Rest in peace, Karachi

KARACHI: On April 30^th 2018, the “Death-knell” for the amenity plots of this beleaguered city sounded in the hallowed halls of the Sindh Assembly. On that day our honourable Sindh parliamentarians took upon themselves the authority for the master-planning of the city. It did not matter that none of them were qualified practising master-planners, or that master-planning is the domain of the Master Plan Department. Using its brute force, and the meek acquiescence of the members of the minority parties, the PPP government bulldozed through the change of land-use of two amenity plots, throwing not only caution to the wind but in the process also the law of natural justice and the rights of the citizens to be heard. Detractors may claim that the law was passed by the peoples’ representatives, so there was no need to elicit public opinion. By electing their representatives to the assembly, people do not give up their inherent constitutional rights to a better life.

The honourable chief minister tried to justify the bill by saying that the intention behind conversion was not mala fide, forgetting that “the road to hell is paved with good intentions”. We have had a long history of leaders playing with the destiny of the nation, and the intention was always good, be it the overthrow of elected governments, the abrogation of the Constitution or china-cutting of amenity plots for “the martyrs”, and we all know where these so-called good intentions have led us to.

To the denizens of this city, I beseech you to raise your voice to protect the few left over amenity spaces, while to the chief minister I request, please leave the good intentions to the electioneering, and let the city survive. Otherwise, the citizens’ next letter on this issue may begin with the words, “May it please your Lordship”...

Dr Raza Gardezi

Published in The Express Tribune, May 8^th, 2018.

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