minister informed the National Assembly that one plot measuring 6.63 acres was
allotted to the SOS Children Village of Pakistan for establishment of school for under privileged children in Sector H-11 at
the rate of Rs 218 per/sq yard.
The government had also allotted 3 acres plot to ZTE at Rs1,425 per/sq yards to set up a software development centre. He
said that ZTE was a Chinese company and the plot was allotted to it on the directives of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.
Those 32 private schools and NGOs which were given plots of different sizes in Islamabad at prices ranging between
Rs16.43 million to Rs42 million, included Faran Public School in H-11 sector measuring 0.76 acres, EMS High School 0.76
acres, Minhajul Quran 1.03 acres, Islamabad Children Academy 0.76 acres, Foundation Head School 1.03 acres, Ghazali
College 0.76 acres, Islamabad Science College 0.76 acres, Global System 1.03 acres, Bright Hall School 0.76 acres,
Bahria Foundation 1.93 acres, Bahria College 1.93 acres and Roots Montessori 0.75 acres,
Also, Head Start School 1.32 acres, International Progressive 0.76 acres, Hill House Boarding School 1.03 acres, Tameeri-Millat Foundation 0.76 acres, Modern Institute 0.68 acres, ASAS International School 01 acres, Foundation Public School
0.46 acres, Modern Language School 0.68 acre, SLS Montessori 01 acre, Khaldonia High School 0.87 acre, Umeed-i-Noor
School 0.87 acres, Lahore Diocesan Board of Education 1.06 acres, Magic Foundation Nurseries 1.80 acres, Lahore
Grammar School 3.35 acres, Sajjad Ideal Model High School 3 acres, Pak-Turk International School 3.53 acres, National
Grammar School, 2.50 acres, Siddeeq Public School 3 acres and Pak International Education System 2.53 acres.
State Minister for Interior Zafar Warraich informed the house that the CDA fetched Rs673.5 million from the sale of these
plots in sectors H-11, H-8, G-11/3, G-11/4, Park Road and Alipur Farash Model Village.
He said the incidence theft, dacoities, robberies and suicide attacks in the federal capital had gone down as compared to
last year. He said 34 incidents of burglary, 224 looting at gunpoint and 337 incidents of theft took place in the federal capital
during March 15, 2006 to 07, besides a suicide attack.
Water was being supplied to Islamabad from Simly and Khanpur dams instead of Rawal dam, he said, water filtration plants
had been installed in the capital for purification of water while 182 tubewells were also working in the capital.
Tehmina Daultana of PML-N said that substandard and contaminated water was being supplied to prisoners specially in
Vehari jail. She said the government must take notice of the deteriorating situation.
Speaker National Assembly Chaudhry Amir Hussain expressed annoyance over the absence of several ministers from the
house during the question hour.
(By Iftikhar A. Khan, Dawn-2, 05/05/2007)
Bene Israel graveyard: buried in time or conscience?
KARACHI, May 5: For most of her life, Rachel Joseph has fought for a place that may as well not exist. At 89, frail and
almost destitute, Joseph lives in Ramaswamy as the sole surviving custodian of the Jewish graveyard near Mewa Shah.
She wants it to stay alive as a heritage site and perhaps as an emblem of empathy for her beleaguered community.
Buried under decades of neglect and untamed vegetation, the Bene
Israel graveyard is fiercely guarded by Baloch squatters and is indeed a
testimony to the city’s conflict with its past. To this day, it witnesses
visitors who dare not disclose their identity. They come as either Parsis or
Memons to remember a loved one.
“Rachel is still a regular,” says the Baloch family living there for the past
70 years. A former schoolteacher who later eked out a living by giving
tuitions, Joseph has long claimed that she and her late brother were
swindled by property dealers who promised them an apartment in a new
building with space for a small synagogue. She has tried to move a court
countless times but all attempts have met with apathy.
“Rachel was also the custodian of the synagogue and that is why she is
fighting,” says the Baloch woman who sells rose petals at the gate of the
Cutchi-Memon graveyard, adjacent to the Jewish burial ground.
The earliest graves here are from 1812 and 1814 with a vast majority
from the 1950s. The last one to come here was Rachel’s brother,
Ephraim Joseph Awaskar, who was buried in 1987 at 84. Rachel visits
him and Yashua, who died in 1953, often. Although many graves have
disappeared into the ground and wild shrubbery makes it impossible to
walk the expanse, some regal tombs with lyrical epitaphs have survived and still dot the premises. A white marble one is
particularly striking with a delicate marble mesh around it. A marble book forms its headstone with a prayer engraved in
English and Hebrew. Another one is held by small Corinthian pillars in yellow stone with messages in Hebrew etched on all
sides.
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“A light from our house is gone/a voice we loved is stilled,” is an oft-repeated verse on many tombstones. Interestingly, it
not only appears on Jewish sites of families such as Dighorker and Awaskar which spanned the 1800s to the 1950s, but
also on the grave of a Mehdi Nassim who died in 1931 in London and his body was brought back to be buried here.
A large enclosure of yellow stone stands in a quiet corner, home to two enormous, elaborate sepulchres. Although the
faded script is hard to decipher, there is little doubt that these belonged to nobility. Closer inspection reveals that one is the
grave of Soloman David who died in March, 1902. He had built the Magain Shalome synagogue in Karachi and was the
surveyor of the Karachi municipality.
His gravestone reads: “The widely known and highly respected Soloman David always sought welfare of the Jewish
community and through his liberality erected at his own expense a handsome synagogue, Magain Shalome.”
Next to him lies his wife, Sheeoolabai, who died a year later in 1903.
The fierce keepers of the graveyard refuse to let anyone in as they fear that excessive exposure will rob them of their
home. However, when caught off-guard the family had some interesting information. “A lot of people used to come in the
‘50s, wearing black suits, hats and with beards. There were quite a few Jews here but after General Ayub many left for
London,” says the old lady who lives there with her family.
“A few come here even now but they are in Sindhi-Muslim, Khoja or Memon families. They married Muslims or went
undercover as Parsis because they fear for their lives. There are about 10 Jewish families in all, scattered in areas like
Ramaswamy, Soldier Bazaar, Ranchore Line,” she continued.
According to Aitken’s Gazetteer of the Province Of Sind, there were only 428 Jews enumerated in the census of 1901 and
these were really all in Karachi. Many belonged to the Bene Israel community who observed Sephardic Jewish rites and
are believed to have settled in India shortly after the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus.
Other research documents record about 2,500 Jews in Karachi with about 100 in Peshawar at the beginning of the 20th
century. At the time of independence, many Jews migrated to India but about 2,000 stayed in Pakistan. Their first real
exodus occurred soon after the creation of Israel which triggered many incidents of violence against Jews and the Karachi
synagogue became a site of anti-Israel demonstrations. The majority of Jews who left Pakistan are said to have settled in
Ramle, Israel, and have built a synagogue called Magain Shalome.
Arif Hassan, renowned architect and town-planner, believes that this was a highly prosperous and active community.
“Families such as the Dulseys were very important as prominent educationists who moved to Israel. One of them was also
in government service.”
Hassan also recalls that there were two famous Jewish cabaret artistes who performed at the Roma Shabana nightclub.
“They were the Daniel sisters in the ‘70s and their names were Deborah and Suzie. One became a heroine in films and the
other remained a dancer in clubs and films,” says Hassan.
Commenting on the state of the graveyard and the fact that most of Karachi is either in denial of its existence or oblivious to
it, Hassan says that it is vital for it to become a protected area. “I have asked for it to be made heritage property. If that
does not happen, it will be destroyed like the Hindu cremation ground where many samadhis of prominent Hindus have
given way to the Lyari Expressway,” asserts Hassan who is working on a three-volume account of the city.
But the relevant government departments have no such plans. “No work is being done at the moment to make it a
protected site. If this is done, it will be under the Special Preservation Act 1994 but we work mostly on cultural sites,” says
Qasim Ali Qasim, head of Southern Circuit of the Archaeology Department.
However, Qasim believes that if an NGO adopts a monument or a site then his department would provide the necessary
technical assistance required to preserve it.
The city’s intentional amnesia towards such a site raises many questions. What will it take to keep Rachel alive? A living
monument to our collective denial, she has been deprived of her rights to a comfortable, safe life in her own country and in
all these decades, not a single human rights organisation has come to her rescue. If this is the fate of an individual faulted
for her religion, then can an old cemetery really become a true site of remembering?
(By Reema Abbasi, Dawn-17, 06/05/2007)
Provision of lease to Katchi Abadis in Keamari ordered
The Sindh Minister for Local Government, Katchi Abadis & Spatial Development, Mohammad Hussain Khan has ordered
immediate regularisation and provision of lease to Bhatta Village — a 40-year-old Katchi Abadi of Keamari Town.
While addressing an open kutchery in Okhai Colony, UC-3, Keamari Town, Khan directed that residents of Bhatta Village
be provided ownership rights without any delay in order to provide a sense of security and end their fears of eviction from
their homes.
The Minister also ordered the survey of all katchi abadis of the town so as to evaluate their status for the provision of
leases. Furthermore, the amount generated from the lease will be spent on various development projects of the area.
Hussain said that there was no truth in the propaganda that only the localities of one particular linguistic group are being
regularised in the provision of ownership documents. He refuted allegations claiming that katchi abadis of some linguistic
groups are being targeted deliberately to harm them.
On the complaints of scarcity of water and its illegal sale, he directed Executive Engineer, KWSB to immediately remove
the concerned valve-man and improve the water supply. He warned that slackness will not be tolerated. He said that
keeping in view the shortage of water in almost every town of Karachi, one water hydrant plant has been planned, which
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will cater to the potable water needs of those residents who don’t have the facility of water through laid lines. The CDGK
has given an amount of Rs17 billion on improving the water and sewerage system.
But that isn’t all; the Provincial minister on complaints of non-availability of staff in the only dispensary of the area directed
the Town Health Officer to prepare a comprehensive summary for upgrading it as a hospital. Town Nazim, Humayun
Mohammad Khan informed the minister about various development projects of the town and presented different problems
confronted by the residents of Keamari. Earlier, the Provincial Minister received applications from the people present on the
occasion and issued orders for their readdress immediately.
(The News-20, 06/05/2007)
Karachi’s ‘Tower’ suffering from neglect and abuse
Ask someone in Karachi where “tower” is located, and chances are that they will tell you the way without even giving a
second thought as to which "tower" you are talking about.
"Tower" is the name with which the city has refered to ‘Merewether Memorial Tower’ for time out of mind. Particularly those
who travel in public buses, quite conveniently, identify the place where the structure stands tall and majestic. One reason
for this is that it is a major point of transit for public transport in the city.
However, all is not well with this famous city landmark. Not more than a few months earlier, a group of persons attacked the
same tower. It was around two in the morning when these attackers threw filthy engine oil on it. This oil has now seeped
into the stone of the structure and is almost impossible to remove.
The target of their ire was possibly the ‘Star of David’ carved on each of the four sides of the tower’s pier. The Star
represents Judaism and is the emblem of the state of Israel.
Graffiti like ‘Israel Na-manzoor’ and question marks inscribed on the pier’s walls show that the previous attack on the
landmark was not enough to satifsy their hatred.
Whatever reasons the hooligans might have had for what they did, and to whatever great extent they may have felt gratified
by their act, the heritage tower does not present the same look anymore.
Merewether Tower was previously under the possession of Karachi Municipal Corporation (now City District Government
Karachi - CDGK). However, the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) adopted it few years ago and at present, it is under the
supervision of the KSE.
Sultan, an elderly gardener has been looking after the structure and the green area around it for some time now. Recalling
the night when the tower was attacked, Sultan said that there was only one guard present inside the tower’s pier that night
who also locked himself inside and hid upstairs after fearing a threat to his life.
The gardener says that he had complained about the incident initially to the CDGK officials but “they simply refused to do
anything in this matter saying it was not their responsibility.” Then he complained to the KSE management. So far, none of
them has taken any step to wash those oil stains and the once glowing tower today presents a dirty and stained look.
Merewether Tower is one of the pre-partition landmarks of Karachi, located at the confluence of I.I. Chundrigar (McLeod)
Road and M.A. Jinnah (Bunder) Road. The tall, elegant structure encompasses an area that was thriving as commercial
place at the time it was built, concurrently with the rising fortunes of the city.
The tower was named after General Sir William L. Merewether, who had served as ‘Commissioner-in-Sindh’ from 1868 to
1877. Constructed by the Karachi Harbour Board in 1882, the Merewether Pier had cost Rs0.3million.
However, two years later, in 1884, it was decided to build a memorial on the pier. The memorial took eight years to
complete, and was handed over to the municipality in 1892 by the then ‘Commissioner-in-Sindh’ Evan James. Standing on
a platform of 44 square feet and rising to a height of 102 feet, the tower cost Rs37,178.
Historians tell us that the intricate carving executed by the native artisans of the era inspired James Strachan, the designer
of the memorial. That appears to be the reason the structure shows an emphasis on carving and decoration.
Today the tower stands neglected, battered and bruised. Not only its exterior, but also the interior, reveals the story of its
poor maintenance. A rusted bicycle, two muddy pillows and other litter lie inside the structure while thick layers of dust tell
how frequently the supervisors clean the building.
The wooden stairs that go to the roof, too, are covered with dust. The broken part of the wooden roof also states the
obvious.
The only part of the structure that actually negates doubts of its upkeep is its prominent clock that mostly, if not always,
displays the accurate time as sometimes that too goes out of order. The clock is placed at the base of the spire, 70 feet
from the ground and each of the clock’s four faces is seven feet in diametre.
Representatives from KSE said that they had adopted the structure a few years ago and had spent Rs0.5 million on its
restoration in 2004. However, when they were asked about the recent condition of the structure, they held smoke and
pollution in the area responsible for the damage.
They also counted the beautification work going on at I.I. Chundrigar Road, which they believe has added to the already
polluted area. On this, one had to remind them that the construction had started hardly one month ago.
One spokesperson from KSE said that they could not control the attacks on "Tower," which may happen at anytime. But,
once you have adopted a city landmark, one can only hope that the organisation concerned takes the appropriate steps for
its upkeep and security.
One does not know who to blame — the organisation that takes up the responsibility or the government which is happy to
give away what is, and should, ultimately be its own responsibility. In the end, it is the people of Karachi who are the losers
as a famous city landmark is neglected and they are deprived the pleasure of enjoying its existence.
(By Aisha Masood, The News-19, 06/05/2007)
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High-rise boom in Islamabad
TODAY’s Islamabad bears little resemblance to what Constantinos Doxiadis had in mind. The renowned Greek architect
who prepared the capital territory’s original master plan envisaged a city in which residential buildings would be limited to
two storeys and where high-rise construction was best avoided. His vision was not based on aesthetics alone. Islamabad
lies on five major seismic fault lines, one of which runs directly beneath the Faisal Mosque, and is thereby at serious risk of
a major earthquake. In 2005, shortly after the October 8 disaster and some 46 years from the time when Doxiadis
presented his initial report on the new capital city, two senior officials of the Geological Survey of Pakistan had strongly
advised that buildings in Islamabad should be no higher than two storeys. Islamabad was prone to high-intensity
earthquakes, they explained, and the earth’s crust could not support the weight of tall buildings.
The Capital Development Authority clearly believes otherwise. Last week the CDA decreed that buildings in the ‘markaz’, or
sector-centre, areas of Islamabad could now be raised to a height of ten storeys, as opposed to four. This drastic revision
carries serious safety implications for city residents. In a country where corrupt officials are hand in glove with unscrupulous
builders, how will it be ensured that the new, taller structures meet international standards for quake-resistant buildings?
The collapse of Margalla Towers on October 8 was tragic testimony to the shoddy construction work of greedy builders who
skimp on essential materials to cut costs. Without strict adherence to building codes, the CDA’s decision will be an
invitation to disaster. Moreover, the city’s existing utility networks are clearly incapable of coping with this vertical building
spree. Bigger water and sewerage lines must be laid before the new buildings come up. If the civic infrastructure is not
upgraded in a manner that is commensurate with the scale and pace of the construction boom, the CDA will be repeating
the planning mistakes that are now plaguing other cities. The problem of water, a commodity already scarce in the capital
territory, is particularly worrying. Even an upgraded distribution network will be irrelevant if supplies remain stagnant or fall
further.
(Dawn-7, 07/05/2007)
Reti Line residents get ownership rights
KARACHI, May 10: Sindh Minister for Local Government, Katchi Abadis and Spatial Development Muhammad Hussain
Khan has said the provision of ownership rights to people living in katchi abadis is no favour to them as it is their basic right
denied by the previous successive governments.
He said this while speaking at a gathering of lease distribution in Reti Line and issuance of challans in Tekri Colony, both
katchi abadis in Clifton.
Sardar Khan, in charge of the PPOC of the MQM, MNA Akhlaq Abdi, MPA Syed Shakir Ali, Director-General of Sindh
Katchi Abadis Authority Ali Ahmed and Director of the SKAA Dr Asghar Shaikh were also present.
The minister said elected representatives of people in katchi abadis always made false promises and hollow claims about
the provision of lease during every election campaign. As soon as they were elected to the assembly, they only focused on
solving their personal problems rather than paying attention to the people’s grievances, he noted.
Muhammad Hussain said elected representatives of the traditional political parties and religious groups always made false
promises, especially to hardworking Pakhtuns. They hatched conspiracies to create a gulf between the Urdu-speaking
people and the Pakhtuns only to fulfil their nefarious designs to divide and rule, he added.
He said the problem of lease was a result of the negligent attitude of their elected representatives, who for the only reason
to remain in power prolonged this basic concern of the Pakhtuns and other linguistic groups.
Mr Hussain said the main cause of the problems was carelessness in casting their votes. They had not used the power of
their votes properly, resulting in the worsening of their problems, he added.
The minister announced development schemes worth Rs5 million for Tekri Colony and Reti Line.
Sardar Khan, Akhlaq Abdi, Syed Shakir Ullah, Habib-ur-Rehman Tanoli, Shamsar Alam and Aziz Gul also spoke.
(Dawn-18, 11/05/2007)
Illegal occupants in KU staff town
More than 23 houses in the Karachi University staff town have been illegally occupied by the officers and non-teaching staff
of the university. It also includes two house occupied by the Rangers personnel stationed inside the campus.
The Karachi University Teachers Society (KUTS) has expressed its grave concern. More than 200 teaching and nonteaching staff were waiting to get accommodation.
The President KUTS, Prof. Sohail Barkati, and General Secretary KUTS, Dr Abid Hasnain recently met the Vice Chancellor
(VC), Prof. Pirzada Qasim to apprise him of the situation and seek immediate remedy.
According to Hasnain, the VC has assured them that the university is serving a final notice to the offenders to vacate or be
prepared to be ejected from their houses.
The non-teaching and retired officers living in the staff town are not paying the rent or the utilities, causing heavy financial
losses to the university.
Moreover, the Rangers have occupied two B-type houses and one C-type house instead of the house they were allotted.
The height of the irregularity is the fact that some retired university officials who have left the university, have given
possession of their houses to their relatives.
The teachers and the staff want the VC to take exertive action against the offenders, in order to discourage such actions in
the future.
Most of the teachers are annoyed that the Rangers, who were supposed to guard the university against the opposing
student factions are occupying different parts of the university including the hostels.
(The News-19, 11/05/2007)
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Demand for halt to work on razed temple
KARACHI, May 17: President of the Native Jetty Mandir Bachao Action Committee ex-MNA Dr Khatumal Jeewan has
informed KPT chairman that the illegal occupation and unauthorized work on the centuries-old Laxmi Narain Temple is still
under way in contravention of the concerned minorities’ will and desire.
In his letter sent to the KPT chairman on Wednesday, Dr Jeewan regretted the government’s indifference demonstrated in
this regard, saying that it seemed the authorities concerned, mainly the KPT, had ignored the minorities’ protests.
“Nobody is ready to listen to the protests from the minority community,” he deplored, adding that the KPT, being custodian
of the historic temple should direct the GLC management to stop the work on the premises of the Jhoolay Lal Temple and
push back the proposed wall to at least 300 feet from the Laxmi Narain Temple.
He said the Hindu community believed that the authorities ought to respect the minority’s right and freedom of worship.
(Dawn-18, 18/05/2007)
KBCA told to explain why court order not followed
KARACHI, May 22: The Sindh High Court on Tuesday asked the chief controller of buildings to appear before it on May 25
and explain why the Karachi Building Control Authority did not comply with its order to issue a no-objection certificate to the
owner of an amalgamated plot on Sharea Faisal and adjoining roads for construction of a commercial-cum-residential
complex.
The petitioner owner submitted that a division bench allowed his petition for issuance of a no-objection certificate without
payment of commercialisation charges as the four plots were situated on commercial streets and the KBCA had allowed
their amalgamation.
KBCA counsel Shahid Jamil said the plots were situated on different roads, including Sharea Faisal, Tipu Sultan Road and
another 40-feet wide road, which had not been commercialised. There was no provision in the law for the amalgamation of
plots. The construction of a high-rise building in the congested area would cause hardship to the residents of the residential
blocks. The total area of the amalgamated plot was more than 4,000 square feet and only a portion of it was situated on
Sharea Faisal.
Asked by the division bench hearing the petition why the KBCA allowed the merger of plots in the first instance, the counsel
said the approval was accorded in gross violation of the law and a bona fide mistake of law could be rectified at any stage.
The bench, which consisted of Justices Amir Hani Muslim and Mrs Yasmin Abbasy, told the counsel that the CCOB should
appear on May 25 to explain the position if the KBCA was not prepared to issue a no-objection certificate to the petitioner
owner within seven days.
ILLEGAL CONSTRUCTIONS: Chief Controller of Buildings, KBCA, Rauf Akhtar Farooqi has directed controllers in all 18
towns of the city to keep watch on illegal constructions and initiate action immediately when the work is started, reports
APP.
Speaking at a meeting of the heads of different KBCA departments, he said that sale and publicity of projects without an
NOC should not be allowed.
(Dawn-18, 23/05/2007)
1,157 katchi abadis notified
KARACHI, May 24: Notification of 1,157 out of a total 1,293 katchi abadis in Sindh was issued and the people were allowed
to get lease of their lands.
This was disclosed by the Director, Sindh Katchi Abadis Authority, Abdul Khaliq, while addressing a forum organised by the
Urban Resource Centre. He said that the number of katchi abadis in Karachi was 539, while the lease for 136 localities was
not allowed due to certain reasons. He said the main reason behind the illegal occupation of state land was the nonavailability of affordable housing to the people.
The problem, he said, could only be solved with the construction of low-priced houses.
(Dawn-19, 25/05/2007)
Tranquillity in a sea of turbulence
KARACHI: Today the buzzword in these parts is development. Flyovers, expansive parks, office blocks and luxury
complexes have come to signify development. But somewhere along the way we, collectively, or at least those in positions
of power have almost completely neglected the cultural and architectural heritage of this city.
Development is an existential reality, but do the glorious buildings of our past need to be sacrificed to make way for another
shopping mall, parking lot or luxury high rise?
The changed face of Saddar is exhibit ‘A’ in the case for the preservation of Karachi’s architectural heritage. Surely there
must exist a way for both development to take its course while this city’s architectural and cultural landmarks are preserved.
Perhaps one of the living symbols of Karachi’s storied past is the Swami Narayan temple, located off M.A. Jinnah Road –
one of Karachi’s busiest thoroughfares -- right opposite the equally majestic KMC building, another enduring icon of Raj-era
architecture.
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The temple is Karachi’s oldest (125 years and counting) as well as its biggest (area-wise). While Hindu temples can also be
found in other city areas such as Soldier Bazaar, Bhimpura, Clifton, Native Jetty etc, Swami Narayan Mandir can easily be
considered the nerve centre for Karachi’s Hindu community.
The temple is a hidden jewel in a turbulent sea of activity. Just outside the complex, Karachi’s notoriously unruly traffic zips
(or does it crawl?) to and fro, while the hustle and bustle generated by countless shops along M.A. Jinnah Road adds to the
pandemonium. But once inside the gates of the temple complex, it is another world altogether.
Named after Swami Narayan (born Ghanshyam Pande), a Hindu holy figure of the early 19th century, the temple is run by
the Swami Narayan Temple Estate Trust. The Mahant of the temple sits in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, whereas the chief
priest, or Maharaj, of the temple in Karachi is Maoji Maharaj.
The temple’s main feature is the imposing sandstone spire, under which are housed the main murtis or statues of Hindu
deities.
The temple is mostly dedicated to the worship of Shri Krishna but interestingly, next to the main worship area, there is a
room housing the Guru Granth Sahib, holy book of the Sikhs.
Within the confines of the temple complex there is a residential community, which is said to contain 400 houses. According
to residents, it is a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual community with residents from Sindhi, Maheshwari, Kutchi, Gujarati, Madrasi
and Maratha backgrounds. Interestingly, there are also a couple of Muslim families, residents of the colony since before
partition. But their homes open onto the street and not towards the temple, whereas relations are congenial, say residents.
The Swami Narayan temple complex also contains a dispensary, dharamsala, or rest house where Hindu devotees, mostly
coming from the interior of Sindh, stay and a gaosala, which houses cows and bulls, revered in Hinduism.
One hopes that the temple, a living example of the diversity of belief that can be found in Karachi, is protected and
preserved, especially considering recent news of encroachment upon the land of the Laxmi Narayan temple at the Native
Jetty.
(By Qasim A. Moini, Dawn-13, 28/05/2007)
Real estate brokerage business
THERE are numerous real estate agencies and real estate agents operating in the Country, with an annual turnover of
properties that are sold and rented in the open market worth billions of rupees.
Thousands of people are earning their bread and butter through real estate brokerage business but the government has not
paid any heed to regulate this business.
Regulating real estate brokerage business will greatly help real estate agency owners as well as estate brokers who are
generating revenues for the government, by conducting real estate deals between property buyers and sellers, tenants and
landlords.
The government earns a handsome amount from citizens who buy or sell properties and pay capital value tax, affix revenue
stamps on the conveyance deeds, pay registration charges to area registrars and taxes to local governments.
The government should acknowledge the services rendered by the real estate agency owners and real estate brokers by
issuing them real estate business licences.
I would like to emphasise on two types of licences: (1) estate agency’s licence and (2) estate broker’s licence.
The estate agency licence should be issued for the owners and operators of estate agencies, whereas, estate broker’s
licence should be issued to individual estate agent and broker, who works for an estate agency or work as a freelance
estate broker.
It is unfortunate that there are no colleges or universities in the country, which can conduct real estate brokerage business
examinations and award a certificate, diploma, bachelor’s or master’s degree to a student, who would like to choose real
estate brokerage business as his or her career.
But until such time the colleges or universities start teaching the subjects of real estate brokerage business, the
government should accept people working in the real estate brokerage business as ‘professionals’, as this is purely a
technical field and people related to this profession are successfully conducting real estate brokerage deals.
There are also uncounted retired armed forces officers who have either established estate agencies or have been working
as real estate brokers for a long time.
Time has come for the government to pay attention to real estate brokerage business so that services of real estate agency
owners and real agents should be acknowledged and recognised as professionals.
The SECP can play a significant role in drafting proper laws to protect the interest of the government, investors, buyers and
sellers, tenants and landlords of the properties.
The finance minister should be requested to introduce a law to regulate real estate brokerage business by issuing licences
to real estate agency owners and individual real estate brokers from the coming fiscal year 2007-2008.
An announcement in this respect by the finance minister in his budget speech 2007-2008 would be welcomed.
SYED A. MATEEN, Karachi
(Dawn-6, 29/05/2007)
Warning over bogus Gwadar schemes
ISLAMABAD, May 29: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday warned the general public against making
investments in 18 private housing schemes which have been declared ‘fake’ by the Gwadar Development Authority.
The bureau advised people that before buying plots in any housing scheme in any part of the country they should find out if
its sponsors had obtained a no objection certificate from the authorities concerned.
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In a press release, the NAB asked people to carefully examine the file of a plot, exact plot number, street number, sector,
phase number, development charges and the scheme’s completion schedule.
According to the NAB, the schemes which have been declared bogus by the GDA are the Shanghai Industrial Estate, Silver
Rock, Khaleej City, Royal Park Tower, Alpine Gwadar, Marina View, Soldier City, Gwadar Port Yard, Golden Valley,
Qartaba Creek Valley, Green Land Scheme, Gwadar Trade Centre, Asia Acre, Qartaba Creek Acre, Alpine Village, Green
Green Land Scheme, International Port City and West Avenue.
The warning has been issued by the NAB’s Awareness and Prevention Division in the wake of an unprecedented boom in
the real estate business and mushroom growth of fake housing schemes in the new port city.
The Gwadar Development Authority had recently announced that the 18 housing schemes had been operating “illegally”
without obtaining an NOC. It may be mentioned that the sponsors of these schemes had launched an advertisement
campaign in the media with the sole purpose of fleecing people.
However, a source told Dawn that the warning was a belated step because most of the schemes had been launched two to
three years ago.
(By Syed Irfan Raza, Dawn-1, 30/05/2007)
JUNE
Plans for new US Consulate alarm residents
The residents of Intelligence Colony, located off Queens Road (now called Moulvi Tamizuddin Khan Road), say that they
have strong reservations over plans to shift the US Consulate General next to their locality and pray that there is some
change so that the planned move does not take place.
There is uncertanity as the residents object to the fact that plans are being made about the future of their colony without
consulting them. They fear that their houses will be demolished owing to security concerns. It has been proposed for some
months now that the US Consulate General should be built on a large plot that currently serves as a cotton storage facility,
located on Mai Kolachi Bypass.
This location is right next to the Intelligence Colony. The residents of this colony, mostly of the lower income bracket, say
that they are afraid that once the Consulate shifts here, their movement will be restricted.
There is a shared conviction that eventually as security concerns grow, residents of the colony will be asked to move
elsewhere. It is a prospect that no one looks forward to. “We have been here for so many years now. The location of this
place is ideal. We cannot afford to go anywhere else,” commented one resident. People are hoping and praying everyday
that the Americans change their plans and opt for another area for the establishment of their consulate.
According to their claims, the Americans have purchased a plot measuring 27 acres to establish their consulate. It has also
been learnt through the residents that the purchased land is being leveled and soil testing is being conducted for
construction. Some residents believe that the consulate office will not be shifted here; instead the office for the American
Marines will be established here.
The Intelligence Colony is part of Union Council (UC) Sultanabad. It has around 15,000 houses. According to government
records, it is classified as a Katchi Abadi. It is registered as such with the Sindh Katchi Abadis Authority.
Mohammad Iqbal who has been a resident of the colony for the past 37 years said that the residents of the area have learnt
that the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) wants to de-notify the Intelligence Colony from the list of Katchi Abadis of the city. As
things stand, by being listed as a Katchi Abadi, the residents enjoy some protection.
Iqbal said that the residents of the areas are passing through an uncertain situation and they want some idea of what the
government has in store for them. He said that so far over 40 houses and shops have been demolished as part of the
widening of the MT Khan Road. The width of the constructed service road at Intelligence Colony is around 12 metres.
However, this narrows down to four, or five feet at the place where some flats have been constructed in Sultanabad, an
adjoining locality.
Locals claim that the owner of the flats was an influential person who did not allow the construction of the service road to be
as wide as at is next to the colony. The UC Nazim of Sultanabad, Miraj Khattak, told The News that some time back a
delegation of the colony had approached the US Consulate and shared their fears.
At the time, the consular staff had denied any plans to demolish houses in the area adjoining their new consulate site.
“We were told by the consulate office during that meeting that the Americans want to become our good neighbors,” Khattak
said. But this assurance has done little to allay fears. Many fear that their days in the colony are numbered. They say that
with the American Consulate coming next to them would also put their lives in danger considering that such a building is a
popular target for attacks.
It may be mentioned that the earlier site proposed for the shifting of the consulate was next to the Karachi Grammar School
in Clifton. However, after opposition from parents and school staff, the CM backed out and withdrew the offer.
(By Qadeer Tanoli, The News-19, 04/06/2007)
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Housing schemes for homeless people ordered
Sindh Minister for Local Government, Katchi Abadis and Spatial Development, Muhammad Hussain Khan, has directed all
the development authorities of the province to earmark lands for starting housing schemes for homeless and poor people.
He gave the directives while presiding over a meeting of Lyari Development Authority (LDA), Malir Development Authority
(MDA), Hyderabad Development Authority (HDA) and Sehwan Development Authority (SDA) in his office on Monday, said
a press release.
He said that those who are unable to afford huge down payments and massive instalments for acquiring any decent
housing facility should be given a chance to have a house at a minimum possible cost.
“Owing to ever-increasing rent and mounting property prices it was becoming more and more difficult for the poor to have a
proper accommodation to live with their families, resulting in creation of Katchi Abadis in the city.
He directed the MDA and LDA to prepare a complete plan based on minimum possible down payment and nominal
instalments to ensure that the deserved people are able to get maximum benefits from the scheme.
(The News-14, 05/06/2007)
Proposal for monetisation of housing facility dropped
ISLAMABAD: The government has dropped a proposal to monetise housing facility for 3.5 million public sector employees
from the next budget 2007-08, but the ceiling for the provision of housing will be increased substantially, it is learnt.
"We have proposed to the government to construct residential flats at the available government owned lands and hand it
over to employees by deducting a certain amount from their salaries on the basis of monthly installments. But this scheme
cannot be implemented at larger scale from the next budget," a high-level official in the Shaukat Aziz government told The
News here on Monday.
The government plans to construct 1,000 luxurious apartments for influential bureaucrats (occupational group only) after
their retirement in next five years, said the official and added the scheme will be expanded in coming years.
The non-occupational group, including economists, doctors, engineers, teachers and scientists, will not be provided with
luxurious apartments after their retirement, official sources quoted an approved summary moved by Ministry of Housing to
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz as saying.
The occupational group includes the DMG, police, accounts, post office, secretariat and foreign services. The scheme
envisaged providing houses to BS-20 to Bs-22 employees and apartments to BS-17 to BS-19 employees.
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had constituted a committee headed by Secretary General Finance Naveed Ehsan for firming
up proposals to monetize housing facility. The committee has prepared its detailed report and has already forwarded to
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.
"There are no chances to start monetization of housing from the next budget. We are considering to increase ceiling of
housing in a substantial manner," a member of the Naveed Ehsan committee confided to The News.
Provinces had already refused to monetize housing facility for over 2 million employees in the next budget for 2007-08
owing to severe financial constraints as they cannot afford a budgetary hit of Rs80 billion on their own.
The federal government has estimated that it requires Rs50 billion for monetization of housing facility for 1.5 million public
sector employees in one go. The committee assigned to monetize housing has proposed to make shift from the existing
policy for public servants by abolishing housing provision and compensating them with cash money in the monthly salaries
of 1.5 million employees all over Pakistan.
The monetization means that the public sector servants will be deprived of their existing official accommodations and cash
amount will be provided in order to enable them to set their priorities keeping in view the requirements.
In the last few years, Pay and Pension Committee headed by former bureaucrat Moeen Afzal recommended the
government twice that it should monetize perks and privileges of public sector employees both at the federal and provincial
levels. Each time the top bureaucrats extended all out opposition to such proposals but the major factor for nonimplementation was the financial constraints of the provincial governments.
There are about 3.5 million public sector employees both at the federal and provincial governments. A major chunk of
employees belonged to the provinces, hovering around over 2 million in the fold of the public sector.
As food inflation is on higher side, the salaried and pensioners are the major victims of price hike, and they are eyeing the
next budget for another raise in their salaries and pensions keeping in view the electioneering year in Pakistan.
(By Mehtab Haider, The News-4, 05/06/2007)
Sabzi Mandi lacks basic amenities
KARACHI, June 7: Although the new Sabzi Mandi is reportedly generating revenue between Rs40-45 million annually, it
still lacks the basic amenities like potable water and a proper sewerage system.
Despite settlement of all their dues against cost of land and development charges including cost of power meters, tap water
supply and a sewerage system, the allotees still are roughing it out and await government action to get rid of the poor
condition prevalent in the market.
Repeated complaints in this regard resulted in the formation of various government committees in the past, but to no avail.
Interestingly, the market committee officials instead of feeling threatened by any such actions, have further created
problems for the stakeholders and visitors to the Mandi, by illegally allotting a parking area and open spaces.
In July 2005, Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim constituted a high-powered committee to look into the issues
facing the new Sabzi Mandi.
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The 21-member committee, headed by Provincial Irrigation Minister Sardar Nadir Akmal Leghari, comprised
representatives from 5-Corps Headquarters, National Highway Authority and managing directors of the KESC and KWSB.
Its terms of reference were implementation of the Sindh Ombudsman’s decision of June 2000. The body was assigned to
conduct a detailed study and make suggestions for the management of the Sabzi Mandi through an autonomous statutory
body or corporation and also to examine feasibility of establishment of several more Sabzi Mandis near entry/ exit points of
the city on National and RCD highways.
The failure of the committee to make any headway resulted in an uproar in the provincial assembly, forcing the chief
minister to reconstitute a new five-member committee headed by Kishanchand Perwani in May 2006. Its other members
were former minister Abdul Hakim Baloch, Agriculture Secretary Mehkumudin Qadri, Special Secretary of the Board of
Revenue (LU) Nazar Mohammad Leghari and Siddique Memon.
Besides other matters its terms of reference included scrutiny of individual allotment cases on merit and finalisation of the
list for regularisation of allotments.
The report submitted by the committee in October 2006 pointed towards wide-scale irregularities and recommended severe
action against three administrators of the market committee and removal of all encroachments to restore its status of a
model Sabzi Mandi as envisaged by the Asian Development Bank.
The report noted with concern that allotment to newcomers were made without any criteria/ balloting and were allotted on
personal liking and disliking of past administrators.All such allotments be examined on a case to case basis by the standing
committee comprising Khalid Mehmood Soomro, member BoR (LU), Secretary Agriculture Mehkumuddin Quaderi and
Additional Secretary to Sindh Governor Javed Hanif and inappropriate allotments should be cancelled, it was stressed.
The report suggested that the control of the market committee be given to taluka/town administration in place of the district
levels in true spirit of the devolution plan so that funds generated were utilised in local area and additional management
and financial support could be made available through taluka/town administrator.
The report also revealed mismanagement and corruption in Sabzi Mandi and cases of tampering of records, illegal
allotments, theft of market fees, etc.
Most of the illegal activities were carried out by then administrators i.e. Col Javed Iqbal, Mohammad Akbar Zardari and
Abdul Jabbar Abbasi, the report stated recommending proceedings against these officials.
Unfortunately, eights months have passed since the findings of the Perwani committee, and no action has been taken so
far in this regard for reasons best known to the authorities concerned.
Leaving the issue unsettled, the government has again announced establishment of new Sabzi Mandis in major towns of
the province including two more new Sabzi Mandis in Karachi on National and RCD highways, for which the Asian
Development Bank has also committed a grant of over Rs250 million.
The president of the Fruit Merchants and Growers Association, Mohammad Javed, said that even the old allottees , who
possessed record of the KMC allotments, had not been issued their allotment so far on one pretext or the other.
He said that there was neither provision for supply of potable water nor proper sewerage system, despite depositing over
Rs200 million under different heads.
In reply to a question, he said that the old Sabzi Mandi was spread over 17 acres while the new one was developed on 100
acres where against 2,356 KMC tenants, 3,760 shops and sheds were provided in the approved master plan of the KBCA
but the latest figure after encroachment and fake allotments had raised its number to almost double.
(By Habib Khan Ghori, Dawn-18, 08/06/2007)
Monetary, housing benefits for govt servants
ISLAMABAD: The budget 2007-08 on Saturday unfolded a package of incentives for the government servants with 15 per
cent raise in their salaries, upgradation of posts for low-scale employees and a housing promise for tens of thousands.
Pensioners will also get 15-20 per cent raise, with those who had retired before 1997 would be the major beneficiaries,
while the fresh retirees would get 15 per cent increase. Employees of the Railways Department are also promised
upgradation of posts and provision of allowances. Additionally, the minimum wage of unskilled workers is being increased
from Rs 4,000 per month to Rs 4,500 per month.
Benefits for private and industrial workers that include old-age pension, old-age benefit, disability benefit, workers welfare
fund have also been revised for the good of the private sector employees.
The government rightly claimed to have the credit of increasing the salaries of the government servants four times during
the last five years. This has never happened in the past. In his budget speech, State Minister for Finance Omar Ayub Khan
announced that the salaries of the government employees were being increased by 15 per cent in the present budget. This
increase would be effective with effect from July 1, 2007.
The government has also decided to increase the pensions by 15 to 20 per cent. The increase is being given in two tiers:
old pensioners will get 20 per cent raise while new pensioners will get 15 per cent raise.
Much to the delight of the low scale employees, the government announced the promotion/upgradation of their posts.
According to the announcement, the employees in BPS-5, BPS-7 and BPS 11 are being promoted/upgraded to BPS-7,
BPS-9 and BPS-14, respectively. Omar Ayub claimed that a total of 87,500 federal employees would benefit from this
measure.
With regard to the housing problems faced by the government employees, the budget speech referred to the prime
minister’s directive to the Ministry of Housing and Works to immediately construct 37,000 houses for the low-paid
employees and give it to them on ownership basis.
In phase-I, it was announced that work on the construction of 5,000 units would immediately start for which land would be
provided by the CDA at official rate. The government employees will have the facility to get loan for construction of house.
About the incentives for employees of the Pakistan Railways, the budget promises upgradation of basic scale by one step
for 62,482 staff, excluding the secretarial staff. It was also announced that the long-standing demand of the Railways
employees regarding upgradation of posts had already been accepted along with increase in their allowances.
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A total of 12,510 employees, it is said, would benefit from this increase. In this way, the minister said the government has
provided relief to 74,992 Railways employees. In the last year’s budget, Rs 4,000 per month minimum wages were fixed for
unskilled workers, which have now been increased to Rs 4,500 per month.
The old-age pension — old and new both — has been increased by 15 per cent. Minimum pension has been increased
from Rs 1,300 to Rs 1,500 per month. Worker’s widow will now get pension of her deceased husband as per entitlement.
Earlier, she used to get minimum pension. Earlier husband or wife, both contributing to old-age benefit, would not get
pension of the deceased partner. Now the surviving partner would get the pension of the deceased spouse.
Under the Workmen Compensation Act 1923, workers receiving more than Rs 6,000 per month were not entitled to
compensation on account of disability. This restriction has been removed and now all the workers regardless of their wage
level would be entitled to compensation on account of disability caused during the course or as a result of performance of
duty.
Contract employees have been made entitled to receive companies’ profit under the Companies Profit (Workers
Participation) Act 1968. The limit of profit has been enhanced from Rs 12,000 to Rs 20,000.
Workers Welfare Fund Ordinance 1971 is being amended to allow industrial workers to get medical, education, housing
and death grant from Workers Welfare Fund. This facility would apply to those units having an annual income in excess of
Rs 500,000. Workers Welfare Fund Ordinance 1971 has been amended to increase the limit of death grant from Rs
200,000 to Rs 300,000.
(The News-1, 10/06/2007)
Not free as yet
Thousands of freed bonded peasants are living under open sky with virtually no support from any side. Their living
conditions are poor, to say the least, and they face lack of security. Actually the list of insecurities is rather long -- the more
important ones being unemployment and lack of basic facilities like water, gas, electricity, medical aid and education.
At present about 30,000 freed families are living in seven hari camps around
Hyderabad that include Husri, Himat Nagar, Shakil Nagar in Sikandarabad,
Baba Sallahuddin, Mukhtar Nagar camp near the airport, Zeal Pak and
Oderolal. They are living here in Katcha (makeshift) homes that are washed
away during rain.
At a time when power supply authorities claim that the usage of electricity is
increasing in the country with a rise in the sale of air conditioners, these
people belonging to the important agricultural sector of the country are
deprived of electricity altogether. There is no water supply either but
sometimes a few water tankers are supplied, courtesy an NGO. At other times
the inhabitants of the camps collect money and buy a few water tankers and
share the water for a day or two.
The problem of bonded agricultural labour is on the rise. Whereas earlier only landlords used to have their slaves, now
even mid-range farmers are doing that. Families who are desperately seeking livelihood or are struck by some crisis for
which they need cash end up becoming victims. The feudal lords lend advance to them and in return keep them in bondage
to do their work. The workers are supposed to pay off their loans through work -- but this rarely happens. During work, they
are kept in private detention centres and the cycle continues for generations.
Temporary shelter has been provided by some NGOs in seven camps around Hyderabad and adjoining districts. The living
conditions in the camps are totally inadequate but neither government nor any other agency has offered to provide any
support.
Most of the haris -- as these peasants are locally known -- have no other skill, which they can use for earning. Therefore
they either turn towards beggary or become victims of another bondage. "I escaped from the captivity of a landlord of
Khipro," says Bhutta talking to TNS while sitting in his makeshift hut in Shakeel Nagar camp in Sikandarabad located in
District Jamshoro, half an hour drive from Hyderabad. "But it is difficult to live here in camp," he says. "There is no water,
and the worst problem is getting a job as mill owners don't give jobs without guarantee which I and many of my colleague
cannot give because we come here from other parts of the province." But there are some who are happy because of the
situation. "At least we are free," says Shagan while speaking to TNS. "We eat less food and sometimes none but freedom
is not so easily available to all human beings," he says referring to hundreds of peasants who are still under agricultural
bondage.
The families living in these camps remain vulnerable to reprisals, including
threats and kidnapping, from their former landlords as the state provides no
security and attacks on these peasants are a routine affair. "Our landlords are
influential and they come here with armed men and sometimes also kidnap the
freed bonded labourers," says another peasant living in the camps giving the
example of the family of Mannu Bheel whose nine family members were
kidnapped in 1998 and have not been recovered despite protest campaigns
and pressure of apex courts.
A local resident of Sikandarabad, Lal Khan takes care of some affairs of the
camp voluntarily and also supports the freed peasants in his meager means.
He tells TNS that there is no healthcare facility, a school is operating here but the performance is questionable. Not happy
with the teaching at the school being run by an NGO, he says that not a single child of a camp could write his/her name.
Seeking jobs is a big problem for these freed bonded peasants and the jobs they gets are very low paid or sometimes not
even paid. "They come from a background of agricultural skills that can't be applied in cities," he adds.
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The residents of Sikandarabad camp say that they are living like a community in the camp and also offer worship in
temples as majority of them belong to the untouchable caste of Hindus. They are living without sanitation, water for
drinking, schools for children and dispensaries and most of all without homes. "Some NGOs receive huge funds in the
name of bonded labourers, their education, health and other services but all their work is on papers only," says Abbas
Kassar honorary coordinator Peace and Human Rights Trust.
There is an urgent need for the government to take appropriate measures to eliminate private jails and to take necessary
steps for the rehabilitation of freed haris. The government should establish rehabilitation centres at the places where these
bonded haris are living and make proper arrangements enabling them to resume their lives in a new society instead of a
place where only the landlord has chnged.
There is also need for establishing technical institutions for these bonded haris where they can be provided with various
skills for them to be able to stand on their own feet. The civil society should also come forward as some NGOs are running
schools and technical centres for some women and children but the efforts need to be accelerated as the number of
escaped/freede peasants is continuing to rise.
(By Adeel Pathan, The News-28, 10/06/2007)
Survey ignores housing issue
ISLAMABAD, June 10: The government has tried to brush under the carpet the vital issue of backlog of six to seven million
housing units in the country in the Economic Survey 2006-07. The survey has steered away from many grey areas and is
silent on the growing number of vehicles, a constant source of air pollution.
Chapter 16 of the Economic Survey, which usually deals with environment and housing, simply commends proenvironment efforts of the government this year without even touching on the problem of housing and the government’s
policy towards checking the growth of slums and squatter settlements.
The last year’s survey had put the housing backlog at 6.19 million. It had proposed an annual increase of half a million
housing units to meet the residential requirement in next two decades.
The present housing stock is rapidly ageing and estimates suggest that more than half of the stock is over 50 years old. It
estimated that half of the country’s urban population lived in slums and squatter settlements.
One cannot find any details of the House Building Finance Corporation (HBFC) which was supposed to enhance loans from
the 2005-06 level of Rs1.2billion to Rs7billion in the next five years.
In the last survey, the government had promised subsidised micro-loaning facilities to be extended by Khushhali Bank,
Zakat Fund and other micro-financing systems and institutions to the rural housing. In the current survey, there are no
details of the number of housing units financed by such institutions in villages of the country.
There are no details of what happened to the government’s last year’s plan to replace slums with commercial areas under
the National Housing Policy. The Indian government has already taken a lead in this sector as it has started converting the
biggest slum areas in Mumbai and other cities in low cost housing/apartments to be owned by the same slum dwellers, a
move that would certainly dent the poverty. The Pakistani government policy to convert slums into commercial zones
seems too much commercial with no or little intentions of poverty reduction.
The current survey has touched upon the issue of vehicular pollution and the growing trend of conversion of vehicles to
CNG which stood at 1.4 million as on May 16, 2007. There is also the number of the 1,450 CNG stations in the country.
However, the survey has no record of the existing number of vehicles and the growing trend of private vehicle ownership in
the country – a constant source of air pollution. Perhaps, the government does not like to give a clear picture of its efforts to
achieve environment related targets of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the survey.
The survey had stated that the number of vehicles in the country had jumped to 4 million in 20 years from 0.8 million, which
was an increase of 400 per cent. The average compound growth of vehicles was about 11 per cent per annum.
Since 1980, according to the last year’s survey, the maximum growth has been seen in two-stroke vehicles such as
delivery vans, which are about 1,751 per cent, followed by motorcycles 541 per cent and rickshaws 159 per cent.
(By Sher Baz Khan, Dawn-3, 11/06/2007)
Heritage destroyed
THERE are many things which make Karachi stand out amongst the cities of Pakistan. Its massive growth since 1947 is
one, its cosmopolitan outlook is another. But what gives it uniqueness is that it is a new phenomenon. It does not have a
history like Lahore and Multan. It is in historical terms quite fresh. It owes its existence to the British. There was no Karachi
two centuries ago. Therefore, whatever history it has consists of the British period, and the British did leave lots of things.
The areas in Karachi developed during British times like Saddar, Clifton, Lines Area and Malir were full of beautiful colonial
structures. They give the city grace and pride.
Karachi can be compared to Hong Kong, another British city. In the past few years, however, there has been an attack on
Karachi's heritage. The Civil Lines Area (next to Marriot Hotel) used to be a living museum. All the buildings there were
heritage buildings. Today, however, more than half of the Victorian-style buildings are gone and in their place stand gaudy
concrete apartment blocks.
The builders in pursuit of their narrow profit motive are on a rampage. Clifton today is quickly losing its serene touch and
becoming a noisy concrete jungle. I am deeply surprised why the NGOs and citizenry have not raised their voice on this
assault on Karachi's heritage. Do we really want all the old buildings, many of them in very good condition, to be pulled
down? What will this leave for future generation of Karachites? They will be totally unaware of the city's glorious roots.
However, all is not lost. There are still considerable structures left and they can be saved if timely action is taken. The
public of Karachi and its intelligentsia must come forward to save the heritage buildings from being pulled down.
OSAMA USTAFA, Islamabad
(Dawn-6, 12/06/2007)
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Housing schemes for homeless urged
KARACHI, June 12: Sindh Minister for Local Government, Katchi Abadis and Spatial Development Mohammad Hussain
Khan has directed the officials concerned to introduce residential projects for the homeless in different parts of the
province.
While presiding over a meeting of local government department officials at his office on Tuesday, he said that plots at
cheaper rates should be provided to those who could not afford to give heavy advance payments and house rents.
On the pattern of Khuda Ki Basti, he said, a piece of land should be allocated for the residential project where people could
build their houses with a sense of ownership.
Mohammad Hussain said the housing wing would also be directed to prepare a comprehensive plan in this regard.
He directed the officials to take action against construction of high-rise buildings across the province.
Asking officials of his department to hold their responsibilities with honesty and dedication, he said that neither corrupt
employees would be spared nor postings on the basis of nepotism be tolerated
After physical verification, he said, 600 officials and employees of rural development department presently in surplus pool
would be merged in local government commission, monitoring and evaluation cell and public health engineering
departments.
A master plan of all talukas in the province should be chalked out so that comprehensive data of available infrastructure
and required facilities could be prepared, he said, adding that Town Officers (Planning) would be appointed in all talukas
and towns on contract basis.
He also called for activating local government support officers in all districts because the coordination between talukas and
districts was ineffective. Strong coordination between them could be created if local government support officers be
assigned responsibilities in this regard and their capabilities could also be utilised for settling issue like HESCO dues and
pensions, he said.
(Dawn-18, 13/06/2007)
Frere Hall: paradise lost
Very few people who were in the vicinity of Karachi’s bustling city centre on June 14 2002 will ever forget that hot summer’s
day. Exactly five years ago today, a loud bang suddenly disrupted the peace and tranquillity of one of the city’s most
prestigious areas, spreading panic and mayhem in its wake. The loud and terrifying bang of the blast could be heard miles
and miles away. Eyewitnesses remember seeing cars flying through the air due to the sheer magnitude of the explosion.
Mangled vehicles and body parts landed several metres away in the lush and landscaped grounds of Frere Hall opposite
the scene of the attack.
The bomb blast outside the US consulate on Abdullah Haroon road cruelly snuffed out a dozen lives and injured around
four dozen people, many of them innocent passers-by.
The tragedy stunned the country. People were particularly traumatised to learn about the death of the unfortunate woman
driving instructor who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, just days before her wedding. The human
tragedy was overwhelming, but another unsung tragedy also befell Karachi on that day: the tragic incident spelled the death
of a thriving and popular recreation spot in the heart of the city that was the source of immense pleasure to generations of
citizens.
Today, Frere Hall, the much-loved 19th century monument that attracted thousands of Karachiites to its park, book fair
library and gallery, is forlorn and all but abandoned. The silence of the park is only occasionally broken by whistles from the
ubiquitous security men warning those who stray too close to the consulate to stay away.
The beautiful Venetian Gothic building with its distinctive spire is one of the city’s best loved monuments. The structure was
opened to the public in 1865 in honour of Sir Henry Bartle Edward Frere (1815-1884), who was known for promoting the
economic development of the city. In later years, the building housed the Liaqat Library and was home to Sadequain during
the twilight of his life. The celebrated artist painted the ceiling of the building in his unique style.
The park had a character of its own. It attracted people to its lush, well maintained lawns from all over the city. It was a
meeting place for students of English from the nearby Pak-American Cultural Center ( PACC), a haunt of card players,
families, joggers, lovers, and many more entertainment-starved residents of the concrete jungle. More than 50 booksellers
used to place their stalls here on Sundays. The variety of new and old books attracted thousands of visitors every week.
Jan Mohammad, a frequent visitor to Frere Hall wistfully recalls the good old days. For him, it was a place to meet old
friends and find a variety of books. It was like a social gathering and “a picnic point.” “Frere Hall had the natural
environment,” he said, which his friends and he could not find at any other place.
For the first time, the Sunday book bazaar was closed one month after the blast on July 14 2002. It was later reopened on
Oct 20, 2002. The hall was again closed on 24 August 2003 on the orders of the Sindh government but after a couple of
weeks was revived by the then Mayor Niamatullah Khan.
The book bazaar was closed down after two successive bomb blasts in front of the PACC, located near the US consulategeneral’s grand residence, on May 26, 2004. Since then the Hall remains a no-go area for Karachiites. Though some of the
bookstalls were later moved to the Kucha-i-Saqafat in front of the Arts Council on M R Kayani road, they could not attract
booklovers on the same scale. “I used to sell more books at Frere Hall as compared to here, as there were more serious
book finders,” said a bookseller at the Kucha-i-Saqafat.
He said the change in the venue had ultimately led to the decline in the number of buyers of old books.
Ironically, none of the three terrorist incidents happened on a Sunday. The PACC bomb blasts occurred on Wednesday
while the US consulate bomb blast and attack on the police picket were both recorded on Fridays. But the Sunday bazaar
became a permanent casualty.
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Today, even pedestrians are not allowed to cross the two roads, Fatima Jinnah Road from Avari Towers to the PACC and
the Abdullah Haroon Road from Metropole hotel to Hoshang Chowk. Parking in the vicinity has also been banned. To this
day, vehicles passing that section of Abdullah Haroon Road are frequently checked and buses, motorcycles, rickshaws,
taxis and other public vehicles are banned from using the road. This has led to severe congestion on the parallel Ziauddin
Ahmed Road and meant long detours for most citizens heading to and from Clifton. Curiously, all Suzuki vans are still
scrupulously barred from using what was a major thoroughfare because the original bomb was believed to be planted in
that model of car!. Despite all the security, another incident occurred outside the US consulate, when its police picket was
attacked on February 28 2003 killing two policemen.
The US consulate has since all but ceased to function in its current location. Most of its staff have moved elsewhere and
visas are no longer issued from Karachi. Nor is the thriving library on its premises open to the public.
The four men charged for masterminding the bomb blast near the consulate were acquitted by an anti-terrorism appellate
bench of the Sindh High Court on October 31 last year. But even after five years of the incident, Karachiites have not been
released from the trauma of the ban on visiting their favourite venue.
(By Shahid Shah, The News-13, 14/06/2007)
Wazir Mansion’s balcony collapses
KARACHI, June 14: Pakistan’s politicians may refer to Mohammad Ali Jinnah as the Father of the Nation and the Quaid-iAzam, but their dedication is not enough to prevent heritage sites related to their leader from falling into ruin. Dawn has
learnt of the collapse of a portion of the second-floor balcony of Wazir Mansion – Jinnah’s birthplace in Kharadar.
The collapse occurred a few days ago while a worker was chiselling at the wall in an effort to remove the plaster.
The chiselling was being undertaken as part of the 2003-2008 Wazir Mansion Project, aimed at renovating and preserving
the historical building.
Project director Mohammad Shah Bokhari, from the Department of Archaeology and Museums, confirmed that a portion of
the balcony had collapsed but did not know exactly when it had happened. He said that the structure had probably given
way because it had been weakened by seepage. Mr Bokhari added that a private consultant, Kamran Ahmed, had been
approached and “repair work would hopefully start soon.”
According to Mr Bokhari, responsibility for the collapse has not been assigned to any one, and no action will be taken. This,
despite the fact that Wazir Mansion is protected under the Antiquities Act 1975 which prescribes heavy fines and long
prison sentences for any person found guilty of damaging a protected site.
When Dawn visited the site on Thursday, a section of the balcony was still hanging in the air, teetering over the pile of
debris on the ground. According to Riaz Khan, who lives next to the mansion, the collapse was accompanied by a lot of
noise. Coming out of his workplace, he saw that the debris had fallen on his parked motorcycle and damaged it. Another
resident, Abdul Ghani, said that the balcony came down in a cloud of dust but fortunately, no one was injured.
In another display of inefficiency and carelessness, a former project director – just a few days before his retirement – spent
large sums of money purchasing air conditioners and other equipment that were to be installed after the building was
completely restored. This equipment is rotting in store-rooms and their warrantee period has lapsed.
According to the current project director, the equipment was bought over a year ago and he could offer no answer as to
why it was acquired before the restoration work was completed.
Meanwhile, Karachi’s proud memorial to Jinnah, the Mazar-i-Quaid, is also suffering at the hands of negligent caretakers.
The tomb’s white marble dome is currently hidden under a thick layer of dust and grime; it has clearly not been cleaned or
washed for a long time. Perhaps the officials of the Quaid-i-Azam Mazar Management Board are waiting for the rains to
wash the dirt away.
However, these officials show no hesitation in spending large sums of money in renovating the Board’s nearby offices,
which boast expensive aluminium windows and split air-conditioners.
Clearly, the comfort of government officials takes precedence over preserving the memory of the man who made their
status possible.
(By Bhagwandas, Dawn-17, 15/06/2007)
Unblock the roads
This newspaper has reported that the week marked five years to the day when the American Consulate in Karachi was
victim to a senseless bomb attack which claimed the lives of 12 persons and injured nearly 50 others, most of them
innocent passers-by. In response to this tragedy, the provincial government in its wisdom decided to restrict public access
not only to the Abdullah Haroon Road on which the consulate is located (and which happens to be an arterial road) but also
the parallel Fatima Jinnah Road, on which the residence of the consul general is situated. This move defied logic as for all
practical purposes the US Consulate General is more or less non-functional since there is no public dealing. And closing
main city thoroughfares to cater to a handful of American diplomats is insensitive as well. As a consequence of this badly
thought of move, there is now immense pressure on parallel roads and thousands of people are inconvenienced. The city
pays for the safety of a handful of diplomats through traffic jams and their resultant pollution on roads like Dr Ziauddin
Ahmad Road, on which most transport has now been diverted. The irony is that despite the deployment of hundreds of
security officials at great public expense, yet another bomb blast occurred a year or so back on the occasions of the visit of
US President George W Bush to Pakistan. This proved the futility of the steps taken by the provincial government in the
name of security.
It is time to reconsider the decision to block off two important city roads and close the whole area to the public. The Frere
Hall and its adjoining park was a favourite recreational spot, which the government has shut off to the people. Similarly, a
book bazaar held at the Frere Hall site was also considered a security risk to the Americans and has been shut at their
insistence. In all this, one can only ask as to why the government continues to pander to every whim of the American
diplomats. If these restrictions were not enough, a portion of the Bagh-e-Jinnah was dug out and a service road was made
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for the US diplomats, again an unheard of step taken by the government. The government should reconsider its decisions
and come up with a plan to reopen these public thoroughfares so that the people are given relief. Also, the park and the
book bazaar should be restarted, as this has been a demand of the people for some time now. Despite loud proclamations
of independence, it seems some in the government continue to harbour a slavish mentality which should be done away
with. For a change, let us consider the interests of our people first.
(The News-7, 15/06/2007)
Improvement of Katchi Abadis discussed
A multi-stakeholder workshop on the sector roadmap of improvement of “Katchi Abadi’s” and other forms of “Low-Income
Housing” was held on Friday, June 15, 2007, at a local Hotel. It was organised by the Government of Sindh and the City
District Government Karachi (CDGK), in collaboration with Asian Development Bank (ADB).
According to a press release issued on Friday, in the light of the discussions at the workshop, small groups then worked on
those areas of the roadmap that required further discussion and inputs. Each small group made concrete suggestions on
how to improve the roadmap, new actions to be initiated, and strategic interventions.
The spokesperson said that the recommendations were in the areas of institutional framework, concerns regarding
roadmap, low-income housing, Katchi Abadis, public awareness, and role of the citizens.
He added that the CDCK had given a commitment that these inputs would be incorporated in the final version of the
roadmap and that representatives of the stakeholder group would continue to give inputs throughout any further design
phase and through implementation and monitoring.
This workshop was part of a larger programme of stakeholder consultations on Karachi Mega City Sustainable
Development Programme. This programme concentrates on improvement of services to the public and has been initiated
with four roadmaps developed by consultants for ADB funding support, he further said.
The roadmap was on Water and Wastewater, Solid Waste Management, Improvement of Katchi Abadis and other Low
Income Housing and Transport, adding he said that it was the first time that this kind of wide and open stakeholder
consultation process has been followed in the designing stage of a major development programme, where government,
civil society, industries and elected representatives are all working together to come up with consensus and agreed designs
that best support this city.
The process of dialogue and consultations has been structured in three steps; review and inputs to each roadmap by a
small sector-specific multi-stakeholder working group of experts, review and inputs by larger sector-specific stakeholder
workshops, followed by a media dialogue to reach a larger spectrum of civil society.
The City Nazim, Syed Mutafa Kamal, was the Chief Guest on the occasion and his address focused on the improvement of
Katchi Abadis. Mr Mohammad Zakir, project Director, Project Support Unit, KMCDP, gave the background to the overall
Karachi Mega City Sustainable Development Programme while Mr Roshan Ali Shaikh, Project Coordinator, Local Support
Unit, KMCDP, presented the highlights of the roadmap. Mr Shafiq-ur-Rahman Paracha, Chairman of the multi-stakeholder
expert working group on this roadmap, shared the finding s of the working group and identified issues and gaps in the
roadmap. The workshop was facilitated by Ms Simi Kamal and Ms Zia Niazi.
The participants of the workshop included government officials from both provincial and city govt.
(The News-14, 16/06/2007)
Woman threatened by land grabbers
A resident of Zaman Town, Fareeda Qazi has registered a case against land grabbers for occupying her land and for giving
murder threats. Qazi said that she was a retired professor. During her services she purchased plot 296, Gali-8, Sector-49
worth Rs72, 000 from Ehsan Raza. Later, on visiting the plot she met Yousuf, who claimed to be the owner of the plot.
Yousuf told Qazi that the documents she possessed were forged and bogus. Furthermore, she said that few days ago while
she was near her house the accused Raza with his four accomplices threatened her to not demand the money regarding
the plot issue otherwise, they will kill her.
(The News-14, 16/06/2007)
Rs104 million SKAA budget approved
KARACHI, June 18: The Sindh Katchi Abadis Authority governing body on Monday approved the budget of Rs104.174
million for the financial year 2007-08. Chairing the governing body meeting, Sindh Minister for Local Government and
Spatial Development Muhammad Hussain Khan said the budget of Sindh Katchi Abadis Authority was raised from
Rs45.317 million to Rs104.174 million, which was a remarkable achievement. He said Rs47.5 million (around 48 per cent of
the total budget) had been allocated for various development projects of Katchi Abadis.
He said that Rs18 million had been earmarked for katchi abadis in Karachi, Rs5.5 million for Hyderabad, Rs10.5 million for
Sukkur and Rs6 million had been earmarked for katchi abadis in Larkana.
The minister ordered that the low cost housing project of Sasti Basti should be extended in each district of the province.
Mentioning that all notified katchi abadis that existed before 1985 would be provided lease documents, he said that more
than 270 katchi abadis were being given lease documents while provision of ownership rights in 46 settlements had been
completed. The housing projects for shelter-less and homeless people would also be initiated, he added.
Sindh Local Government Secretary Fazlur Rehman said a comprehensive plan about the housing projects should be
chalked out and presented before the governing body of Sindh Katchi Abadi Authority for approval.
SKAA Director-General Ahmed Ali informed the provincial minister that an amount of Rs15 million had been earmarked for
the low-cost housing in the next financial year.
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Director Finance Javed Khan presented the figures of budget for the next financial year.
MPAs Naeem Ishtiaq, Mehmood Ahmed Jamote, Sukkur Nazim Nasir Hussain Shah, Larkana Nazim Ahmed Bukhsh Arejo,
DCO Larkana and other members of governing body were also present.
(Dawn-18, 19/06/2007)
Big housing schemes to have graveyards
KARACHI: Opposition members in the City Council boycotted the session amid pandemonium Tuesday allowing the
treasury to benefit from their absence and approve five resolutions within a couple of minutes.
The session was chaired by Senior Presiding Officer Masood Mehmood at the City Council Secretariat ahead schedule at
11:30 a.m. The opposition members grew angered when the convenor of House rejected the proposition to table a
condolence resolution on the murder of former councilor, Mohsin Khan of the Al-Khidmat Group.
Rafiq Ahmed, leader of the Al-Khidmat Group in the City Council, on a point of order, said that the city has turned into a
jungle as its citizens are not protected. “This House should ask the provincial government through a resolution to improve
law and order in Karachi,” he said.
Waqar Hussain of the treasury benches termed the killing of the former councilor the result of an old dispute as he (Mohsin
Khan) did not have a “good character”. He was also against a condolence resolution.
Leader of the House, Asif Siddiqi, argued that Karachi was one of the biggest cities of Pakistan and several such cases are
reported daily. “If we highlight and debate such individual issues in the House then we will have any time left to discuss
lingering civic issues,” he argued. He added that the provincial government should take notice of such cases but that the
overall law and order situation in Karachi is much better than that of the entire NWFP.
Rukhsana Faisal from the opposition benches shed light on the funds granted by the city government to union councils and
said there were some strong reservations. “The opposition members have forwarded a resolution and it should be tabled
for further debate,” she said, complaining that copies of the agenda should be handed to all members before the session.
To continue this debate, Ismail Barohi said that City Nazim Mustafa Kamal, in a speech to the council last year, had
assured that the Rs 9.6 million for UCs will not lapse. Brohi alleged that the Works and Services Department had
deliberately delayed the processing of files as a result of which the funds were expiring. The convenor asked the chairman
of the CDGK accounts committee, Mehmood-ul-Hassan, to present a detailed report.
In his comments, Mehmood-ul-Hassan told the House that so far Rs 170 million in bills have been received by the
departments concerned and he assured the benches that all such bills would be cleared before June 22.
Rafiq Ahmed pointed out that the city government should issue a notification about the UC funds. Senior Presiding Officer
Masood Mehmood once again assured cooperation with the Opposition and allowed officials to present resolutions
mentioned in the agenda. This aggravated the Opposition members and they left the House to boycott its proceedings.
Following this resolutions were approved on a compulsory NOC from the KWSB and Revenue Department for the transfer
of property; the approval of SNE for a 50-bed hospital in New Karachi Town, the merger of the Parks Department of the
defunct KDA and KMC into the city government, asking the KBCA not to approve any residential scheme to be established
on 10 acres without allocating a portion for graveyards and reminding the federal government and the Governor to take
notice of the delay of the opening of the Indian embassy in the city for those who wanted to travel to India to meet relatives.
All these resolutions were approved within a couple of minutes without any debate. The convenor then adjourned the
session till June 27.
(Daily Times-B1, 20/06/2007)
157 buildings declared ‘most dangerous’
KARACHI, June 20: The Karachi Building Control Authority has declared as many as 157 residential buildings in different
parts of the city as ‘most dangerous’ and warned their thousands of occupants to move out before the start of monsoon
rains.
A long-running dispute over provision of alternative housing facilities is said to be mainly responsible for the failure of the
authorities to get extremely dilapidated structures vacated and demolished.
Most of the 157 buildings are located in Saddar Town alone whereas one of them, a hostel block of the Jamia Millia
Government Degree College, Shah Faisal Town, is currently under the occupation of the Rangers.
The KBCA’s technical committee on dangerous buildings, which identified these highly risky residential units, has indicated
that most of these crumbling buildings (129) are located in Saddar Town, 10 in Lyari Town, nine in Jamshed Town, six in
Keamari Town, two in Malir Town and one in Shah Faisal Town. Almost all the buildings are occupied.
With the monsoon approaching fast, all the quarters concerned are worried about the serious threat to the occupants of
these buildings who mostly are tenants and not financially strong enough to arrange an alternative residence for
themselves. Sources in the KBCA have apprehended that there are some buildings among the ‘most dangerous’ ones that
could collapse any moment, rains or no rains.
The KBCA and other relevant authorities have been holding out assurances that they will help resolve issues between
owners and tenants of such buildings so that thousands of lives can be saved before it is too late. However, no measures
have so far been taken to settle a dispute even in a single case.
Sources said that an estimated 3,000 people were living in these dangerous buildings, most of them multi-storeyed. A large
number of the families have been occupying their respective residential units since Partition. Owners of the fast decaying
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buildings are eager to get them demolished and raise new structures of their choice on the site but the tenants demand an
amount sufficient enough to have an alternative residential unit. Considering their demand unacceptable, some parties
have opted for litigation. The cases are pending a decision for long.
The KBCA technical committee’s secretary, Nisar Ahmed, told Dawn that there would not be more than eight to 10 such
buildings whose owners had moved courts.
(By Azizullah Sharif, Dawn-17, 21/06/2007)
Real estate brokerage business
THIS has reference to Col (r) George L. Singleton’s letter (June 17) about how the real estate brokerage business is being
conducted in the US.
Thank you very much George Singleton as you are the only one who has backed my suggestions (May 29) for improving
and setting up a national real estate licensor standard in Pakistan.
Then I waited for the budget speech of the Sindh finance minister on June 15, thinking the federal government maight have
directed the provincial minister to take proper measures to regulate the real estate brokerage business in Sindh, but this too
did not happen.
If the problems that are written and debated on the op-ed pages of leading English newspaper of the country cannot draw
the attention of the legislators and the government, then how can one expect that proper legislation work will be done in the
federal or provincial assemblies, particularly when it comes to earning more revenues for the government and making the
real estate prices affordable for a common man?
In fact, nobody in Pakistan is interested in making the real estate business transparent due to one simple reason: that
people buying and selling properties do not want to declare the actual value of their properties, otherwise the income tax
department will knock at their doors and ask them about their source of income.
The governments in all the four provinces announce, after every budget, ‘collectrate rates’ according to the area and size of
the properties on which people pay capital value tax, put revenue stamps on the conveyance deeds, pay registration
charges to area registrars and taxes to the local governments.
But if some one calculates the actual value of a property that is being purchased and sold in the open market, the official
value declared by the buyers and the sellers is only 25 per cent as people are bound to pay income tax through sale of
properties income according to the ‘collectrate rates’ announced by the provincial governments from time to time and the
rest of the 75 per cent is paid by the buyers to sellers ‘under the table’.
The fact is that real estate business is backed by ‘black money’ which is also called ‘parallel economy’. It is the duty of
federal and the provincial governments to make the real estate business transparent.
People buying properties are aware of the fact that they are not registering their conveyance deeds of properties on the
actual value of purchase of properties that is paid to the sellers, but nobody can break the system, as every property buyer
and seller willingly or unwillingly evade taxes due to bad property laws, rather than pay actual taxes to the government on
which rates the properties are sold and purchased in the open market.
Foreigners and multinational companies do not purchase properties in Pakistan as the process of buying properties in
Pakistan is not a transparent one. How can a company established in the West should buy and open its export and import
branch office permanently in Pakistan by taking a million dollars from its respective headquarters’ account and send a
receipt back to its headquarters of quarter of a million dollars?
Here’s a question for the those who are sitting at the helm of affairs: if insurance agents and stockbrokers can obtain a
licence from the government to be a part of insurance and stock business, why can’t the real estate agency owners or real
estate brokers be considered to have a licence to operate real estate business in a proper and legitimate manner?
If the SECP can monitor the stock brokerage business, why can’t it monitor the real estate business, which is also a very
strong economic indicator?
The government should have the will to do necessary reforms in the real estate brokerage business.
SYED A. MATEEN, Karachi
(Dawn-6, 21/06/2007)
Liaquat Jatoi, family grabbed vast tracts of land: PPP
Leader of Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Nisar Khuhro has alleged that Federal Minister for Power Liaquat Jatoi and his
son Karim Bux Jatoi, who is a district Nazim, have illegally occupied thousands of acres forest land in District Jamshoro.
Addressing a press conference after the session was adjourned on Thursday, Khuhro said that the federal minister and his
son have created miseries for the poor people of the area, while Ahsan Jatoi MPA, brother of federal minister Liaquat Jatoi,
had also abused a female MPA of the PPP, Sharfunisa Leghari, in the house.
The PPP leader said that Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim had also admitted that more than 700 acres of forest land in
Jamshoro had been occupied by some influential and his government could not vacate this land despite all efforts.
Khuhro said Liaquat Jatoi was wanted in 22 references pending in NAB but no action was taken against him. PPP MPA
Sharfunisa Leghari also accused that the federal minister, his brothers Sadaqat Jatoi and Ahsan Jatoi and his son had
occupied the government land when Jamshoro was a part of Dadu.
She said that Liaquat Jatoi had 250 acres of land and he was a small landlord of the area but he occupied 700,000 acres of
land when he was chief minister. She said Jatoi was elected through rigging and agencies’ backing.
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The PPP MPA said that people of this area were leading a miserable life due to the atrocities of the federal minister and his
family.
Sharfunisa Leghari claimed that the federal minister earned Rs40million in this year due to cultivation of wheat on the
occupied forest land, while his brother Ahsan Jatoi earned Rs30million and Sadaqat Jatoi earned Rs7million while no single
penny was paid to the exchequer.
(The News-14, 22/06/2007)
New project, same old problems
Lack of proper garbage disposal at new Sabzi Mandi could create serious problems for traders in transporting fruits and
vegetables to and from the market during the forthcoming monsoon rains.
Currently, there is no proper disposal of garbage at the New Sabzi Mandi. Thus, garbage is being dumped alongside the
Main Super Highway which in turn has blocked the link road that connects the market to the highway.
The condition of roads at the new fruit and vegetable market is deplorable due to a complete absence of maintenance. In
fact, last year it became exceedingly difficult for vehicles to pass through the roads of this market on account of heavy
rains. The market also began to stink. Sources claim that since the establishment of the New Sabzi Mandi, no steps have
been taken to upgrade hygiene in this market.
According to them, no dustbins are available in the market for traders to dispose of garbage.
Traders fear that monsoon rains could also affect export of mangoes from the market due to the broken down condition of
the roads.
Interestingly, each and every town in Karachi has set up a rain emergency cell within its vicinity but there is no such cell at
the market which could provide relief in case of heavy rainfall.
Moreover, there is an absence of facilities to tackle a fire at the market. There is a great need to establish a fire station as
there are a large number of wooden crates here which could facilitate the spread of fire.
President of Malir Wholesale Fresh Fruits Merchant and Grower Association, Mohammad Jawed stated that two new fruits
and vegetable markets are being set up in Karachi but the existing market is devoid of basic facilities.
He added that due to the unavailability of water at the market, traders resort to buying water tankers for Rs600 each. He
stated that traders have already paid charges for water and electricity connections but they are not provided with these
utilities in turn.
Furthermore, Jawed demanded that the administration of the new Sabzi Mandi be handed over to local government under
the Local Government Ordinance 2001, Part II, Section 14.
He claimed that due to a lack of basic facilities, the market is on the verge of destruction. According to him, encroachment
is another major issue at the market. Jawed revealed that millions of rupees have been embezzled under different heads.
He said Rs100,000 are being embezzled daily under the guise of vehicle fee and entry fee.
Moreover, traders of the market have been voicing complaints about numerous issues but no action has been taken. Jawed
also stated that NAB Sindh should undertake an investigation of the corrupt practices carried out in the market. He said that
concerned authorities should seize records of illegal allotments, market fee records and account records. In addition to this,
traders should cooperate with the authorities conducting the investigation.
There is discrimination in the allocation of plots here as favourites are allotted large plots at the market, proclaimed Jawed.
He added that corrupt officials should not be appointed in the newly announced Sabzi Mandis, and plot allotments must be
made transparent. He is of the opinion that separate administrators should be appointed at new Mandis.
(By Qadeer Tanoli, The News-19, 22/06/2007)
Journalists' Colony
"It was quiet, green and airy. Water was not a problem as our overhead tanks would be full without needing a motor to
pump water into them. The air was always fresh and clean and as there were no minibuses beyond the 4-A, commuting
was easy. Above all there was bonhomie among journalists. It was a closely-knit family, but all of that has changed now,"
recalls Muhammad Ali Siddiqi, assistant editor of Dawn newspaper.
It was not a locality made up of several different houses, but one house with many family members living together in a
locality, a place that could indeed be called home. Never have I come across so many people fondly recalling the good
times spent in a neighborhood, which they still adore. When people settle in localities, and make them their own, whether
they later move onto better places or stay put in their neighborhoods, the area is always associated with those who
originally settled in and developed it. The Journalists' Colony today stands as the result of the tireless efforts of the
journalist community to establish a neighborhood solely for them.
Block 4A in Gulshan-e-Iqbal is what they call Journalists' Colony. The journalists of Karachi formed the colony in 1978
formally. A group of journalists had approached Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto during his visit to the city and requested for a space to
be allocated for the journalist's community of the city. The request was forwarded to the former Chief Minister Jam Sadiq
Ali. When the maps of the city were reviewed, only one small barren piece of land in Gulshan-e-Iqbal was available, and
that too was to be named after one of Allama Iqbal's servants. It was however, decided that building a colony for journalists
held more importance and it was in 1978 that the Director General of Karachi Development Authority (KDA) Z A Nizami
allocated the area to journalists, formally giving it the name of Journalists' Colony. The late Khurshid Zuberi of Jang
newspaper was one of the first settlers in the colony.
This was the beginning of a new locality, a neighborhood with like-minded and educated people to mingle and live with
each other. But this was also the beginning of a challenge; to develop, nourish and nurture the area to make it livable.
Initially the colony was a deserted, haunted and underdeveloped area where thefts were common.
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Hamdan Amjad Ali, supervisor library and research department at Daily Jang was one of the early settlers of the locality.
He is also president of the Journalists' Society Welfare Association of the colony. Recalling old times, he said that despite
constant reminders to the authorities to control the theft situation, not a lot of attention was paid to their complaints. "I
remember that we used to protest on the floor of the assembly to grant us protection from such elements. It was then that
the administration ordered the IG and DIG to send police forces to the colony, finally providing us security. This assertive
action on part of the journalists was a big achievement after which living in the area became easier." said Hamdan proudly.
However theft was not the only problem the area faced. The area was without electricity, and not only were there no roads,
parks, schools, mosques or shops, there was no bus route for the area either. The last bus stop closest to the colony was
at Gulshan Chowrangi. Thus, the struggle to better the conditions of the colony continued and all these problems were fixed
within two years.
Mohammad Ali Siddiqi has been living in the colony since June 1979. Talking about the time he spent in the colony, Siddiqi
recalls that after he had settled into the area he decided that he couldn't have found a better neighborhood or neighbours.
Even today, he does not consider moving into another neighborhood. " I don't think one should have new neighbours in old
age and especially since I have had good neighbours from the start. I have come to trust the people in my lane and vice
versa. I am not moving out as the memories of my children growing up and me becoming a grandfather are all related to
the colon," he explained.
(By Sidra Rafique Gooda, The News-44, 24/06/2007)
Commercializing property
Ever wonder why our cities do not have an abundance of commercial, retail, office and dense residential use (flats)? The
answer as always lies in poor uninformed governance. For too long now our planning paradigm has favoured the kothis.
Even now the planner thinks only of elite housing -- single-family stand-alone construction -- one floor plus one. While all
over the world -- even the old Lahore townhouses have four stories -- in Pakistan the norm is one plus one. Elsewhere -even in old Lahore density is allowed for in the shape of adjoined row houses -- here we continue to plan for stand-alone
houses with setbacks.
Should you wish to build anything different from a one plus one kothi, you need to get your plot "commercialised"? Even if
you want to build a block of flats, you still need to commercialise your plot. What is this commercialisation? The most
important fact that I have been able to learn about commercialisation is that it is totally arbitrary varying from locality to
locality. It can be especially difficult in cantonment areas, which now are a substantial proportion of our cities.
Commercialisation happens on a plot-by-plot basis. Your neighbourhood may be entirely commercial, yet your plot has to
be commercialised for you to build on it. And there is no guarantee that your plot will be commercialised even though your
neighbour's plot is commercial. The process can be lengthy. On the way there is a lot of room for extraction of rents and
bribes. There is no one-window operation here. In cantonments it can involve dealing with the GHQ, corps commanders
and other senior officers who head the cantonments and defence housing authorities.
Commercialisation fees are steep and arbitrary and vary all over the country. I have found them to be as much as Rs3-4
million per marla. In some cases, they are higher than the value of the land. The reason that is given for such high fees is
that the city will build infrastructure for the increased density that is proposed in the new commercialised project.
There are two flaws in that argument. First, the money is never used for developing infrastructure; instead it is used for the
purposes of the existing bureaucracy. Second, the city does not understand the costs of slow growth; the punitive nature of
the large fee slows down commercial development and hence the city's future revenues. The process of commercialisation
also gives your neighbour the right of veto thereby slowing the process further. Why should the neighbour have a right on
your property is neither debated nor understood?
When one puts one's mind to it, the implications of this anti commercialisation policy are large. The result of this strange
unthinking policy is that our cities have remained stunted and feudal. There is no good commercial space available
anywhere. There is a huge excess demand for more room for non-residential space such as office, education, community,
school, leisure, entertainment and retail.
Most importantly mixed use space where office, flats, retail and community mix is not available at all. Even our old cities
had large amounts of mixed use space. It is in this space that the middle and the poorer classes thrive. Without a change in
this policy these classes will be excluded from our cities.
Without apartment blocks, we will never have manageable and modern cities. In the current kothi paradigm, even if we
could house everybody, urban sprawl would kill much of Punjab's agriculture. We simply do not have the land or the
management capacity to allow that to happen.
The look of our cities as well as the mindset they generate remains feudal and rural. We continue to conduct all our
ceremonies – weddings, functions and entertainment -- in a very rural and feudal manner because our cities have not yet
developed an urban culture. How can you have an urban culture without an urban mix and density?
(By Nadeem ul Haque, The News-7, 26/06/2007)
Katchi Abadis worst sufferers of torrential rains
The residents of Katchi Abadis face numerous problems during the rainy season due to substandard infrastructure. Most of
the time they have to depend on themselves to drain out the water that accumulates in streets and seeps into their houses.
One can observe in these Katchi Abadis that the plinth of the houses is below the level of the streets. This is because
homes are constructed before the carpeting of streets and things like sand and dust raise the level of the streets. This
phenomenon becomes a crippling problem during monsoon rains for the residents of these Katachi Abadis.
One can also witness these problems in other places as well like , Azam Basti, which is adjacent to Akhtar Colony.
Heavy downpour often affects the two-room house of Muhammad Naseem, a resident of Azam Basti. The ground level of
his house is below the street level. As no one comes to regularly clean the sewerage, it gets blocked due to polythene bags
and garbage.
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During heavy rainfall, the sewage spills out from the sewerage line and start accumulating in the house. First his family
members put all the valuables at some elevated place within the home and then start draining out the sewage.
If Naseem is at home, he tries to remove the blockage of the sewerage line so that no more sewerage water could seep
into his home.
Generally he has to do this thing alone as all the people want to remain inside their homes when such troubles come along,
but sometimes his friends assist him in tackling these problems.
An open drain also passes through Azam Basti, which often gets flooded during heavy downpour.Residents of the locality
claim that some people have also drowned in this drain.
Another Katchi Abadi, Hijrat Colony, has its own problems. The homes here are weak and liable to collapse in a rainstorm.
There are many homes in this locality which are covered with cemented sheets.
The electric cables are made of sub-standard material which futhere exacerbate the problems faced by the residents. Such
cables can cause death through electrocution.
Though the sewerage lines in the locality are properly functioning, the main road of Hijrat Colony, Ahmad Raza Khan Road
gets slippery with sludge. Even walking on the roads becomes difficult and hazardous.
Union Council (UC) Nazim of Hijrat Colony, Sharif Awan says that he himself requested KESC to stop supplying electricity
to the locality so that electrocution could be prevented.
The residents of Machar Colony are waiting for some big rescue operation in the locality for pumping out the rainwater from
their locality. The rainwater has accumulated on the main road of the Machar Colony which connects it with the rest of city.
One may see stagnant rainwater everywhere in the area which has made the lives of the residents miserable.
UC Nazim of Machar Colony, Hafiz Abdul Shakoor says that despite many efforts sewerage water could not yet be pumped
out from the locality. He says Machar Colony has the population of 0.5 million and only two pumping machines are
available, at present, to suck the stagnant water.
(By Qadeer Tanoli, The News-13, 27/06/2007)
Sabzimandi infrastructure in tatters since rains
KARACHI, June 29: The city’s New Sabzimandi is a classic example of the Sindh government’s neglect. The 100-acre
marketplace was enough of a trial with heaps of garbage, rotting produce and filth on the so-called roads. But after the
recent rains, the scale of the assault on the senses is mind-boggling.
Infrastructural problems and the recurrent post-rain scenario have plagued the mandi since its inception six years ago. But
the market’s administration refuses to take note of the unhygienic conditions persisting in the place that earns Pakistan
millions of dollars in foreign exchange through the export of fruit and vegetables.
The president of the Falahi Anjuman Wholesale Vegetable Market on the Super Highway, Haji Shahjehan, said that no part
of the Rs3-3.5 million earned annually by the Market Committee through markets fees and vehicle entry charges were
invested in infrastructure, and it was unclear where these funds were being spent.
Meanwhile, the situation on the ground is such that dealers and customers don long boots to wade through dirty
passageways that are barely one foot wide. Drivers of transport vehicles have also become immune to dangerous potholes
and puddles that pockmark the so-called roads of the market, particularly after a spell of rain.
The Sabzimandi has no proper sewerage or drainage system and to add to the vendors’ miseries, the recent storms have
uprooted the wooden and tin sheds of many shops.
The eye of the storm
The recent rains have badly affected the Sabzimandi’s supply, reducing the number of arriving trucks from an average of
800-1,000 every day to 300-400.
According to Haji Shahjehan, “Sabzi Mandi traders have suffered a loss of Rs180-200 million since Saturday’s storm since
daily sales have dropped drastically and produce has perished because of delayed arrival or poor storage conditions at the
mandi.” He said that in the past few days, the wholesale market had been visited by only 30 per cent of the usual number of
customers from the city, though the figure was abysmally low on the Monday following the storm when it dropped to 10 per
cent. “They cannot enter the mandi which looks like a marshland and stinks,” he lamented.
The senior vice-president of the Falahi Anjuman, Haji Alimuddin, told Dawn that the prices of highly perishable items such
as tomatoes had doubled and commodities that were selling at Rs6-7 per kg ahead of rains were now priced at Rs30 per
kg. He added that in his view, daily sales had fallen by 80 per cent in the past few days because retailers chose not to buy
the pricier produce. However, he said, the prices of ginger and garlic remained unchanged at Rs 25-30 per kg in the mandi
as these were imported items.
Pricehike
Sabzi Mandi vendors have nearly doubled their prices after the recent storms caused a 50 per cent decline in the arrival of
trucks from upcountry Pakistan. Many roads from Balochistan and other parts of the country remain flooded and high
vegetable prices are likely to persist as long as the supplies remain low.
Retail markets
The price of tomatoes is very high at Rs80 per kg, despite having fallen slightly from Monday’s price of Rs100 per kg.
Onions and potatoes have risen by one rupee to Thursday’s price of Rs14 per kg — though they were priced at Rs12 per
kg before the June 23 storm.
While wholesalers at the Sabzi Mandi say that the rates for ginger and garlic have not risen, retailers are employing the
general rise in prices to their advantage and are quoting Rs50-60 per kg. These were priced at Rs40 ahead of the storm.
Okra (bhindi) is being sold at Rs40 per kg as compared to Rs 20-25 per kg before the storm. Similarly, white gourd (loki)
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has risen from Rs15-16 to Rs30 per kg. Bitter gourd (karela) has risen from Rs16-20 per kg to Rs35-40, while ridge gourd
(torai) is now Rs30-35 per kg as compared to the earlier rate of Rs16-20.
According to a vendor, some vegetable, including peas, are not available at all since the wholesale prices have risen so
high that they cannot be retailed at a profit.
On the pretext of reduced deliveries of upcountry fruit at the Sabzi Mandi, retailers are charging Rs40-50 per kilogramme of
Chaunsa and Sindhri mangos, though the wholesale prices are Rs20-25 per kilogramme.
Wholesale market
The price of tomatoes remains Rs1,200 per 15-18 kg crate depending on quality. Before the rains, the rate was Rs100-150
per crate because of improved supplies from Balochistan.
Onions from Balochistan and the NWFP have climbed from Rs6-7 per kg to Rs9-10, while cold-storage potatoes arriving
from the Punjab have gone from Rs7-8 per kg to Rs10-12.
(By Aamir Shafaat Khan, Dawn-17, 30/06/2007)
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