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KARACHI, Dec 10: The City Council on Monday approved a resolution comprising various proposals made by the convener of the council and naib nazim of the city for inclusion in the master plan for 2020.
These proposals were submitted by the convener on Saturday during a debate when she declared that the proposed master plan document was not a final one as it could be modified and any member could give suitable proposals to be made a component of the plan.
The resolution was tabled in the house in the absence of opposition members while they were in their chambers following the suspension of proceedings for a prayer break by the convener.
When the members returned, they were surprised to see that the house was in session. The opposition members led by Rafiq Ahmed and Mehbub Sheikh protested over the “mysterious way” the resolution was submitted in the house and was being adopted by what they described as a brute majority.
The resolution calls for preserving historic urban assets, including old buildings, trees, open spaces, old village clusters, fishing villages, and protecting natural heritage -- mangroves, seawater channels and even dry riverbeds (which could be landscaped) for recreation and leisure activities by enacting special bylaws for controlling development.
The resolution stressed the need for making the image of the city as a cultural city by promoting tourism, alleviating poverty and improving quality of life by establishing a cultural board with representation of urban design professionals and creating cultural enclaves for diverse community representation.
Other proposals in the resolution call for meeting the civic deficit, preparing detailed proposals for each town and locality to counter the deficit in green spaces, recreation, sports, leisure and cultural activities. It also sought improved accessibility to jobs and to prepare detailed area designs to make Karachi green to combat pollution and environmental hazards.
The resolution suggested identifying and improving environmentally-degraded areas through better urban design and community participation. It also suggested constituting a committee to develop a strategy for possible effects of earthquakes on defective buildings.
In the utter confusion that prevailed in the house, the treasury adopted another resolution by a majority vote. The resolution suggested that sports complexes and recreational centers be added to the master plan 2020. It proposed that one sports complex be established in each town as was an international practice: one sports complex for one million population.
Earlier, when the house resumed its proceedings, opposition leader Ramzan Awan pointed out to the chair that the house was inquorate. On his insistence, the session was suspended for 15 minutes.
When it reassembled, opposition members including Dilawar Shah and Ramzan Awan told the house that union council nazims were not consulted when the master plan document was being prepared. Master Plan EDO Iftikhar Qaimkhani, however, informed the house that the town nazims had been invited to various meetings. He added that a technical committee had sent a questionnaire to the UC nazims. Upon this, the opposition UC nazims said they had not received the questionnaire.
The EDO assured the house that he would submit the details to the house in its next session after contacting the technical committee members. The opposition UC nazims also complained that funds for development schemes for 2006-7 had been distributed on political grounds.
While the debate in the house was in progress, the convener announced that copies of the master plan would be made available to all members on Tuesday, and till then the meeting was adjourned.
