Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar, the Caretaker Chief Minister of Sindh, has unveiled a plan to enhance the living conditions of residents in Karachi’s aging and deteriorating Martin, Clayton, and Pakistan quarters.
This initiative involves the construction of new, aesthetically pleasing residential towers. The project aims to revitalize urban areas without displacing current residents, by building these towers on available land within the premises of Martin, Clayton, and Jahangir quarters.
During a meeting attended by key city officials, it was revealed that these quarters occupy a significant area in the city’s East and Central districts, totaling 240 acres. The land, originally owned by the federal government, has seen little maintenance since the capital’s relocation in 1958. The quarters’ original allottees, federal government employees, continued to occupy them post-retirement, leading to unauthorized expansions by their descendants.
The proposed project seeks to replace the old and unsafe quarters with modern towers, while also enhancing public spaces and infrastructure. The planning and development board chairman suggested examining Istanbul’s Fikirtepe residential area redevelopment as a model. The project, launched in 2012, is a dense but rundown area expected to be completed in 2023.
Justice Baqar emphasized the need for a comprehensive urban planning strategy, focusing on inclusive planning, infrastructure improvement, affordability, mixed-use development, green building practices, cultural preservation, public transport accessibility, safety, and waste management. He also mentioned discussing land ownership issues with the federal government and exploring public-private partnerships for the project’s execution.
