KARACHI, July 9: The population of Karachi, which currently stands at 16 million, will hit 27.5 million in 2020 and will double to 32 million by 2025, estimates the city government’s final draft report on the Karachi Strategic Master Plan (KSMP) 2020.

Interestingly, more than 94 per cent of the projected increase in population is to occur in three of the city’s 18 towns, namely Keamari, Gadap and Bin Qasim towns, because of the city government’s perception the most future development will take place on the current outskirts of the city such as the southern part of Gadap town and the north-eastern section of Bin Qasim town.

Well-places sources in the city government told Dawn that the KSMP-2020 proposes phase-wise development over the next 13 years to cater to the citizenry’s growing needs. The plan, which will soon be made public, has been designed as a guide for all infrastructure development plans in the service sectors, such as solid waste disposal, telecommunications, transport, water, sewerage, electricity and gas provision facilities.

The KSMP-2020 states that the 1998 census reported 9,960,000 residents in Karachi. However, it was widely accepted that the 1998 census undercounted by between one to two million the residents of katchi abadis and migrants, particularly those from Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. Analysing different scenarios, the Karachi Strategic Development Plan 2020 estimates that 1,375,000 people were not counted and therefore, the true 1998 population stood at 11,335,000.

Growth rate

The KSMP-2020 states that the city’s growth rate has been in steady decline since the 1950s while United Nations’ population figures record that the annual growth rate fell from 5.85 per cent in 1950 to 4.92 per cent in 1970 and 3.39 per cent in 1990.

The report prepared by the city government estimates that the natural annual growth rate is probably close to 3.5 in Karachi currently, but notes that the conflict in Afghanistan has pushed more refugees into the city and raised the population to 15.12 million in 2005. The KSMP-2020 holds that this trend has continued into 2007 but will slowly decline in the future.

Estimated population in 2020

Towns / Localities Population Estimated in 2005 population 2020

Site town 709.944 Little change

Keamari town 583,640 1,923,912

Gadap Town 439,675 8,245,312

Bin Qasim town 480,854 2,153,552

Baldia town 616,722 727,732

Orangi town 1,098,859 1,219,734

Lyari town 923,176 969,335

Saddar 935,566 1,029,122

Jamshed town 1,114,235 1,225,658

Gulshan-i-Iqbal town 949,351 1,120,235

Shah Faisal town 509,915 535,411

Landhi town 1,012,319 1,063,010

Korangi town 829,813 912,795

North Nazimabad town 753,423 873,971

New Karachi town 1,038,865 1,184,306

Gulberg town 688,580 723,009

Liaquatabad town 985,581 1,034,860

Malir town 604,763 695,478

Cantonment areas 464,882 618,178

Defence Housing Authority (DHA) 379,601 102,000

Source: Karachi Strategic Master Plan 2020

(By Azizullah Sharif, Dawn-19, 10/07/2007)

Due to certain technical problems, the Karachi Strategic Development Plan (KSDP) 2020, formerly known as Master Plan 2020, will not be presented before the City Council for approval in the near future.

Informed sources told The News that now Pakistan Survey has also been inducted in the KSDP and has been asked to provide details of house hold units whereas the earlier plan only dealt with households.

Sources said that now each and every house including ‘katcha’ huts will be counted.The Master Plan department has invited proposals from civic experts of Karachi and they were also given the draft to study. Sources claim it had become essential to take these experts into confidence.

The Master Plan department of City District Government Karachi (CDGK) has held two meetings with these experts. However, City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal had termed them “enemies of Karachi”.

When asked at a press conference why these experts had been invited, the Nazim said this was on account of technical reasons. On being asked why these people were consulted in KSDP, Kamal said he did not know but would consult the department in this regard.

(The News-19, 17/07/2007)

KARACHI, July 22: Development work in the city will be undertaken in three phases under the city government’s Karachi Strategic Master Plan (KSMP) 2020, which will be made public after its formal approval by the city council.

Well-placed sources in the CDGK told Dawn that land use maps, identifying sites for development projects in each of the phases, would be released for the information of the general public and the organisations concerned.

Giving details of the planning, they referred to the relevant section of the KSMP-2020 stating that in the first phase spanning over four years (2007 to 2010) development work would carried out along the eastern half of the Northern Bypass which included Taiser Town, Scheme-33. Construction of a transport and trade centre at the intersection of the RCD Highway and the Northern Bypass would also be undertaken in the same phase.

In the second phase stretched over five years (2011-2015) a government offices complex would be constructed on Super Highway. Additional residential blocks and a town centre in the western half of the Northern Bypass, and an Information Communications Technology (ICT) Centre would also be part of the development work in this phase.

In the final phase spanning over five years (2016-2020) focus would be on completing the ICT Centre and the adjacent housing schemes.

The Master Plan refers to the urban land management with observation that many residential subdivisions have not been built out (a little number of housing schemes has materialised), primarily because of speculations. Since this phenomenon greatly undermines the efficiency of urban infrastructure investments, water and sewerage trunk mains must extend to new sites whereas system capacity should be upgraded to accommodate additional population, it suggests.

With a view to ensure that houses are built and people lived there, and also to promote consolidation of housing plans, ‘sunset clauses’ will be added to lease contracts for selected land development projects, especially those meant for the low-income groups. The clauses will make it mandatory upon the owner of a piece of land to maintain a justifiable pace of construction work within three years after getting possession of the property failing which he might lose his right to keep the property with him. The proposed KSMP also states that in such a case, the right will revert to the developing party, which would refund the defaulting owner’s payment.

Building control laws

Pointing out that the building controls set out under the Sindh Building Control Ordinance, 1979 are not applied to federal agencies and their lands, the KMSP suggests that the relevant laws be amended to ensure application of the building controls to all structures in the city district limits, irrespective of the owning agency.

Underscoring the need for introducing changes in the development code, the KSMP says this will help the CDGK get necessary powers to regulate the development activity pertaining to various types of mixed use, mid-rise and high-rise constructions foreseen in the strategic development plan.

Two-tier process

The KSMP also proposes that the Karachi Building and Town Planning Regulations (KB&TPR) 2002 be revised to establish a two-tier development control process. First, special development authorities with specific geographical jurisdictions will review and provide preliminary approval of proposed development projects. Then applications will be submitted to the CDGK for final approval. In this way, special authorities will participate in regulating the development of their areas while the CDGK will maintain its position as the final arbiter of development control decisions.

Anomalies pin-pointed

Highlighting that the existing five categories mentioned in the KB&TPR-2000 are not sufficiently articulated to enable the types of development foreseen by the KSMP-2020, the master plan says that firstly, land-use need to be regulated on a zone-by-zone basis. This is not to say that zones should include only one land; rather, most zones should be mixed use, and in many cases the predominant use should be identified and the land-use defined and represented on the city’s land-use map.

Moreover, height regulations need to be more specific, providing minimum and maximum values in measurement and number of stories in order to facilitate mid-rise development in the high-density areas and along major arterial and some secondary roads.

Mentioning that high-rise development needs to be undertaken only in a few selected locations where water and sewerage pipelines are upgraded, it says that high-rise development will be prohibited in other areas.

Besides, overhead large tanks to serve the community would be mandatory for any scheme or high-rise development to ensure 24/7 hours (24 hours a day and seven days a week) and water supply with normal pressure.

(By Azizullah Sharif, Dawn-13, 23/07/2007)

Noted architect and town planner, Arif Hassan, has named the Master Plan 2020 as the ‘Strategic Development Plan,’ saying that it is no more a master plan. He was addressing a seminar on Master Plan 2020 at the Urban Resource Centre Thursday.

Talking about recent trends, Hasan said that very few cities in the world make master plans now. “The reason is that some cities change so fast that the plan does not match its wide spreading factor. The master plan then does not meet its requirements.” Listing the weaknesses of the Karachi Master Plan 2020, he said that transport, traffic planning, and land use had not been integrated. Moreover, the plan shows investment in an expensive light rail project which had already been proved inappropriate for the city. Hassan said that the success of a plan depended on institutions. “Here also, a planning institution is needed which is autonomous and free from interference,” he said, adding that there was dire need for research, consultation, accommodation and appropriate decisions by politicians. Implementation agencies should be made accountable and transparent. “Any project should be advertised before its execution and citizens should be given the chance to participate,” he said. Management agencies are also needed that could work at a decentralised level and coordination amongst all of the above was necessary.

“It is actually transport that gave shape to a city and determined its land use,” he said, adding that the government had failed to persuade people to use public transport. According to Hassan, the plan has all the right principles of development except the DHA Beachfront Development, the Sugar Land City, and the development of Bundal and Biddu Islands.

(The News-14, 31/08/2007)

City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal has decided to synchronise the Karachi Master Plan with a GIS (Geographical Information System) Map-2025, which will also chart utility services provided by the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board. He also instructed for the existing population and the proportion of increase in the population to be included in the ìJICAî study.

These documents, he said, were not meant merely to be put on the shelf but to be implemented as all plans for Karachi would be based on these figures.

He stated this during a briefing by JICA regarding GIS Map-2025 at the KWSB office on Friday.

The JICA team, while briefing those present about the GIS map for Karachi, said that the required study in this connection would be completed by March 2008.

The Nazim said that the GIS map should include all maps of water & sewerage lines with details of their location, their length and diameter, the material used in their manufacturing and the date of their laying so that its exact age could be ascertained and the pipelines could be replaced with new ones without waiting for their expiry date.

He also felt the that the GIS map should contain information regarding other utility installations, besides suggesting that the newly-laid trunk lines should be given different colour to set them apart from old ones.

He noted that a lot of city areas have still not been covered by the water board network. Even the KWSB itself did not have any information about water supply in 60 percent of the areas because the board was not receiving all the water bills. However, the GIS map would provide a complete picture of underground lines following which these areas would also be included in the Water Board network, he added.

The Nazim said that the board could only achieve this goal by bringing improvement in the water distribution system and for this purpose uplift works worth Rs17 billion were being carried out in different areas of the city.

(The News-13, 04/08/2007)

The Karachi Strategic Development Plan (KSDP)-2020, formerly known as the Master Plan-2020, will be presented to the city council within a week for approval.

The KSDP complete draft has been presented to City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal by the Master Plan department which is looking into it for making some alterations in the definition of certain wordings.

Officials sources said that once the KSDP is finalized, it will be presented for approval. Mustafa Kamal, talking to The News, confirmed this, saying that, “Yes, the KSDP has been presented to me by the Master Plan department and I am looking into it.”

In this plan, future residential needs had been considered, Mustafa said. In addition to this, the Pakistan survey has also been asked to submit a complete survey of housing units in the Karachi area. The citizens concerned with civic issues in the city are keenly waiting for KSDP-2020 to be unveiled so that development of the city could be carried out along modern lines. Stakeholders of the city like Sui southern gas, PTCL, KPT and others have been taken into confidence in preparation of KSDP 2020.

(The News-14, 15/08/2007)

KARACHI: Veteran town planner Arif Hassan of the Urban Resource Centre has in collaboration with other experts come up with a new plan for the development of Karachi which was presented Thursday.

Hassan started off with his presentation of all the plans which have so far been taken up by the government since the foundation of Pakistan to develop its rural and urban areas. “The new plan has been named the Karachi Strategic Development Plan and traces its roots to the initial 1955 Master Plan,” he said.

There were plans aided by the UN that were never completed due to major flaws.

According to the original plan, the city’s basic transport was supposed to be railways but due to the student riots at the time of General Ayub Khan’s time, the plan did not work. The Karachi Master Plan of 1975-1985 under Yahya Khan stopped working due to poor managerial skills on behalf of the government. Hassan explained, however, that the bulk water supply and road network plans from the KMP continued to work as they had been well planned.

“There are strengths and weaknesses in this plan as well, the strengths being consultation which was made with top-notch architects and planners with a detailed study of the geographical structure of the city,” he said. The plan has also accommodated areas where there is less economic activity but which can be developed.

Hassan clarified that since this plan was the result of just six months’ planning and research, it lacked a background study in certain areas. There is also a mass transit scheme under consideration which is necessary for the trade and social economic welfare of the city, along with an alternative site for the Karachi airport.

“I feel that there is a need for more detail and planning for the housing schemes where appropriate accommodation and compensation should be undertaken with a simple database that will enable the government to keep records and avoid unnecessary issues arising from the unfair distribution of land etc.”

On the whole, Hassan said that he felt this plan would work well if undertaken in an organized manner, “as long as everything is done on schedule and resources are used wisely there is no reason that we will not have a new Karachi within a couple of years”.

(DailyTimes-B1, 31/08/2007)

KARACHI: The City Council was supposed to finalise the Karachi Master Plan (KMP) 2020 last month but still hasn’t and neither have the Geographical Information System (GIS)-based digital maps of Karachi (up to town level), which were supposed to be ready this month, been prepared, Daily Times learnt Monday.

Sources in the Master Plan Group of Office said that Japan International Corporation Agency was awarded the contract for preparing the city’s GIS maps but only 15 town maps had been finalised so far and the task could take another two months to complete.

Syed Absarul Hassan, chairman of the City District Government Karachi’s (CDGK) Master Plan Committee, told Daily Times that he had no idea about the progress on the GIS maps or the KMP document.

District Officer Hafiz Muhammad Javed confirmed the delay but did not give any specific reason. “We have limited information on this,” he said. To a question, he said that it hadn’t been decided exactly who would benefit from these maps yet but they would definitely be used by utility service providers. Javed, who is also the project manager of the KMP 2020 had limited information on the status of the documents, which were supposed to be presented in the City Council last month, after already having delayed by eight months.

City Nazim Mustafa Kamal, during a press conference in November 2006, announced that the KMP 2020 would be finalised in December and later said that it would be finalised in August.

“Last month, the city nazim was given the final draft of KMP 2020. He sent it back to the Master Plan Group of Office two weeks ago with his comments. The document will be finalized soon,” Javed said.

Daily Times tried to contact EDO Master Plan, Iftikhar Qaimkhani, but he was unavailable.

There have been five master plans prepared in the past, two of which were prepared before partition. In 1923, a report on the development of Karachi was prepared by AE Mirams, a consulting town planner and surveyor. The Karachi Physical Plan was prepared by a British surveyor, Lt Col. Swaine Thomas, in 1945. The other three were prepared in 1952, 1974 and 1991.

(By Jamil Khan, DailyTimes-B1, 25/09/2007)

The Karachi Strategic Development Plan 2020 (Master Plan 2020) preparation has been temporarily put off due to some technical flaws and it is likely that there will be further delays in presenting it to the city council for approval.

Reliable sources told The News that city civic experts have given some suggestions and recommendations about development plans, particularly for the utility services underground. It may be noted that earlier, these civic experts were not invited by the EDO Master Plan, but now several meetings have been held to get their suggestions and approval despite the fact that the City Nazim, Syed Mustafa Kamal, never approved this meeting of experts. The EDO Master Plan, Iftikhar Kaim Khani, when contacted by The News to give comments, was not available at his office or on phone.

In the Master Plan, town-wise maps and charts have been prepared and land use by each town has also been compiled. The EDO said that at the moment, it is an interim document and can be presented even today but a little delay will bring out a much more useful document.

The Master Plan is a guiding tool for Karachi as the city has grown both horizontally and longitudinally, sources said. This is the sixth Master Plan of the city. The first was prepared in 1923, second in 1945, third in 1952, fourth in 1994 for 1999, fifth in 2000. The sixth plan for 2020 will be prepared in December this year for 2020 but the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) does not seem to be prepared for it.

Meanwhile, the city government sources dealing with the Master Plan said that the cantonment boards have been indirectly included in the Master Plan. The report of the 12 technical committees is not available.

The sources also said that seminars will be held and the media and public will be taken into confidence so that they can also own this document. Replying to a question, a source said that the total cost of the project is Rs57 million and Kamal is very closely monitoring the project. The city nazim is keen on seeing this project being complete in record time.

Sources said that so far, a consultant consortium of three firms has been paid seven to eight per cent money. The consortium includes ECIL, PADCO and a chartered accountant firm

About 30 per cent of the land use survey has been completed, based on a map prepared by the local consultant using Satellite imagery.

The managing director of the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) has been contacted, who has a digital map of his company and has been provided all the details in this regard. The city nazim said that as the SSGC have the facility of digital and graphics maps and drawings, he has also agreed to help the CDGK in this connection.

Sources said that the Master Plan 2020 has to be approved by the city council and Kamal has already said that it will be sent for the approval very soon. If this Master Plan is prepared in December, then its period of completion will be more than one year.

(By Fasahat Mohiuddin, The News-19, 29/09/2007)

The Master Plan 2020, now known as the Karachi Strategic Development Plan 2020 (KSDP 2020) has been finally prepared which suggests that Karachi should expanded vertically while horizontal expansion should discouraged.

Sources told The News that the stake holders have expressed their reservations but the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) has started preparations to present this document in the city council for approval.

The KSDP 2020 final booklet comprises 135 pages and three of its chapters are being translated in Urdu. Copies of the Master Plan 2020 were sent to the stake holders for approval also. Thereafter, the stake holders expressed their reservations but the CDGK has claimed that the control of land will remain in the possession of stake holders and municipal services will be maintained by the former.

The city government has in its findings suggested that the city should be expanded vertically followed by high-rise buildings and horizontal expansion should be stopped as it could increase the cost of maintenance as well as environmental pollution.

Sources said the Master Plan 2020 documents the fact that there will be a manifold increase in Karachi by 2020, that is, 270 million and at present, the city needs 600MGD water. By 2020, this will go up to 1200 MGD.

The Master Plan 2020 preparation was started by a private consultancy in October 2005 and the cost of preparation of the document has come to about Rs57 million. Final copies have been sent the president and prime minister secretariat as well as other top authorities in the military.

In this Master Plan, town-wise maps and charts have been prepared and land use by each town has also been compiled.

The history of Mater Plan of Karachi shows that this is the sixth Master Plan of the city. The first of its kind was prepared in 1923, second in 1945, third in 1952, fourth in 1994 and fifth in 2000.

In Karachi, a majority of the houses have been converted into commercial areas which is what the current KSDP also aims to reveal. Sources said that it has been quite a while residential schemes have been announced for citizens, mainly because of rampant commercialisation.

The City Nazim, Syed Mustafa Kamal, claims this document will could provide different plans for the city along with the ways in which they can be implemented.

(By Fasahat Mohiuddin, The News-19, 23/10/2007)

The Karachi Strategic Development Plan 2020 (KSDP-2020) has suggested for an additional site for the Karachi International Airport. Karachi, at present, has only the Quaid-e-Azam International Airport which, in the future, would be unable to cope with the increasing population of the city. According to the present statistics, Karachi has a population ofclose to 20 million.

KSDP-2020 has proposed an additional site for the new international airport in Deh Narathar or Deh Shah Mureed for future use which is adjacent to the Super Highway.

The KSDP also suggested a change-over to vertical growth to the city’s planning which could be good for the city and it would help in minimising the cost of the land.

Sources in the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) Master Plan Department said high-rise buildings did not need more space and you could go up with minimum land, while going for horizontal growth more land is required.

The vertical growth will give room for more open spaces in Karachi which is the need of the hour. All over the world in international cities, they prefer vertical growth.

The vertical growth to the citizens will provide housing free of noise pollution. An expert said the more higher you go the less was the noise pollution as well as environmental pollution.

Replying to a question the sources said that these vertical growth high-rise buildings would require elevators and lifts, parking lots, more electricity and water.

Sources said Karachi city already had a shortage of water. He suggested that the city planners should look for desalination plants and these are of minimum costs and available all over the world.

This will overcome the water shortage followed by the power generation of the city.

Sources said huge buildings did not have much load of electricity and the lifts or elevators did not require huge load, so they could be easily operated.

The Master Plan has suggested that vertical development shall be encouraged in specific areas, densification of existing towns shall be promoted.

According to KSDP-2020 Mid—Rise development shall be promoted along existing corridors, and within the towns through local area plans with due regard to future traffic patterns, parking and utility needs.

The KSDP-2020 has also proposed densification and vertical development of existing residential areas.

It proposed that in the existing neighbourhoods where the buildings are limited to ground plus one building heights should be increased to ground plus two and accordingly infrastructure should be upgraded to meet the needs of bigger population in the existing neighbourhoods.

Answering a question the sources said consultants, engineers and architect planners of the city have to give all their inputs so that vertical growth is encouraged as a large number of people would oppose this idea.

The citizens of the city need a lot of education and awareness about the high-rise buildings.

These days he said cost of land was beyond the reach of common man, but once the high-rise buildings were ensured they would reduce the cost of land. More open spaces would be available in the city.

A civil engineer when asked about the vertical growth, he said such planning should have been done ten years back. Today Karachi would have more open spaces, as the city horizontal growth has been done in a haphazard manner. This haphazard growth has lost the beauty of the city.

(By Fasahat Mohiuddin, The News-14, 09/11/2007)

KARACHI: Karachi Strategic Development Plan 2020 (KSDP-2020), the master plan for the city, is still being reviewed as neither the officials of the Master Plan department of the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) nor the Master Plan committee of the City Council has given any assurance of finalizing the date when the document would have legal status, Daily Times has learnt.

Sources in the CDGK’s Master Plan Group of Offices told Daily Times that there are still a number of processes left before the draft can be considered a legal document. “The department had finalized the draft version of the master plan some three months ago. City Nazim Mustafa Kamal had also reviewed it and pointed out some more points that have been incorporated,” sources said.

Hafiz Muhammad Javed, project director of KSDP-2020 has confirmed the lengthy process but did not divulge any details. “Before presenting it in the City Council, the city government has sent the draft to a group of senior professors at the University of Karachi for translation. The professors will translate some of the chapters out of the 208-page document to facilitate the general public,” he said.

He also mentioned that besides this, a committee of City Council members will be formed to review the final version before putting it in the council to obtain a legal status under Section 40 of the Sindh Local Government Ordinance 2001. “The KSDP-2020 will provide an ‘umbrella’ framework for the development plans of agencies, and federal, provincial and local stakeholders in the metropolis,” he said.

Karachi’s land planning and municipal control is fragmented into about twenty federal, provincial and local agencies with overlapping powers and functions and a lack of coordination. According to the draft master plan, the agencies include six cantonment boards, the Port Qasim Authority, Karachi Port Trust, Defence Housing Authority, Pakistan Steel, Pakistan Railways, Export Processing Zone, Sindh Industrial Trading Estate, provincial government, city government, Lyari Development Authority, Malir Development Authority, cooperative housing societies and private owners.

(By Jamil Khan, DailyTimes-B1, 12/11/2007)

City Nazim Mustafa Kamal informed The News that the comprehensive Master Plan, which will direct, manage and regulate the development of the city, will be approved by the City Council in the next few days.

The Master Plan is given a lot of importance by Kamal, who believes that the Pakistan’s largest city needs to have a streamlined development programme because it cannot afford to continue being subjected to “haphazard development.” He felt that a lack of planning and synchronisation had marked the development efforts over the past six decades in Karachi — a problem that can be addressed by an overarching design in the form of the Master Plan.

There are however, still many hurdles. Considering that the City District Government of Karachi (CDGK) has only 31 per cent of the city’s area in its jurisdiction, Kamal admitted that he often finds it difficult to cope with the indifferent attitude of the authorities in other jurisdictions in regard to his efforts, but was quick to add that such an unresponsive stance, while frustrating, does not discourage him from proceeding with his work with utmost enthusiasm.

“The arrogance of the officials is not hidden from the media,” says Kamal elaborating his point using the example of the recent rain and wind storm during which many lives were lost due to falling billboards. “The authorities refused to take responsibility and those hoardings are back now but there is no one to question them. The CDGK, on the contrary, has succeeded in removing 34,000 hoardings from the vicinity of the Civic Centre alone,” he claims.

In the end, the city, he says, is in a dilapidated condition chiefly due to its division into 13 jurisdictions, with different controlling authorities, which, he feels, is hindering the planning of forthcoming development projects in Karachi. He adds that he isn’t the only one who harbours this sentiment. “Even the Supreme Court has given a verdict that multiple agencies cannot govern a single city because it becomes difficult to cope with natural calamities.” He further stressed that people need to understand the problems encountered at his end, “before laying the blame or pointing a finger at the CDGK for violation of any law in the city.”

The city Nazim cited the lack of planning before implementation as one of the biggest challenges in infrastructural development, which is why several development projects are being delayed. “In the past, development projects proceeded without any planning and the civilians suffered as a consequence.”

Kamal, however, says he doesn’t work that way. He confidently adds that he is working towards giving a comprehensive, ‘end-to-end’ solution for Karachiites. Projects such as flyovers and underpasses will be completed by the end of this year, as he had promised, he maintains. “Flyovers at Banaras Chowrangi, Johar Chowrangi, Gulshan Chowrangi, Nagin Chowrangi are near completion and the second signal-free corridor would also be completed by December 31.”

On being questioned if he was let down by the present negative image of the city, which has made an unwelcome comeback after the twin blasts on October 18, his response was that he didn’t let political turmoil affect the pace of his development work. In fact, he quips with a confident smile, “The more they try to target this city, the faster will be my pace of development. That is how I cope with the situation.”

(The News-20, 19/11/2007)

KARACHI: The city government’s Karachi Strategic Development Plan 2020 was presented in the city council Friday but the Opposition demanded that no decision should be made until the general elections take place so they had more time to study it.

“This is not a minor issue that can be completed in one or two sessions and approved in a hasty manner,” argued Opposition leader Saeed Ghani. “The House should be given suitable time as well as a complete draft of the master plan to read thoroughly so they can present their suggestions.”

Friday’s session was presided over by City Naib Nazim Nasreen Jalil at the City Council Secretariat with the one-point agenda to debate the master plan prepared by the Master Plan Group of Offices.

Ghani argued that the plan took almost 18 to 24 months to prepare and if it were delayed for another one month it would be no big deal and no work would be affected.

A critical Abdul Razzaq said that the Master Plan was presented in such a hurried matter just as a tactic to have an impact on the vote bank as the elections are around the corner. But despite these reservations, the convenor given her assent for the proceedings to start.

The EDO Master Plan Group of Offices, Iftikhar Qaimkhani gave a multimedia presentation that lasted almost one hour. He highlighted the new proposals and plans to be carried out during the next 13 years. He covered transport, health, education, the central business district, a new diplomatic enclave, a new airport site, sites for two graveyards, water and sewerage, garbage transfer stations, recreational facilities on land from the provincial and federal government agencies.

Later, with the convenor’s permission, members from both benches asked questions. Mujahid Ahmed Jokhio, Nazim UC-2 Darsano of Gadap Town, had objected that the city government had not consulted the people of his union councils as most of the new proposals, including Education City, will be carried out in their areas. “The Government of Sindh initiated Education City in 2001 to allotted 9,000 acres to different organizations but the local people were completely ignored and no one has been given a job.”

He said that the entire Darsano area consists of agricultural land and people living there for the last 450 years still didn’t have civic facilities but now the right to jobs in their own area was being threatened. On this, EDO Iftikhar clarified that the provincial government had no hand in this.

Jalil asked members to present joint suggestions rather than bring up issues separately. Muhammad Islam, another member from the Opposition benches, was critical of the city government’s plan for the rural areas of Landhi, Bin Qasim, Dhabiji and adjacent areas.

Abdul Jalil of the Treasury benches appreciated the effort. “This is the fifth master plan of the city since 1923 and will become a legal document under the protection of the Sindh Local Government Ordinance 2001,” he said.

Saeed Ghani had asked about the status of the master plan and if other stakeholders of the city had approved it as most of the proposals and suggestions in it were to be carried out in their jurisdictions. The EDO Master Plan highlighted the judgment of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in September 2007 directing all stakeholders in the city to act upon the city government’s master plan. “A committee had also been formed to identify the civilian localities under the cantonment areas which will be given to the city government,” he said.

The session was adjourned till Saturday 3:00 p.m.

(By Jamil Khan, DailyTimes-B1, 08/12/2007)

As members of the City-District Council on Saturday continued their debate on the proposed Karachi Strategic Development Plan (KSDP)-2020, the treasury members, who otherwise welcomed presentation of plan, pointed out on various occasions the document lacked proper provisions for housing important public utilities in the city.

With the opposition members walking out from the session in protest complaining that the house members were not given in advance the complete document of the strategic development plan, the treasury benches tabled suggestions and resolutions for creating provisions for cattle farms, fire brigade stations, vendors in the city.

The city Naib-Nazim, Nasreen Jalil, who chaired the session, also spoke about her suggestions regarding the plan, which mainly emphasised preserving historical sites, cultural heritage, natural resources and habitats, and marine life of the city.

Asif Siddiqui, the leader of Haq Parast treasury group, told newsmen after the session that, according to a resolution earlier adopted by the council, suggestions of the council members regarding prospective amendments and improvement in the KSDP-2020 would be entertained and processed even after the house accorded a formal approval to the plan.

He said that improvement and reformation in the KDSP was an ongoing process as the council would work virtually for an indefinite time period for incorporating suggestions and resolutions of the members regarding the plan.

Towards adjournment of the session till Monday (December 10), Jalil announced in the house that the council, through the concerned offices of the CDGK, had received some copies of the detailed KDSP-2020 document and they would be distributed among council members so that they could undertake a detailed group study of the plan.

Siddiqui also criticised the opposition for boycotting proceedings debating the KSDP, which, he said, is vital for future development, progress, and growth of the city. He said that under the true democratic norms the opposition should duly take part in the proceedings and in the best interest of Karachiites should also forward their suggestions for the betterment of the development plan.

Several treasury members during their speeches in the house praised the Haq Parast-led leadership of the CDGK for preparing and presenting a document, which, they said, would serve as a master plan and blueprint for rapid growth and development of the city over the next decade.

A resolution adopted by the council, proposed by treasury member Ahsan Siddiqui, called for designating land for building and housing fire brigade stations in the city till the year 2020 keeping in view the phenomenal growth of the population of Karachi. It says that fire brigade stations should be built in every town and in important residential, commercial, and industrial areas of the metropolis.

Other resolutions adopted pertained to suggestions for creating provisions for developing cattle farms, dairy farms, morgues, cardiovascular diseases’ centres, vocational and training centres for special persons, and special zones for accommodating hawkers and vendors in various towns of the city.

These suggestions, contained in various treasury-proposed resolutions, would accordingly be incorporated into the KDSP, announced the council chair Jalil, adding that other suggestions of the house members, after due scrutiny and review of the council monitoring committee concerned, would also be materialised into various resolutions so that they could also be approved for making them a part of the development plan.

(The News-13, 09/12/2007)

City Council opposition members blamed the City Government on Monday for not consulting with union council leadership in the city while preparing the Karachi Strategic Development Plan (KSDP)-2020.

City Naib Nazim Nsreen Jalil chaired the council session, where the CDGK Executive District Officer (EDO) Master Plan Iftikhar Qaimkhani was again present to answer queries about the KSDP put forward by the council members. The session witnessed limited proceedings as it had to be adjourned twice, mainly to fulfill the mandatory quorum requirement. The quorum issue resurfaced in the house after last Saturday’s session and in a way it showed the general indifference of the council members towards debate and discussion on the KDSP, which was presented before the council for approval on December 10.

The house, however, through a majority vote was able to pass two motions pertaining to the KSDP. One motion was related to the scheme of promoting cultural tourism and the other resolution was for creating sports facilities in the city. These schemes will now be incorporated into the proposed development plan.

Contrary to the established traditions of the council, however, the contents of the two resolutions were not read out loudly in the house and the chair only referred to their central ideas before she invited the council members to vote on the.

The opposition members decried the passage of the resolutions in question in a virtual hush-hush manner. They said that the resolutions should be presented properly and debated upon in the house because they pertained to amendments to the KDSP document.

Ramazan Awan from the opposition benches asked the EDO master plan about whether UC nazims were invited to any deliberations, workshops, or programmes which had been convened over the past years to prepare the KSDP. The EDO replied that a KDSP consultant had sent a questionnaire to UC nazims and has asked them to respond to it in order to gather feedback for the KDSP. Opposition members claimed, however, that no such questionnaires had been sent to them.

Shamim Mumtaz Wasi from the opposition emphasised that special workshop sessions should be held, and CDGK officials, senior town planners and urban development experts should brief the council members about the pros and cons of the KSDP.

EDO Qaimkhani, in response to a question raised by a member of the opposition, said that the issue of revamping drainage and sewerage systems in the city had been dealt with in detail in the KDSP document and a proposed S-3 programme for the renewal of sewerage and drainage systems in the city was an important aspect of the development plan.

Meanwhile, some opposition members also complained that certain representatives of the local body system in the city were not being given the amount of honorarium that had been duly fixed and approved by the council.

Towards adjournment of the session, convenor Nasreen Jalil announced copies of the complete KDSP documents would be distributed among city council members before the session is convened next. Members can then study the document in detail and put forward their proposals for the improvement of the plan.

Asif Siddiqui, leader of the Haq Parast treasury group, informed journalists after the session that they had devised a strategy according to which council members would get ample time to study the complete KDSP document prior to the next session, which incidentally, is today.

(The News-14, 11/12/2007)

KARACHI: Opposition members in the session continued the debate over the Karachi Strategic Development Plan 2020 (KSDP-2020), also known as Master Plan 2020, and complained that they were not taken into confidence during the two-year preparation of the document.

Opposition members raised this point in the session chaired Monday by City Naib Nazim Nasreen Jalil at the City Council Secretariat (Old KMC Building).

Ramzan Awam of the Opposition benches reiterated that the Master Plan Group of Offices took almost two years and spent Rs 55 million to prepare the document, but, not a single union council nazim was taken into confidence during the preparation stage. “That is why the council members bring up various suggestions and proposals to incorporate into the Plan,” he said.

Another member of the Opposition benches, Shamim Mumtaz Wasi, asked the government to educate City Council members by holding seminars and workshops in which urban planning experts and renowned architects would participate in.

EDO Master Plan Group of Offices Iftikhar Qaimkhani informed the House that, during the preparation of this document, there were experts on their board and their thorough expertise has been incorporated in the document.

Earlier, as the proceedings started, Convener Nasreen Jalil suspended the session for 20 minutes to allow for the quorum to be met. After the break, which lasted about 40 minutes, Saifuddin from the Opposition benches pointed out the lack of training for city government fire brigade department officials and demanded the firemen be given proper fire safety training and all the necessary equipment.

Abdul Razzaq, another Opposition member, asked the EDO of the master plan whether they had learned anything in the last two years as to improve the overall storm and sewerage water network, especially in the old parts of the metropolis.

The EDO said that the Master Plan has detailed information on this subject as the city nazim had initiated a special programme to improve the overall network and also appointed KBCA Chief Controller Rauf A. Farooqi as the project director.

“Besides this, a new treatment plant under the S-3 Plan will be installed in Korangi, and all existing storm and sewerage drains will be interconnected with it to minimize problems,” he stated.

Later, after the Asr prayer break, the convener suddenly asked members to vote on a “resolution,” which was never tabled in the form of resolution but as a suggestion. The House approved the resolution by a majority vote while Opposition members demanded the resolution be read in front of the House as was usually done.

The resolution presented by the convener, as a member of the House, requested the formation of a high-powered committee - the Cultural Karachi Board - to take steps in preserving historical and urban structures, trees, open spaces and protecting natural heritage and the city’s goths. It will also promote the city as ‘Cultural Karachi’ for tourism, poverty alleviation and improved quality of life.

The session will continue today (Tuesday) at 3:00 p.m. and the convener announced that all City Council members will be given their own copy of the Master Plan 2020 at the session.

(By Jamil Khan, DailyTimes-B1, 11/12/2007)

KARACHI: Opposition members termed the Master Plan 2020 (also known as the Karachi Strategic Development Plan 2020 - KSDP2020) a conspiracy against the people living in the hundreds of goths in Keamari, Gadap and Bin Qasim, as they are being abolished in the name of development.

This point, and more, was raised in the City Council session held Tuesday at the City Council Secretariat. The session was chaired by Senior Presiding Officer Ahsan Siddiqi in the absence of Convener Nasreen Jalil, who is off for Hajj.

During the session, which lasted only 25 minutes, the House was in total disorder as the convener failed to maintain decorum and members from both sides showed no respect for the convener.

Juman Darwan of the Opposition benches said that the city government has started dismantling hundreds of goths located at the borders of the three rural towns of Keamari, Gadap and Bin Qasim. It is a conspiracy against the people living in these rural areas, he said.

As the proceedings started, Asif Siddiqi of the treasury benches, on a point of order, said that copies of the KSDP2020 have arrived and asked Opposition members to collect them.

Saeed Ghani, leader of the Awam Dost Group and Opposition benches, asked the convener to give them enough time to read the document and present their suggestions. The convener said that a copy of the KSDP2020 was available in the City Council Secretariat but not a single member from the Opposition benches came to read it in detail.

Sheikh Mehboob-ur-Rehman, another Opposition bench member, brought up the firing incidents near Gakhar Pathak, showing a lack of law and order. “The interim provincial government is responsible for spreading anarchy before the forthcoming general elections to disturb the free polls,” he said. The convener then asked members to only discuss a one-point agenda related to KSDP 2020.

Saeed Ghani, on a point of order, drew attention to the city government’s “embezzlement” in allowing a private firm to construct a 14-floor building on a plot reserved for Mass Transit Corridor III. “In the presence of such irregularities, how will the KSDP2020 be implemented?” he asked.

Treasury members got aggravated when Opposition member Abdul Razzaq said that the members of the treasury benches are too busy displaying their party flags.

In the resulting pandemonium, Opposition members insisted they be given at least one month time to review the plan, but, the convener asked all members to submit their suggestions before 12:00 p.m. Friday, as to finalize the KSDP2020 in the next session to be held Saturday.

Later, during a press conference organized by the Opposition, Rafiq Ahmad mentioned that the master plan copies distributed among the members were not complete versions of the KSDP2020; they lack maps, figures and tables.

Other Opposition members claimed that the treasury members are deliberately making the KSDP2020 a controversial document, and not allowing thorough consensus even though it is one of the most important document for the future of Karachi.

(By Jamil Khan, DailyTimes-B1, 12/12/2007)

KARACHI, Dec 13: The Karachi Strategic Development Plan 2020 (KSDP), which is currently being debated by the City Council, recommends making the city district government Karachi (CDGK) the apex planning institution with the requisite legal authority to plan and control the development (ie zoning and building control regulations) of all the land and buildings in the city district, Dawn has learnt.

Emphasising the need to ensure that development activities follow set standards, the KSDP-2020 also proposes that the uniform laws and procedures being practiced by the CDGK be made mandatory for all civic agencies in the city district limits, irrespective of physical boundaries.

In addition to the CDGK, there are currently seven umbrella institutions that were delegated powers and responsibilities associated with the Karachi Building and Town Planning Regulations (KB&TPR) 2002. These include all the cantonment boards, the Karachi Port Trust, Pakistan Railways, the federal government’s Ministry of Works, the Sindh Industrial Trading Estate, the Sindh Katchi Abadis Authority and the Sindh Board of Revenue.

With a view to making the CDGK the single agency for planning control and municipal services, the KSDP-2020 recommends that all land-holding agencies be placed under the municipal jurisdiction of the CDGK. This would give the city district government authority in this regard over the Karachi Port Trust, the Port Qasim Authority, Pakistan Steel, Pakistan Railways, the Sindh Industrial Trading Estate, the Defence Housing Authority, the Malir Development Authority and the Lyari Development Authority.

Furthermore, all the municipal infrastructural services in these areas would become the responsibility of the relevant local government or the CDGK, depending on the division of the responsibility for providing these services. Consequently, adds the KSDP-2020, the respective local governments will have the right to collect municipal taxes and fees in these areas.

The KSDP-2020 explains that: “This proposal does not mean eliminating the role of the major land-holding agencies in the development or re-development of the operational areas under their control.”

Although the land-holding agencies shall continue to plan the development of their areas while remaining consistent with the physical development framework defined under the KSDP-2020, they would need to forward their development/re-development plans to the CDGK’s master plan group of offices for approval in terms of the plan’s conformity with the Karachi Strategic Development Plan, says the document. It adds that this will not affect the land ownership rights of the respective agencies, and that the only aim is to establish the CDGK as the lead agency.

With a view to achieving this goal, the KSDP-2020 suggests that the CDGK petition for a federal statute to compel all land-holding agencies within the city district to comply with the city government in the implementation of the plan.

This, however, would require relevant federal statues such as the Cantonment Act and the Railways Act etc to be amended to state that the development of land and buildings by federal and provincial agencies, as well as other land-holding agencies, be consistent with the KSDP-2020 and comply by the Karachi Building Control Authority’s development regulations.

According to the KSDP-2020, shifting development control would require the relevant infrastructure-related assets would have to be transferred to the new owner, such as the rights-of-way for roads to the TMA, the water/wastewater network to the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB), the power supply network to the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) and the transfer of staff to the TMA and relevant infrastructure providers.

(By Azizullah Sharif, Dawn-17, 14/12/2007)

KARACHI, Dec 15: The treasury benches in the City Council on Saturday bulldozed the Karachi Strategic Development Plan-2020, also called the master plan, through the house and approved it amid a boycott by the protesting opposition members, who demanded adequate time for debate on the vital document.

The house witnessed noisy disturbances throughout the session, which was chaired by Presiding Officer Ahsan Ahmed Siddiqui, who ruled out all the objections raised by the opposition members.

At the outset of the proceedings, Haq Parast panel leader Asif Siddiqui took the floor on a point of order and attacked the opposition for “hatching conspiracies against the local body system” and also alleged that the opposition was raising “unnecessary hue and cry over the master plan document”.

The Haq Parast leader said that ever since the master plan was tabled in the house for discussion, five sessions were held and every member had been allowed to give his or her views on the subject.

He recalled that during the previous session the city’s Naib Nazim Nasreen Jalil, as convener of the house, asked the members to submit their written proposals on the master plan by Dec 14, but he regretted to say that there was no positive response as only few members made suggestions.

Mr Siddiqui maintained that only 31 resolutions were received so far, which also included those resolutions that were submitted during previous sessions and which were being submitted for the house’s approval so that they could be referred to the master plan committee.

Mr Siddiqui’s remarks sparked noisy disturbances in the house as the opposition members pointed out to the presiding officer that the member should be stopped from making a long speech as he had raised a point of order.

Taking the floor, opposition leader Saeed Ghani argued that the opposition had never denied the importance of the development plan. Rather, it desired its unanimous passage with the consent of all members.

Mr Ghani complained that the treasury was bulldozing the plan through the house in haste thereby creating a negative impression, adding that the plan was not an ordinary document as it related to the overall and integrated development of the city. He insisted that the opposition should be given more time to study the plan as there were many issues they wanted examined by consultants.

Al-Khidmat panel leader Rafiq Ahmed also stressed the need for developing consensus among all groups of the house. He regretted that though town nazims were taken into confidence on the master plan, the union council nazims were bypassed.

Opposition member Abdul Razzak reminded the chair about a meeting held with the naib nazim in which she had assured that the present session would continue till Dec 18, after which it would be decided when the house would meet again. However, treasury member Abdul Jalil denied any date had been promised by the naib nazim in this regard.

The house witnessed recurring scenes of disorder and the presiding officer had to repeatedly ask the members to maintain the decorum of the house, yet both sides refused to listen.

Another opposition leader, Juman Darwan, described the master plan as a “conspiracy against the residents of Gadap, Keamari and Bin Qasim”, saying that several mega-projects would be launched from these peripheral towns to deprive the local people of their ancestral land.

However, the treasury’s Syed Absar-ul-Hasan countered the opposition member’s contention and defended the proposed uplift projects, saying that these would bring progress and prosperity to people in backward areas.

Opposition leaders Ramzan Awan, Sheikh Mehbubur Rehman advocate and Zahid Saeed also condemned the treasury benches for not allowing them adequate time for debate.

In the meanwhile, Haq Parast leader Asif Siddiqui and Absar-ul-Hasan, Suleiman Mujahid and Syed Khalil Ahmed urged the chair to table the resolution on the master plan for passage.

Upon this, the opposition benches made a strong protest over the “stubborn” attitude of the treasury benches and charged that the resolution was being bulldozed.

But the chair ruled out all the reservations of the opposition members, who staged a walkout from the house in protest.

Thereafter, in absence of the opposition benches the house gave its unanimous approval to the resolution on the KSDP-2020.

The house also adopted two other related resolutions, the first of which reads: “This house received 31 proposals pertaining to the KSDP-2020 from house members and referred the same to the master plan committee for further discussion. The committee would give its suitable recommendations after consultation to the council for adoption”.

The other resolution reads: “The Karachi Strategic Development Plan-2020 is the first historic document which enjoys legal status after its passage by the council. It covers all development aspects of Karachi. This council praises the efforts of City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal, Naib Nazim Ms Nasreen Jalil, the EDO master plan committee and other members”.

Immediately after the passage of the resolutions, the presiding officer adjourned the session indefinitely.

(By Latif Baloch, Dawn-17, 16/12/2007)

The Karachi Strategic Development Plan-2020 (KSDP-2020) was approved Saturday by the City Council. The KSDP was approved wit a majority vote, while the opposition boycotted the proceedings and demanded that council members be provided with details of the plan.

The City Council saw heated debates over the KSDP-2020 as treasury members insisted on voting over the plan saying that suggestions could be submitted later, while opposition members kept demanding that details of the plan be provided before it was tabled for voting.

The session was presided over by Senior Presiding Officer (SPO) Ahsan Siddiqi.

In the start of the session, he said that 31 suggestions have been received on the KSDP-2020, which would be sent to the Master Plan Committee of city government. Opposition leader in the City Council Saeed Ghani demanded of the convener to allow the members more time for studying and developing consensus on the KSDP-2020.

Ghani demanded that the suggestions submitted by the members on the KSDP-2020 should be brought in the floor of the house. Amid the pandemonium, the convener allowed to table a resolution submitted by Absarul Hassan, Chairman Master Plan Committee to seek approval of the document.

Rafiq Ahmad, group leader of the Al-Khidmat Group, pointed out that the document placed in the City Council Secretariat was also incomplete as well as the draft given to the members of council.

“The document had been placed without the ‘terms of reference’ and the copy of agreement signed between the city government and the consultant firm,” he mentioned.

The convener stopped the members from debate and conducted voting on the resolution to approve the Master Plan-2020. The opposition members protested on this and left the floor. The resolution was later adopted in the absence of opposition. The session was adjourned for an indefinite period.

(The News-13, 16/12/2007)

KARACHI: The city government has rushed through the Karachi Strategic Development Plan 2020 (KSDP 2020) despite objections expressed by the Opposition in the city council.

The Opposition wanted more consensus to be built but with the suspension of the local government system around the corner, the treasury members were in no mood to wait. The Opposition walked out in protest of the session that was presided over by Senior Presiding Officer Ahsan Siddiqi on Saturday. He failed to calm both sides down.

The proceedings opened with Leader of the House Asif Siddiqi going off on a tangent about how the Opposition was “conspiring” against the local government system in speeches for election campaigns. The chair desperately tried to bring the House back to the master plan but few were paying attention.

Friday was the last day for the submission of suggestions to the master plan and only 31 have been received. They will be looked over by the Master Plan Committee that will decide if they are to be tabled as resolutions. The chair reminded the members, however, that they could still make suggestions that could be incorporated in the future.

Opposition leader Saeed Ghani pressed for more discussion on the master plan so that there was more consensus. He said that there were several points that they wanted to bring up, such as the evacuation of fishermen from Bundal and Buddo islands where a UAE-based firm is undertaking construction, but no one was listening. Instead of paying attention to this part of the city’s culture, the city council was passing resolutions to form heritage committees. The Opposition wanted all suggestions discussed.

The city government’s treasury benches countered this by arguing that the KSDP 2020 document was a ‘live’ one that was flexible to suggestions in the future. They also pressed the chair to close the debate and finalize the issue.

The treasury adopted a resolution to send all 31 suggestions to the Master Plan Committee as the Opposition did not take part in the vote. Amid the pandemonium, the convenor allowed the chairman of the master plan committee to table a resolution to approve the document even though the Opposition kept pressing for more time.

Amid the confusion, the Opposition’s Rafiq Ahmad said that the plan placed at the City Council Secretariat was incomplete as was the draft given to members of the council. It did not have ‘terms of reference’ and a copy of the agreement signed between the city government and the consultant firm, he said.

The Opposition’s Zahid Saeed said that tables, graphs, figures and maps were missing. “The City Council members should at least be given total access to the complete version of KSDP 2020,” he said. “They have only 25% of the total draft.” On a point of clarification, the chair, said that there was truth to this point as some maps were missing.

The Opposition’s Juman Darwan said that the CDGK had proposed 80 to 90 percent of development projects in KSDP 2020 in three rural towns, Keamari, Gadap and Bin Qasim, but their residents had not been protected. The CDGK’s Absarul Hassan retorted that they were paying extraordinary attention to these towns and planning would improve their lifestyle and increase local jobs.

At this point, the debate was closed and the master plan resolution was voted on and approved without the Opposition. The session was adjourned for indefinite period.

(By Jamil Khan, DailyTimes-B1, 16/12/2007)