KARACHI: Despite opposition by certain parties, the Sindh government is inching towards implementing an ambitious plan to build high-rises on the land of Martin Quarters, Jamshed Quarters, Jahangir Quarters and Clayton Quarters as it expressed willingness to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the federal government to resolve an ownership issue, it emerged on Wednesday.

The Urban Rebuilding Plan will allow construction of high-rises for both commercial and residential purposes and the provincial government has claimed that the new buildings will also accommodate residents of these quarters.

The project, which first surfaced in October last year, was originally a Sindh government’s plan to demolish decades-old Martin Quarters, Jamshed Quarters, Jahangir Quarters and Clayton Quarters allotted to government employees and build apartments on their land.

However, the Sindh government had suffered a blow when authorities in Islamabad questioned their move as the land and property is owned by the federal institutions. The deputy commissioner-East had convened a meeting but officials of the two federal departments — Pakistan Public Works Department and Estate Office — had left the meeting saying they could not provide any support to the caretaker provincial government in this matter without having orders from the federal government.

Caretaker CM holds meeting with federal housing secretary, agrees to sign MoU with Centre

On Wednesday, caretaker Sindh Chief Minister retired Justice Maqbool Baqar held a meeting with federal authorities via a video link.

Federal Housing Secretary Dr Shahzad Bangash along with his team joined the meeting via video link while the CM was assisted by Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab, Planning & Development chairman Shakil Mangnejo, Local Government Secretary Manzoor Shaikh and others at the CM House.

A statement issued by the CM House said that the two sides agreed to sign a MoU in this regard. “The caretaker CM, in order to implement the Urban Rebuilding Plan under which high-rises would be constructed at the vacant plots of old quarters (Martin, Clayton, and Jahangir Quarters), has decided to sign a MoU with the federal ministry of housing & works,” it said.

It said that the CM told the meeting that he had worked out an urban rejuvenation and rebuilding plan under which multi-storey plazas would be constructed at the plots of Martin, Clayton, Jahangir Quarters and Pakistan Quarters, which were already in a dilapidated condition.

Justice Baqar said that these old quarters were established over an area of 240 acres at the junction of districts East and Central.

He added that after the shifting of the capital from Karachi to Islamabad in 1959, no proper maintenance of the quarters had been made by the federal government.

It was pointed out in the meeting that the federal employees, on their retirement, did not vacate the official accommodation and their next generations and “some other people” had encroached upon the open spaces around the houses.

“The key objective of the urban rejuvenation project is to improve housing conditions, improve infrastructure and public services, increase economic activity in the areas and create new jobs and economic opportunities,” the statement quoted Justice Baqar as saying.

Housing Secretary Dr Bangash also shared a similar plan and finally, it was agreed that a document should be signed between the Sindh and federal governments so that the project could be carried out.

“The chief minister directed his team to prepare a draft MoU and share it with the federal government so that it could be signed within the next two weeks,” it added.

According to the original plan of the Sindh government, the project would be executed with the participation of the World Bank.

The government claimed that new apartments to be constructed under the plan would have all essential facilities, including shopping malls, offices, parking lots, libraries, parks and other spaces for education and health.

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2024