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.
“This is a fascinating turn of events isn’t it… for months I have been accused of being a secular and westernised extremist… and now you are implying that I am the exact opposite.”
Not really. I was a bit surprised and was seeking clarification. Those who accuse you of being secular are really accusing you of not being Islamist enough for them. That’s all.
“No – I do not share (god forbid) Gandhiji’s view that Western civilisation is immoral or even anti-religion. Quite the contrary, I view civilisation as global and not a regional phenomenon. I wholly own western civilisation as part of my own human civilisation. By “westernisationâ€
I am no urban planning expert but most of the high falutin development talk that Mr President and his coterie have recently been giving in Karachi is just a mass of hot air!
What Karachi really needs is responsible infra-structure development with adequate regard for its environmental sustainability and long term survival. Karachi needs AFFORDABLE housing for its 15 million+ people. It needs a vastly improved Electric supply service. It needs clean water and lots of it(How many residents or expat Pakistanis drink tap water in Karachi?). It needs a humungous public transportation initiative to take the existing transport mafias off the roads and relieve some of the unlivable pollution in that city. To control it all it needs a professional police force and traffic management department. Until all of the above (and much more) happens this talk of Arab and foreign developers developing megacities is just going to increase the problems in the city and hasten its total meltdown.
I understand that some premier Middle Eastern and Far Eastern developers are involved in these projects but someone please tell me who is going to live and prosper from these gigantic resort style properties? Will the majority of the city’s population residing in slum-like conditions of North Karachi, Orangi, Korangi, Drigh Colony, Landhi, Malir, etc. be able to live on Bundal Island and this 1947 ft. tower or should we expect all of existing Defence to move to the proposed (stupidly named) SugarLand city?
As an example, Creek Marina is being developed by DHA (with Far Eastern expertise!) in Phase 8 on reclaimed beach front land. The cheapest condos/apts are going for 1.5 crore ($250,000). This is higher than the median price of a house in America! What percentage of Karachi’s population will be able to afford this place when the going rate of mortgage financing is 15% for 20 years with no fixed rates!?
It is ridiculous to assume that we can create the same hoopla about Karachi as the developers have done in Dubai. Dubai is an anomaly and no one knows how long it can sustain this, but it already had the infrastructure (and the money) to support the massive real estate development and luring of foreign buyers. Our army-managed DHA has already bungled up the water desalination & 200 MW power plant for its own residents. It was supposed to be ready in 2006 but is now entangled in a court case with environmentalists and its residents.
If none (or very very few) of the existing Karachiites can move to these glitzy and massive emirati properties then who are they being built for? Are there trained Pakistani engineers, project managers, contractors that will reap some of the benefit of these projects or will the benevolent Arabs just bring in highly paid foreigners to do the work and then leave with the money? Besides cheap grunt labour, what value addition will be done to the knowledge base and job base of Karachi?
I am sorry, Mr Musharraf there are just too many questions and a sorry track record to back your claim of building the tallest building on earth in Karachi. You need to get over your obsession with size and start working on the fundamentals of fixing this city. The Ibn-e-Qasim park is a good start but a whole lot more needs to be done.
Mr. Musharraf is a king of ungle, he can say whatever he wants and can back whenever he wants. It is proven that so far he promsied to provide clean water and electricity to every village of Pakistan but never materialized. he promsied to fix the bureaucracy but never did, he promised to recover money from defaulters but never covered, he promised to punish the corrupt people but he never did. As he has lost his credibility and failed to complete previous mega projects, how can we believe him that he will build this building.
It is possible that later he will say that he promised to build 194.7 feet building and people missed the decimal point.
I agree fully with Adil Najam; Musharraf’s reasoning does not make much sense…making a 1947 ft building to “show others?” Show others what…that we’re still stuck in the colonial hang-up of copying the “civilized world?”
They really have to solve the water and power problems in Karachi before they can expect any big businesses to move there…the current situation is just terrible. I wish they would focus much more on preparing for future energy needs rather than coming up with plans for straining the system even more.
the real estate projects being announced in karachi are going to be built and sold purely on commercial basis by highly reputable middle eastern based property development companies like emaar and nakheel. these companies have a track record of executing on complicated development projects like palm island in dubai. these companies are now branching out by developing projects in other islamic countries like syria, egypt, pakistan etc. it is in the interest of these companies to ensure that their projects blend in with the environment because people will not pay premium prices for properties located in dirty and polluted localities with unappealing views of the surrounding area. competition in the real estate sector should result in developments that are built to very high standards and include all the amenities taken for granted in advanced countries.
these development projects which require extremely high capital outlay upfront are a vote of confidence by investors on the future of pakistani economy. no investor would be willing to commit billions of dollars upfront without being relatively sure about the merits of such investments. these projects will also provide a big boost to the construction industry which is highly labour intensive and provides high wages to relatively unskilled labour. also manufacturing industry such as cement and home appliance industry will get a boost as well.
as far as the government is concerned, it should be focussing on providing housing to low income tubqa. the best way to achieve this would be to provide land at cheap rates to projects targeting low income population. land is a resource that govt hold in abundance and can easily afford to part with it.