The Judiciary and the Poor
The judgement of the Supreme Court permitting the demolition of houses along the Gujjar and Orangi Nalas has reinforced the opinion of a number of civil society organizations that Karachi’s planning and policy decisions are...
Unfulfilled Mandate
The Charter of the United Nations was drafted and approved in 1945. Its stated objectives are to prevent war, forced occupation, and promote global justice. This vision is beautifully captured in a sculpture in the...
Sindh Saghar
I am torn between the court and the shrine between the bohemian poet and the dervaish between shaping nature and surrendering to it between the world of the ganga jamna doab and sindh sagar each evening I...
Karachi: The Impact of the Pandemic
The first lockdown in Karachi happened 27th February 2020. The population was unprepared for it and very soon ran out of food and money. Civil society and the state took it upon themselves to supply...
World Bank and Karachi
According to media reports and the World Bank website, the Bank has approved a US$ 652 million loan for six projects in Karachi. These include US$ 40 million for making KWSB more efficient; US$ 230...
Created Homelessness
In the last 50 years no social housing has been developed in Pakistan except for small schemes by community organizations and NGOs which are not even a drop in the ocean. Grand plans made by...
Community Mapping
Whenever Karachi floods the government announces the widening of its nalas that carry the floodwater to the sea. The decision of the extent of widening is taken in an ad hoc manner. As a result...
The Truth Behind the Façade
Every day in the print and electronic media there is news about the terrible physical, social, and municipal governance issues of Karachi and how they affect lives of ordinary citizens. These conditions are blamed on...
KARACHI’S STREET ECONOMY
Fruit vendors and other hawkers at a bazaar in Karachi | Courtesy the writer This article draws upon the work I have done at different times with Architects Asiya Sadiq Polack and Christophe Polack, Dr...
The Future of Karachi’s “Public Spaces” – An Interview with Archi Times
Public space’ has recently become a buzzword in the world of urban planning. The term has also filtered into Pakistan although there have been individuals and organisations who have worked, against great odds, on the...
What Has Emerged From 30 Years of the Orangi Pilot Project
The causes of what has emerged from 30 years of the Orangi Pilot Project (OPP) can only be understood through understanding the factors that have shaped its evolution. The OPP was established by Akhtar Hameed...
