04 December 2004	Saturday	21 Shawwal 1425

KARACHI, Dec 3: Speakers at a seminar on Friday stressed on preparation of a master plan for the city to meet future challenges ensuring provision of quality life to majority of its citizens.

The seminar on "Global City Karachi: Debating the scenario" was organized by a non-governmental organization Shehri - Citizens for a Better Environment, in collaboration with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation.

The speakers pointed out that one of the major reasons for the almost collapse of the urban infrastructure was the high rate of population growth - both by birth as well as by migration, and the lack of planning and vision on the part of the authorities concerned.

They further said that another major factor for pathetic conditions was lack of interest of the masses in civic affairs, which was also obvious in the seminar that was thinly attended. The speakers urged the masses to take full interest in the affairs of their city so that the situation could improve.

Former federal minister Javed Jabbar said that Moenjodaro ruins proved that the people living here even thousands of years ago had sense of urban planning which could be seen from the straight brick-paved streets and fully developed sewerage system. But the present day realities in Karachi expose the inefficient and corrupt system through which the city had been governed over the decades.

He said that Karachi was passing through a transitional period and it was high time that the planners should try to learn from the success stories of neighbouring Asian cities, particularly the South Asians, rather than looking at the urban centres in the West.

Mr Jabbar said that efforts should be made to improve the behaviour of the citizens and their civic sense. He suggested that directly elected mayor with vast powers could be one of the ways to improve the situation in the city where only one jurisdiction may exist -- unlike present system having the city government, cantonment boards, water board etc - and everybody should be treated equally by the law.

Jamshed Town Nazim Ahmad Qasim Paresh said that Karachiites had sufficient potential and the only handicap was that enough opportunities were not made available to them.

Referring to the problems of the city, he said that though the city nazim was an elected person he had very limited powers and it was very difficult to clear up all the mess that had accumulated over the years.

He said that efforts had been made to bring in environment-friendly buses, which had helped solving transport problem to a certain extent though still a lot would have to be done to improve the traffic system.

Dr Nauman Ahmad of the NED University said that the city was being portrayed as a hideout of terrorists, where law and order situation was dismal. He said that foreigners usually considered Karachi as a high-risk city, where the authorities were unconcerned to mitigate this matter.

On the social side, he said, inadequate recreational and cultural outlets were adding to the frustration of citizens, many of whom had been jobless for years. From the infrastructure point of view, he said that the drinking water was inappropriately managed and distributed.

In the absence of efficient sewerage system, the natural creeks and storm drains acted as city sewers. He said that the municipalities were fast losing their management strength mainly due to lack of representation in decision making, while the civil administration relied on high-sounding and high-scale development projects.

He further said that the squatter settlements were increasing in numbers along with thickly populated old localities. He said major reason for this sorry state was the unwillingness of urban administration to accept the ground realities.

The administrations were rather influenced by the interest groups and lured by the market forces -- which was evident from the commercialization policy of major roads.

Huma Baqai of Karachi University said that the city politics was fragmented between the strategic alliances and power configuration that emerged for narrow self-interest and lack of intellectual foresight. These exploitative alliances over the years had been with the ethnic parties, religious groups, bureaucrats and law-enforcement agencies.

She said that Karachi was deprived of its legitimate political space, clout and representation so it was alienated from the politics at federal and provincial levels. It was an example of soft state crisis, which had not allowed the city to attain the potential it had. Among others, Farhan Anwer also spoke at the seminar.