Adil Najam
Speaking at inaugural ceremony of the Bagh Ibne Qasim in Karachi, General Musharraf announced that one of the tallest buildings in the world is planned to be built in Karachi.
How tall, you ask? Well, the word from the top is all of 1947 feet. One assumes that this number is no coincidence. I guess there will be something special on the 14th floor and somehow August will also be commemorated.
According to the Daily Times (Feburary 28, 2007):
One of the tallest buildings of the world will be constructed in Karachi, President Pervez Musharraf told a ceremony in connection with the inauguration of Bagh Ibn-e-Qasim here on Tuesday night. The president referred to a project pertaining to a beach and island’s development, and said this would be a mega project of international standard. He said that land for the project would be reclaimed from the sea and added that the centre of the project would be a 1,947-foot high building. “Inshallah we will make it. We must show the world that this is an emerging, progressive and dynamic country and we are second to none. We know how to handle ourselves. We know what progress and prosperity means and that is what we need to show to everyone,� Musharraf said. The project would not affect the environment, he added.
There has been, of course, much fanfare about the Centaurus 7-star Hotel project in Islamabad, and I remain skeptical about the hyperbole accompanying these projects until I actually see them completed. I will reserve my comments on the trumpeted building itself until I see actual plans and designs for it and until it actually materializes in reality. One has heard of too many such grandiose projects that never transpired to get all excited about them just yet. In this case, the legality and appropriateness of the sale of the island where this is to be built remains in question.
However, I find the logic presented by General Musharraf to be rather confusing, even disturbing. I certainly share his desire to be seen as “an emerging, progressive and dynamic country” that is “second to none.” However, it escapes me how building a huge tower will make as any of the above. Moreover, I have absolutely no idea what he means by “we know how to handle ourselves” or how constructing such a building will demonstrate that we do. Most importantly, I do know that “progress and prosperity” is to be measured by means other than the height of one’s buildings.
I do not wish to sound cynical. I really do not. If this actually happens, and if it is well designed and well executed, I will join with my fellow-Pakistanis in a collective bhangra. But, until then, I remain skeptical mostly because the motivation to build this seems misplaced. There could be many good reasons to build such a grand project. And there are many good ways to achieve the objective of demonstrating that Pakistan is “an emerging, progressive and dynamic country” that is “second to none.” But neither is the best match for the other.
To be fair, I think the other things that Gen. Musharraf said in the speech – which were not reported in the story about the tall building – were more on the mark on how to demonstrate that “we know what progress and prosperity means.” For example, according to The News story on the same event the President did show a deeper understanding of the city’s challenges and priorities:
President Musharraf listed a lack of clean drinking water, the electricity shortage, and a lack of cleanliness as Karachi’s current problems. He said the electricity problem would also be resolved, and that the city had required 2200 megawatts of electricity per year but now with a population of 15 million its power requirement has risen to 3300 megawatts. Karachi’s demand has increased by 50 percent, he added. But he said We will resolve this problem. Referring to the city’s water problem, he said he had provided K-III for 100 mgd water and now he would back up the K-IV water project. President Musharraf said that Karachi city should also be cleaned and for this purpose negotiations were be held with a private firm for a solid waste management project which would resolve the cleanliness problem.
However, the same story also points out that the President “directed environmental experts not to create hurdles in the development of the city” and went on to say:
If we have to make roads for the development of the city and for this if we have to chop the trees, we will do it but then we will also plant more trees.
He was obviously referring to environmental objections to the development of the islands off Karachi. This attitude of seeing environmental concerns as ‘hurdles’ to development does not bode well and is at least two decades outdated in the policy thinking on sustainable development. Having environment and development go together is not only possible; it is absolutely necessary for countries like Pakistan and cities like Karachi. So, President sahab, have your tall building if it pleases you; but, please, do not pit environment versus development in this way. It serves neither the interests of development, nor of the environment, and certainly not of Karachi or of Pakistan.
why people are worrying about the fate of commercial investment projects financed entirely by private capital?
companies financing these projects make investment decisions worth billions of dollars. these companies are in a much better position to judge the viability of their investments in pak than anonymous nicks on the internet. moreover people who have invested in pakistan over the few years have made a handsome return. egyptian billionaire naguib sawaris, through his investment in mobilink, has created one of the biggest and most profitable companies in pak in a short period of 7 years. similarly people who invested in pakistani banking sector have earned outsize returns much beyond their expectations. note that these investments were made when prospects of pakistani economy was regarded as very poor. entrepreneurs however took the risk for which they are now earning a just return.
I think this discussion is a very important one. What is our vision of our city and what are our priorities. Maybe we should worry about the quality of life of us in Karachi rather than the image we have on people outside.
Thank you for a nice discussion.
not quite sure why people are worrying about the fate of commercial investment projects financed entirely by private capital? companies financing these projects make investment decisions worth billions of dollars. these companies are in a much better position to judge the viability of their investments in pak than anonymous nicks on the internet. moreover people who have invested in pakistan over the few years have made a handsome return. egyptian billionaire naguib sawaris, through his investment in mobilink, has created one of the biggest and most profitable companies in pak in a short period of 7 years. similarly people who invested in pakistani banking sector have earned outsize returns much beyond their expectations. note that these investments were made when prospects of pakistani economy was regarded as very poor. entrepreneurs however took the risk for which they are now earning a just return.
situation now is very different from that at the start of the decade. given the projected growth in pakistani economy, foreign investment in pak is now spreading into other sectors real estate being one of them. here are couple of examples:
http://www.pakistanlink.com/Headlines/Feb07/26/13. htm
“ABU DHABI: UAE real estate group Nakheel will develop a mega (real estate) project in Karachi, the Khaleej Times has reported.
…In 2006, real estate firm Emaar started work in Islamabad and Karachi, when it launched a US$2.4 billion housing project. The project was sold out shortly after its initial offering.”
foreign investment in real estate is no different from suzuki or toyota investing in production facilities in pak. and just as toyota or suzuki’s investment has nothing to do with providing cars to ghareeb tubqa, similarly foreign investment in real estate has nothing to do with providing housing to ghareeb tubqa. solving housing problem is the job of government. government however can put a surchage/tax on high end property and use the fund collected to fund housing for the poor. scaring away foreign investment is not a solution to anything.
Dears zamanov & Aqil Sajjad: If these projects do actually go through they will not be for the direct use of the folks you have pointed out in the statistical data. They will be for the high end users like international businesses and the rich. But these projects will be financed by the international financial houses with only limited Pakistani capital and ownership. So there will be a direct investment in Pakistan of the funds that Pakistan itself does have to spare. It makes economic sense. Then these developments will provide employment and economic opportunities for the locals that do not exist at the moment. About the environmental concerns. Please understand that no civil project is without environmental impacts. Important thing is to provide mitigation to balance the act. Also no international institute finances projects of this nature unless environmental, financial, economical feasibility studies are done and safety concerns are adequately addressed upfront. Now since poor and middle income classes are not the direct users of these projects, these projects should not be built? Should Pakistanis continue to go to New York and work as taxi drivers. Should they break their backs at the construction sites in Dubai and not in Karachi. Just think about it. Let the economic wheels turn then demand jobs and better wages and better working conditions for the poor. But let there be jobs first and by that I mean jobs both in the pre and post construction periods of these projects.
Also, is this building being planned with a motivation to meet a genuine need or just for the ‘pride’ of having the world’s tallest building?