The dynamics of Karachi’s land

Karachi
NED Department of Architecture and Planning Chairman Prof Dr Noman Ahmed has hailed eminent architect and planner Arif Hasan’s recently launched book, ‘Karachi: The Land Issue’, as a commendable effort at unravelling the city’s property-related power struggle.
The book authored by Hasan and faculty members of NED’s architecture and planning department focuses on crucial issues related to the dynamics of land in Karachi; its distribution and allocation flaws, injustices related to the right of using public land, non-transparent procedures in documentation and record keeping and lack of planning for efficient and just utilisation.
“Based upon original research, the book tries to disprove several myths that are commonly accepted as reality, for instance the belief that various squatter settlements only accommodate criminals and mafia elements. The reality is that many of these invisible settlements are residences of positive-minded, hardworking people who wish to have a decent and progressive life,” said Prof Ahmed. “Another common myth is that land is allocated to different stakeholder groups on the basis of needs and social requirements. The reality is that all kinds of land are freely traded as a saleable commodity and is only given to those who can give the best possible price,” he said.
He said the book has identified many issues that warrant a priority response from the government authorities concerned. “One specific conclusion that has been drawn is that the city requires technically valid and socially justifiable land utilisation policies in order to combat corruption and lax governance in this important area of urban development,” Prof Ahmed observed.
In an earlier study by an eminent economist, it was noted that a population the size of Islamabad’s migrates to Karachi every year for livelihood. “Flooding in Sindh in 2010 displaced millions of people and changed the demography of the city. For the first time in their life, these displaced people got access to healthcare and education facilities and are no longer willing to return to their native areas,” he said.
“The tug of war we are witnessing in what used to be the ‘City of Lights’ is deeply linked to the changing demography of this port city.”