Leading architects and planners on Monday rejected the ‘Sindh High Density Development Board Bill, 2010’, fearing that if implemented it would prove to be catastrophic for the city.

This opinion was presented at a press conference held at the Karachi Press Club on Monday. “The Bill was passed on May 31 by the Sindh Assembly unanimously and without any debate. Few people have been given the right to notify high density areas in Karachi and other parts of Sindh,” said Aqeel Bilgrami, council member and former president of Institute of Architects, Pakistan (IAP). 

“A country where people have to walk on streets and don’t have access to water, cannot boast of democracy,” said architect Yawar Gilani. He said that the issue of high density areas was essentially technical in nature, adding, “It has been made political and it would affect generations to come since the city is already suffering from various problems, including scarcity of water, load-shedding, faulty sewerage system and poor transportation.” He said that no country could leap forward by ad-hoc decisions.

He regretted that the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) was abolished and now Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA), whose job was to monitor, has been given the authority to intervene in civic affairs. 

“We are expecting a big disaster and we will request the Sindh chief minister and the governor to intervene,” he said. “The value of land is determined by density and while the owners of some buildings would gain something, the common man would suffer immensely because the city already lacked basic amenities. In all likelihood the same pattern would be repeated in Hyderabad, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas and other cities of Sindh.”

Architect Masood Jafri said that a conspiracy was being hatched against the city of Karachi and opined that Karachi Strategic Development Master Plan was a part of that conspiracy. He said that a decision-making body has been constituted sans a technical committee.

Architect Aijaz Ahad said the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) controls only 34 per cent of the area and pointed out that high density do not necessarily mean high rise buildings. “The politicians can’t poke their noses in every affair; in days to come they are likely to go for surgery as well,” he said sarcastically.

Bilgrami suggested that a committee should be constituted with 50 per cent representatives from the government and 50 per cent representation from professionals in order to safeguard the interests of the masses. He regretted that the Bill has been passed without public representation. 

He also suggested that a body comprising consultants should be constituted for guidance. “The IAP representatives made a presentation before the Sindh chief minister and provincial governor last year but sadly, the Bill has been passed and it is contrary to the suggestions made by IAP.” Architect Tariq Hasan said long-term planning was beneficial for the people while short-term planning paved the way for ad-hocism. 

(By Shahid Husain, The News-13, 08/06/2010)

On May 31, five days prior to the celebration of World Environment Day dedicated to the focusing of political and public attention on the dangers posed by environmental degradation, the dysfunctional government of Sindh (as dysfunctional as are all governments of this democratic republic) landed another blow on the citizens of Karachi, and legislated yet another brand of political and administrative pocket-filling. 

The bill provides “for the creation of High Density Development Board to ensure coordinated and integrated development of the High Density Zones in the urban centres of the Province and to provide for matters connected therewith and ancillary thereto…”. 

‘High density zones’ are areas designated by a high density development board under this act for construction of high-rise buildings in the urban centres of the province. 

The members of the board who will sanctify the mass construction of lucrative high-rise buildings are (as is expected): chairman, governor of Sindh; co-chairman, chief minister of Sindh; members: secretary local government and housing, nazim of the respective district, executive district officer, MGPO or head of master plan of the respective district, and member/secretary is the chief controller of buildings or head of building control of the respective district. 

The ‘objects and reasons’ are “to provide for effective mechanism of coordination among different planning and land-owning agencies to formulate a coherent policy for high density zones in the province of Sindh….” 

The origins of this bill go back to the summer of 2008 when reportedly the president of the Republic decided that Karachi needs high-rise buildings along the lines of his second home in Dubai. Agha Siraj Durrani, Sindh minister for local government (LG) was entrusted with the task. By that time, the PPP had successfully taken over the Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA) which had previously been under the charge of coalition partner the MQM. 

In a bid to give legitimacy to the upcoming proposed legislation, the KBCA, under its boss-man, the provincial minister for LG, invited a group of architects to form a committee to assist and guide the development of high-rise densification of this city. Most of their recommendations were naturally not acceptable to the LG minister and his men, in particular the creation of a Karachi Planning and Development Authority governed by a steering committee consisting of representatives of professional bodies involved in town planning and development, of the utility corporations and traffic departments. 

The architects emphasised the need of such a body to the governor, chief minister and Salman Faruqui, imported from Islamabad, whose view was that the best people to oversee ‘high-density’ development were the people’s elected representatives — a poor joke given the circumstances. 

However, some harmless recommendations were incorporated into Bill No.11 (Sindh Building Control Amendment Bill 2009) presented in October 2009 to the provincial assembly. 

In regard to this bill, members of what is now known as ‘civil society’ — in this case prominent architects, members of academia, stakeholders, town planners and so forth — spearheaded by Shehri, made a presentation to the members of the standing committee on LG many recommendations of which were surprisingly accepted and subsequently introduced as a privilege motion to Bill No.11. 

One important change was one clause which clearly stated that the largest stakeholders in the different planning and land-owning agencies are the citizens of Karachi “who are the ultimate end users to formulate a coherent policy for sustainable development and expansion in the city…”. 

The bill lay dormant for seven months, suddenly resurfacing on May 22 under a new name — the Sindh Planning and Development Boards Bill 2010. It was withdrawn the same day. It gave the chairmanship of the board to the chief minister and it is thought that the MQM disapproved. So, all in any positions of power in this strange land being adept at deals, a ‘deal’ was struck and the chairmanship transferred to the governor, and the new bill, Bill No.14 (not on the printed order of the day) was suddenly brought forward as a supplementary order and passed, certain rules of procedure being dispensed with to dispense with its being put before an appropriate standing committee for recommendations. 

There are no checks or transparencies in this bill, the non-political members of the board have their hands firmly tied and can do naught to oppose the wishes of their political masters. 

Now, how does Bill No.14 of 2010 affect the ordinary citizen? Well, rather drastically. Say, a citizen is living in a particular area in which a plot of land is owned by one of our current ‘high-ups’ of whatever political party happens to be in power. The Sindh High Density Development Board can overnight grant permission to the owner to build a 50-storey building which will destroy your privacy, help to increase the loadshedding you suffer daily, dry up your water supply (already at a trickle) and ensure that your gutters and the outdated sewage system clog and overflow. 

Then we have the traffic. In an already fraught and congested area some 5,000 residents will be added all of whom probably own one or two cars each. 

This bill is iniquitous. It is highly damaging to the city and its citizens and is simply designed to benefit whoever holds power and plots of land at one and the same time. Yet again, we can only place our hope and our trust in the judiciary. Our justices of the higher judiciary have sadly become the sole salvation to which the bludgeoned citizens of this country may turn.

(By Ardeshir Cowasjee, Dawn-7, 06/06/2010)

Provincial Assembly (PA) of Sindh unanimously passed a law on Monday to allow construction of high-rise buildings in certain areas of the city and various urban centres in the province.

Under the law, “Sindh High Density Development Board” would be created to identity and earmark the high-density zones in urban centres to construct high-rise buildings to ease, what Law Minister Ayaz Soomro called, congestion owing to growing population.

The board chairman would be Governor Sindh while its co-chairman would be Chief Minister Sindh. Its members would include Chief Secretary Sindh, Secretary Local Government, Nazims of the respective districts, executive district officer, head of master plan of the respective districts, while chief controller of buildings or head of building control authority of the respective districts would be its secretary/member.

The law would also provide an “effective mechanism for coordination” among different planning and land owning agencies to formulate a “coherent policy” and ensure integrated development of the high density zones.

The Sindh High Density Development Board Bill was not included in the order of the day for the Sindh Assembly’s Monday session, and the law minister introduced the bill by preparing supplementary orders of the day and sought its consideration on the same day.

Talking about the aims and objects of the bill, Ayaz Soomro said that in the wake of growing population in urban centres the government has decided to construct high-rise buildings to control the congestion problem.

Local Government Minister Aga Siraj Durrani said that this was an important bill and in accordance with the vision of Z.A. Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto, which was being followed by President Asif Ali Zardari. He said that certain areas in the cities would be identified for the vertical construction of high-rise buildings.

MQM’s parliamentary leader Syed Sardar Ahmed said that the law seeks to ease the congested areas. He said that the proposed board would have no absolute powers rather it would follow Karachi Building Control Authority Act. He said that prior to allowing construction of 20 to 30 storied buildings it would be ensured that there should not occur any civic facilities problem.

Prison Minister Muzaffar Shujra said that there was a trend of high-rise buildings in the world. Culture Minister Sassui Palijo said that the law would be applicable to the urban centres of Sindh and it would not be restricted to Karachi only. 

Humera Alwani wondered as to whether high-rise buildings would also be allowed in Garden East as at present there was ban on it.

Sadiq Memon also supported the bill. PML-F’s Nusrat Abbasi said that it would have been more advisable if the copy of the bill was provided to them prior to presenting it before the house.

After unanimous passage of the bill into law, LG minister Agha Siraj Durrani told media representatives outside the assembly that if such a board was created in the past Karachi would have been a Dubai-like city today.

He said that there was a trend of vertical construction in urban centres all over the world, adding, the board would identity the areas for the construction of multi-storied buildings and the KBCA would give its approval. He said that high-rise buildings would be preferably constructed in coastal areas.

(By Imtiaz Ali, The News-13, 01/06/2010)

THE most annoying thing about the budget every year is not so much the budget itself, but the nonsense that newspaper journalists write, and what a whole range of television analysts utter in the week following the annual exercise of announcing the economic plan. With little understanding about economic, financial or taxation issues, everyone becomes an expert providing the most irrelevant and incoherent opinions and analysis. 

The worst category, however, is that of television anchors, some of whom may be very good on international affairs or politics, but are absolutely untrained to even ask the right questions related to the economy or the budget. They must, nevertheless, convene programmes on the budget because they consider this to be the most important economic event of the year. While there is little doubt that the budget, or the economy more generally, affects every single individual in the country and everyone is entitled to their opinions, a broader understanding about the economy is essential to locate the budget in it. 

The first pet question anchors ask, is whether this is a ‘good’ budget or not. This is followed up by whether there is any ‘relief’ for the common man (never woman). They expect sound bites to questions, which have complicated answers. The budget is primarily an accounting exercise and part of a much bigger economic, financial and taxation strategy and vision, if a government has one. As the finance minister stated, economic management is a continuous task, not one left to one day in the month of June. This means, that rather than be fixated on one document, there is a need to focus on numerous other interrelated aspects. 

For example, a country such as ours, deeply entrenched in an IMF stabilisation programme, is severely constrained by that programme. The finance minister was working within certain parameters which his predecessor (and the government) agreed to. Much of what was stated, was not new. Targets had been announced in the press, almost to the exact numbers, a few days before the budget. 

Perhaps the main surprise came in the deferment of the value added tax. Just as the government is constrained by the agreement with the IMF, so is it constrained by the nature of the government itself. This is neither a pro-poor government, nor a revolutionary or social democratic one in terms of its economic programme, and much of the budget is quite conventional. The budget has indicated a high debt profile and interest payments, high defence spending and continuing recurring expenses, with little left for development. Every government would have been in the same fix. 

So is this a ‘good’ budget? As good as any other under the circumstances and no worse than many others. The government’s economic policy is straitjacketed by its commitments to the IMF, and the budget reflects this. The budget also continues to protect those who make up parliament and the elite, by avoiding the imposition of direct taxes on their incomes and their immense wealth. This happens due to the material constraints imposed on the government by those whom it represents. There has been no creative thinking about important issues, and it is improbable that any other government would have come with a radically different budget. The question of whether this is a good or bad budget is largely irrelevant. 

The budget was also influenced by some extraordinary developments which took place well before the finance minister was offered the job. The new National Finance Commission award and the 18th Amendment have radically altered the shape of the federal budget for ever. Most analysts and journalists missed this obvious change, by harping on the fact that the health and education budgets had been so drastically reduced. This is actually a positive development, for provincial governments are expected to have more resources and greater responsibility for what are primarily provincial subjects. This transition will take time, but should be a positive development for all those who have supported real devolution, not the sham experienced under Gen Musharraf. 

The finance minister does not have access to limitless funds which he can distribute at will to offer ‘relief’ to the common man and woman. Inflation in Pakistan is not a monetary phenomenon as the finance minister pontificated, and the government, rather than allowing prices to fall, has announced some measures which will increase the price level making it worse for citizens, an increase in the sales tax being one example. Moreover, since the electricity tariff is increased throughout the year because of commitments to the IMF to do away with subsidies at a time of rising unemployment and poverty, one can expect things to get worse. No relief here. 

Perhaps the biggest failure of this government — and for which one cannot blame the IMF — has been its inability and reluctance to increase the number of income taxpayers, and to increase revenues through taxes based on income and wealth. Although he failed to make the link, most of Pakistan’s problems articulated by the finance minister in his speech, exist because we have a very narrow tax base. 

Whether it is borrowing and debt causing inflation, a lack of resources for development, or the need to keep borrowing from the IMF, the absence of direct taxation is the main culprit. In this regard, it is not just this government which has failed to address Pakistan’s key economic problems and ‘offer relief’, the budget being a mere instrument in the light of a broader strategy. In fact, all governments have failed equally.

(By S. Akbar Zaidi, Dawn-7, 11/06/2010)

The weighbridge installed at the Gondpas landfill site, Hub River Road to measure the quantity of garbage brought in for dumping has been stolen along with the electricity poles some unknown elements, highlighting the negligence on part of authorities concerned.

This was said by General Secretary Municipal Workers Trade Union Alliance, Farid Awan while talking to The News. He further alleged that a few town administrations have also partially outsourced the garbage handling and dumping process. “Some town administrations have made their own garbage transfer stations where they dump their respective garbage through their own resources. Afterwards, the assigned contractors instead of dumping the garbage at the required landfill sites dump the garbage at some nearby place.” 

Ideally the entire garbage of city should be dumped at the two landfill sites, one at Hub River Road and the other at Surjani Town. He pointed out that the town administration of Saddar has given the garbage lifting contract to a contractor who is charging Rs260 per tonne for his services. 

He said one could observe massive environmental pollution in the surrounding areas of Guttar Baghicha which is being used as dumping place of garbage. He also pointed out that open trucks are being used to carry garbage. “Earlier, covered refuse vans were used to collect and carry the garbage to landfill sites. Now, garbage is dropped everywhere on the route from which the trash loaded trucks pass.”

He said that 90 percent trucks which are being used to carry garbage are uncovered. He said this type of practice is the violation of environmental laws and creating pollution in the city. 

“Due to all these issues I can certainly say that the entire city government and 18 towns’ administration have failed to collect garbage and dump it properly,” Awan said. He said the resources for solid waste management have been deemed redundant as more than 100 vehicles meant for solid waste management have been abandoned at a workshop in Guttar Baghicha, 

Around two years ago the CDGK had purchased more than 100 vehicles which include refuse collection vans, dumpers, loaders and trucks with the cost of around Rs1 billion. It was learnt that the services of 200 persons were also hired as drivers for these vehicles.

He said these vehicles which were supposed to be the part of towns’ fleet of solid waste management have been parked at the workshop.

“Ideally the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) has nothing to do with the solid waste management. As per the Local Government Ordinance, handling of solid waste management is the responsibility of towns which not only have the machinery but also have the required expertise and manpower in this regard,” he maintained. 

According to Awan, the vehicles, each of which cost the CDGK around Rs4 million, should had been handover to the administrations of the towns but this did not happen. 

“The authorities concerned have been claiming that fuel worth Rs10 million is required for these vehicles on weekly basis. This is the reason which is quoted as non-functioning of these vehicles.” 

“If meeting of fuel expenses is the main issue behind non-functioning of the vehicles then distribute them amongst the towns so that they can use them as and when required,” Awan suggested.

(By Qadeer Tanoli, The News-13, 21/05/2010)

Considering the looming threat of cyclone ‘Phet’ and the resultant strong winds, tidal waves, flash floods, landslides and fire, the poor of the city are at a higher risk.

Orangi Pilot Project’s Perveen Rahman said, “The settlements along the nullahs would be affected by flash floods, while the goths and abadies on the peripheries of the sea in areas like Keamari, Bin Qasim Town, Mauripur, Machhar Colony and Hawkesbay would be affected by the cyclone.” In case of high tide, the consequences for projects constructed on “filled land” could be dire, as the sea “would reclaim the land taken away from it,” she added.

She also said, “Houses in a poor settlement are low-rise with only two to three storeys and being clustered together is itself a security. However, apartment buildings are more vulnerable to strong winds, especially in parts where they have been made on ‘filled land’, as it increases the chances of soil settlement or erosion.”

Disasters are directly related to development; therefore, it is imperative to have a management plan for the city, starting from awareness and mitigation to recovery, relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction. Urban Resource Centre Director Muhammad Younus said it is not the calamity itself that causes deaths, but the poor construction of buildings.

“If a disaster strikes, the city government does not even have enough equipment like cranes, diggers and cutters to deal with it,” he added. He also said, “Houses belonging to the poor are mostly unplastered, with a metal corrugated roof kept in place by putting heavy objects or cement blocks. Strong winds can blow away the sheets and hit anybody.”

Moreover, the proximity of these settlements to the Lyari and Malir nullahs makes the situation more disastrous as both these drains are filled with domestic, industrial and toxic affluent.

“Around 350 million gallons of sewerage is produced daily, of which hardly 15 to 20 percent is treated, so a flood would spread diseases,” Younus said.

A Bengali immigrant Haseena, who lives in People’s Colony in North Nazimabad, said, “Last year my house was inundated with three-feet of water, destroying furniture, food items and clothes. We received no help from the government and my husband had to beg for food. I am worried what will happen this time.”

(By Andaleeb Rizvi, DailyTimes-B1, 06/06/2010)

The budget had good news for federal government employees who received a raise of 50 per cent in their basic salary – though on an ad hoc basis. 

Presenting the budget in the National Assembly on Saturday, Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Sheikh also announced an increase of 15 to 20 per cent in the pension of government employees. 

Initially, the government had decided to give a 25 per cent increase. However, minutes before the budget speech the federal cabinet recommended a 50 per cent raise to avert a possible adverse reaction from the employees who had demanded a 100 per cent hike in salary. 

And as a measure of austerity, the minister declared that the salary raise would not apply to members of the federal cabinet. 

Besides, Mr Sheikh also announced that there would be a 10 per cent cut in the salaries of ministers. He, however, did not elaborate the heads under which the ministers’ salaries would be deducted. 

The raise will also not apply to armed forces personnel who recently got a 100 per cent increase in their salary. The armed forces personnel actively participating in the military operations in tribal areas were given a raise in July last year and the remaining got their salaries increased in January this year. 

“The federal government employees will be allowed an ad hoc monthly allowance equal to 50 per cent of one month’s basic pay. This benefit would not be available to such federal government employees who are already in receipt of a monthly allowance equal to one month’s basic pay,” the minister said. 

He also said that the medical allowance for employees in BS-1 to BS-15 would be doubled and those working in BS-16 and above would get a 15 per cent raise in the allowance. 

According to the budgetary proposals, the government employees who retired after 2001 will get a 15 per cent increase and those who retired before that year a 20 per cent raise in their pension. 

“The pensioners who retired in BS 1-15 will be allowed medical allowance at 25 per cent of pension drawn while those retired in BS 16-22 will be allowed medical allowance at 20 per cent of pension drawn,” the minister said. 

Last month the government had raised the minimum wages to Rs7,000 from Rs6,000 per month. 

Mr Sheikh announced that the minimum monthly pension had been raised to Rs3,000 from Rs2,000 and the rate of family pension to 75 per cent from 50 per cent. 

The minister declared without elaborating that there would be a substantial raise in other allowances, such as night duty allowance, conveyance allowance for late sitting staff and daily allowance and special pay, for the employees in BS-1 to 16.

(By Amir Wasim, Dawn-1, 06/06/2010)

Federal transfers to the provinces will jump by 57.7 per cent to Rs1.033 trillion in the next financial year from the current Rs655 billion as a result of the increase in provinces’ share in the tax divisible pool under the new National Finance Commission award, resolution of long-running disputes between federating units and Islamabad on net hydel profits and gas development surcharge, and a higher tax revenue the government hopes to collect.

Federal transfers to the provinces constitute jut above six per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) and slightly less than one-third of the overall, consolidated size of the budget for 2010-11.

In his budget speech, Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh supported a rise in transfer of financial resources to the federating units for better utilisation. “This is the first and greatest step towards provincial autonomy. The transfer of more money to provinces will plug leakages and waste of resources by Islamabad,” he said.

The seventh NFC award raised the provinces’ share to 56 per cent during the first year and to 57.5 per cent during the remaining four years of its life from the current 46 per cent.

According to the budget documents, Balochistan’s share from the entire federal transfers – divisible pool, straight transfers, and subventions/grants – will rise by 139 per cent to Rs99.398 billion, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s by 88 per cent to Rs160.359 billion, Punjab’s by 47 per cent to Rs494.257 billion and Sindh’s by 44 per cent to 279.6 billion.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa will receive an additional one per cent from the net proceeds of the divisible pool before its division between Islamabad and provinces, raising its net share.

The increased share will allow the federating units to spend more on development and public services like clean dinking water, sanitation, education and health. “The allocation of financial resources to the provinces will increase pressures on the provincial governments to make bigger investments in social sector and support the poor and vulnerable segments of their population.

From now onwards, provincial economic and social sectors will be subjected to strict public scrutiny and accountability. They will have no excuse to defend their poor performance on improvement of the quality of life of their citizens,” an economic analyst told Dawn.

The provincial share in the Public Sector Development Programme has been raised to Rs373 billion in comparison with the federal programme of Rs280 billion. Total size of the PSDP is estimated at Rs636 billion.

Dr Sheikh said for the first time that the provincial development programme would be larger than the federal development spending.

In addition to increasing the provincial share under the NFC award, the federal government will also bear at least for one year the expenditure on 24 departments and functions that were to be transferred to the provinces after abolition of the concurrent list from July 1.

The transfer of these departments and responsibilities was delayed till July 2011 to give the provinces enough time to develop infrastructure.

Punjab’s finance minister Tanvir Ashraf Kaira had told Dawn a few days ago that the federal government would also “provide additional funds to the provinces for these departments and responsibilities over and above their share under the NFC because the concurrent list was abolished after the finalisation of the award”.

He said the federal government had given a “verbal” commitment to the provinces on this issue during negotiations for the NFC award last year.

(By Nasir Jamal, Dawn-1, 06/06/2010)