Jinnah’s birthplace forgotten on Pakistan Day

Road in front of Wazir Mansion in Kharadar has been filled with sewage all year round

KARACHI: In a scene eerily reminiscent of the state of the country, the street in front of the birthplace of Pakistan’s founder is inundated with sewage, even on Pakistan Day.

The road in front of Wazir Mansion, the stately home of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Kharadar, is filled with sewage year round and the situation was no different on March 23.

The historical landmark was the former Jinnah family home and is currently called the Quaid-i-Azam Birthplace Museum.

Rafiq Ahmed, a former resident of the area adjoining the building, pointed his hand towards the water accumulated on the road and the potholes, lamenting that this was the sorry state outside Jinnah’s birthplace. "He gave us this country and we can't even take care of the street outside his residence, which remains inundated throughout the year,” he decried.

According to him, residents of the area requested the sanitary staff to drain the water as VIPs and celebrities were expected to visit the building. However, he said neither any government official nor any VIP came to visit the birthplace of the founder on Pakistan Day.



Asif Khan, who works in a school adjacent to the iconic landmark, said that the state of the street was quite terrible all year round. He explained that the sewerage lines are comparatively lower in the area where the old building has been built, whereas most pipelines are on a higher level and have a water pump situated area whereas the sewerage line is on higher level where the water pump is. If the water pump is not functioning, then sewage flows onto the road.

"The situation gets worse when it rains during the monsoon as there is no proper drainage system in the area," Khan said, criticising officials for neglecting the area.

He told The Express Tribune that sewage floods the road from around 12pm to 3pm and tales the entire day to drain out before the cycle is repeated. He also reiterated that the officials responsible should have cleaned the road on Pakistan Day as a token of respect for the founder of the nation.

"We have taken notice of the issue and we will remove the water from the area," said Local Government Minister Jam Khan Shoro. However, the situation remained unchanged despite the minister’s claims of cleaning when The Express Tribune visited the area. Despite repeated attempts, the South District Municipal Corporation chairman was not available to comment on the issue.