KARACHI: The city may have to be deprived of one of its iconic structures — a globe across the Islamia College and Dawood University of Engineering and Technology — due to the construction of the Red Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.

Informed sources told Dawn that the iconic monument, officially known as Islamia College Fountain, was bound to be removed as it was in the way of the BRT Red Line being built from Malir Cantt to Tower via Numaish.

Built in 1964, the iconic structure on the New M. A. Jinnah Road had been a renowned spot for shooting films with Pakistani superstars such as Nadeem and Waheed Murad having it in the background.

It may be noted here that earlier some years ago the landmark Allah Wali Chowrangi monument with the four-sided 25-foot tall rendition of the word ‘Allah’ at the roundabout on Tariq Road was dismantled into eight pieces and kept in the car park of Hill Park. The monument, which was about 40 feet in diameter, had to be removed for traffic ease as it was located on Shahrah-i-Quaideen. It was later never mounted anywhere in the city.

Karachi to be deprived of yet another landmark built at Islamia College in 1964

The globe, presently under the administrative control of District Municipal Corporation-East, was initially in sky blue colour, but the DMC replaced it with darker shades some time ago with all fountains uprooted near the globe.

The sources said that technically the monument fell under the control of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) as the new M. A. Jinnah Road was run by the city’s municipal administration.

Speaking to Dawn, City Administrator Barrister Murtaza Wahab said that no official decision had so far been taken to dismantle the globe. “We will try to figure out how this structure can be preserved,” he added.

However, sources said that preservation of the globe was not possible as it was a concrete structure. They said that the decision to remove the globe from the way of the bus service had been taken in principal.

A spokesperson for TransKarachi, the agency responsible for construction of Red Line, said that the structure was supposed to be moved from the way of bus service.

She said that monument was the property of the KMC, which was on board with arrangements. She said that the globe would be moved and the KMC would decide where to place it.

KE infrastructure

Meanwhile, a meeting of K-Electric chief executive officer Syed Moonis Abdullah Alvi and the Sindh transport secretary was held on Thursday at the Commissioner Karachi office to discuss how to push the BRT project on a fast track basis. The transport secretary assured the power utility of complete support.

The KE said that both the sides discussed and agreed upon the technical and financial modalities of the project.

The meeting chaired by city commissioner Mohammad Iqbal Memon, was attended by additional transport secretary, managing director of the Sindh Mass Transit Authority and KE chief distribution officer.

The KE chief also shared the efforts made by the utility to bring the BRT Line project operational at its earliest.

On this occasion, the KE chief said, “We are committed to supporting the completion of the BRT project within its deadline and are making all efforts to achieve this goal while liaising closely with relevant government stakeholders.”

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2022