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.
Well said Zamanov.
The issue is not whether we should have such projects. Of course, if it is viable and if all the environmental concerns and other requirements (utilities, fire safety etc) are adequately addressed, then one would not be opposing it, but if the government announces such a project out of nowhere without any initial studies, then it does need to be challanged.
Assuming that the foreign companies will not participate in any project without properly taking care of the environmental issues is wishful thinking. They are here to make money and if the government does not properly play its regulatory role, there is no reason for these companies to go out of their way and cut their profit for the environment when they can get away without it.
In any case, if all the reservations about this project are misplaced and overhyped, then why doesn’t the government share its studies with the public? And as Zamanov said, where is the transparent bidding process?
On a tangent, investment in the real estate sector by itself needs to be thought through carefully because housing is a very basic need. When land prices go up, it affects the ability of the middle and lower classes to build their homes. Therefore, comparing real estate with the mobile or car industry is like comparing apples and oranges. Of course all investment in real estate is not bad, but there is a need for thinking it through and regulating the sector tightly.
Trying to equate the telecom industry with these real estate schemes is disingenuos. There was a dire need for telecommunications in Pakistan due to lack of land line penetration and likewise the popular mode of personal cell phone conversations being affordable enough for the local population. There was “LOCAL” demand for cell phones and personal communication at an affordable price. Hence the success of some companies in these ventures.
I will leave the auto industry issue to some other time, but what has happened/happening with the auto industry in Pakistan is not something to boast about. Despite the fact that Pakistani consumers are being fleeced in buying these foreign branded yet domestically assembled cars, there is significant “LOCAL” demand for these cars. And one of the reasons the demand is there because the government has done next to nothing to solve the public transportation issues in Karachi.
I agree with Irshad above that just because this is private investment we should not question it! The whole point of this post is that the President himself boasted about this tower and how he wants to show the world that we are capable enough to handle ourselves by selling our beaches and prime land to foreigners.
Incidentally the Nazim of Karachi comes back from Islamabad and announces the largest project ever in Pakistan ($68B) of this SugarLand city in the Hawkes Bay area. He stated that the relevant NOC’s had already been given by Islamabad! They have even started to advertise it in Pakistani papers in the US.
Where is the voice of the people? Where was the bidding process for the choicest land in Karachi? Pakistan’s own EPA laws do not allow any project of this nature to be started without due public input and environmental impact analysis. Can you seriously trust these people to do what’s best for Karachi and it’s people?
Sustainable Development is absolutely a must and welcome in Pakistan, but we should not barter away our future for the pockets of foreign developers and the expediency of our short-sighted rulers.
the logic that because it is a private venture therefore we should not worry about it is absurd.
If it is a shell then once teh foreign companies run off with the money it is we who will be left with the mess and the losses. Remember teh terrible energy deals that were made in the 1990s in the name of foreign investment. Well, the poor of Pakistan are still paying for them and will keep doing so for a long time. In fact, this whole notion that somehow FDIwill save the economy is wrong. It is only a band aid and can give short term relief. but certianly not long term development.
SEEMS LIKE GENERAL SAHIB HAS SUCCEEDED IN HIS MISSION.
We are now all busy taking about a project that will probably never even happen. And everyone has forgotten about the illegal sale of the islands to foreigners which is the real story.
The politics of distraction wins once again!
(continued from previous post)
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.