LAND reclamation is proceeding at a swift pace along the coast at Clifton. An obvious sign that the multi-billion-dollar, Waterfront Development Project, is doggedly being pursued by all beneficiaries of the scheme. According to reports, the DHA has plans to construct theme parks, marinas, expo centres, expensive hotels, and condominiums on the 14 kilometres of the beach area between McDonalds and the Golf club in Defence phase VIII. This project is called ‘Crescent Bay’ and is being undertaken by Emaar construction firm — incidentally the same firm given the contract to develop Buddu and Bundal islands. But the Crescent Bay project on a portion of the 135km shoreline of Karachi, is just the tip of the iceberg (or rather, a tip of the coastline).

More ambitious plans of developing large ‘zones’ along Karachi’s coast are under way and these have already received sanction from the highest office. According to a copy of a memo issue by the Prime Minister’s secretariat following a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister and all stakeholders of the project in April 2006, the PM had taken decisions to facilitate the investment plan of a UAE construction and development firm ‘Dubai World’ which proposes to develop Karachi’s coastal area in phases.

Indicating the actions to be taken by the ministry of ports and shipping, the ministry of defence and the government of Sindh, decisions were made at the time for another project for which it was decided that ‘Manora area in conjunction with Sandspit and the area behind it in the KPT’s western backwaters up to KPT’s land limits with Hawkesbay, be offered to the Group’. It was also decided at the same meeting that Manora Island be vacated by all agencies and handed over to KPT for the development programmes. The vacated agencies — which include the Cantonment and three strategic Naval bases besides KPT offices — were to be given alternative accommodation and office blocks on Cape Monz island, west of Manora.

It is planned to construct a five-star resort on Manora with a bridge linking Manora and its resort with Clifton. While reports published last year in the media had indicated that the Navy was agreeable to the proposal of shifting its strategic installations and handing over the island, Brigadier Syed Jamshed Zaidi, General Manager Planning and Development at the KPT, says, “At this point the issue is dormant. The Prime Minister had liked the suggestion given by Nakheel (a subsidiary of Dubai World) of converting Manora into a resort, but the matter now rests with the Chief Secretary of Sindh.”

Nakheel is the real estate firm established by Dubai World which built the all famous man-made islands and resorts in Dubai that go by the name of ‘The Palm’ and ‘The World’, touted as the most ambitious reclamation projects in the world.

The obsession of turning Karachi into Dubai has reached a maniacal point for our rulers. And under President Musharraf’s dream of seeing Karachi “attain a higher stature in the world,” development plans for Karachi’s waterfront include astronomical figures of investment capital.

The third project reportedly being undertaken at the seafront is called ‘Sugarland City’ which is by far the most ambitious and to which is attached a tag of US$68billion as total cost. This budget — which exceeds the total outlay of federal budget and the entire country’s development budget many times over — is allocated for developing 25,000 hectares of land including 60,000 acres at Hawkesbay. The investment figure was stated in a press report by the City Nazim, Mustafa Kamal, who had declared that the authorities concerned have given a no-objection certificate for the construction of the project and the President had approved the plan which would be the biggest project undertaken by the country. The Karachi nazim had referred to a meeting in Islamabad in which the plan was finalized which was attended by Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Ghori, Sindh Chief Minister Arbab Rahim, Chief Secretary Fazlur Rehman, KPT Chairman Ahmed Hayat and representatives of the development firm.

Investigations show that in its first phase 2,000 hectares will be developed which includes prime waterfront property west of Karachi including Hawkesbay, reaching out towards the backwaters, encompassing mangroves and skirting around the turtle beaches. An eye-opening video film detailing the entire project with virtual reconstruction, paints a dynamic coastline surpassing Sydney harbour in its picturesque value. The futuristic visuals which have been posted on youtube envisage three man-made islands, a new breakwater and countless bridges to link all construction providing easy access by the state-of-the art transport facilities besides many other ultra-modern amenities, too fantastic to be digested, let alone explained.

While a Master Plan for the existing city has still not passed the planning stage, these development plans for our coastline — a large part of which has been a strategic security area for hundreds of years — appear so outrageous and bizarre that it is difficult to give them any credibility. But when documentation is present to show approvals (not to mention eagerness) for all theses fantastic ideas, these schemes cannot be brushed off as just dreams envisaged by the witless.

These are tangible ventures and in one of its initial steps, the hut owners at Hawkesbay have been given notices of the imminent demolition of their property (owned by some for decades).

Not taking into consideration for the moment the ecological fallout of such mass scale development and marine life erosion due to land reclamation, how does one first equate the present state of disrepair in Karachi’s existing infrastructure – the breakdown of electricity, road and water distribution —with the billions of dollars being poured into a fantasy island? The country’s entire budget does not come close to US$68 billion just marked out for ONE project. Where is that money going to be recovered from? Investors in Pakistan, or from abroad? Is the recovery of that cost going to go towards eradicating all shanty developments in Karachi or rather, in the whole country? Is the existing industrial base in Karachi which is dwindling because of lack of basic infrastructure going to benefit from this vast exchange of money in a city named, ‘Sugarland’? And most importantly what happens to half developed projects if/when governments change?

There are just too many questions that come to mind after reviewing plans with figures well beyond our scope of conversion. The ‘for sale’ tag which our coastline and national assets are sporting, are not only unnerving the environmental activists but are also lending credence to even more chilling conspiracy theories too fantastic to pen down.