The citizens of Karachi welcome the declaration of the government of Sindh that the eleven amenity properties of the Karachi Transport Corporation (KTC) will not be sold or used for any other purpose.
The government has stated that four of these bus depots (Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Malir, Orangi and Model) will be used as Inter-City Terminal Facilities (ITFs). Other bus-depots (eg North Karachi Depot) are presently serving the Green Bus, Swedish Bus, and other city transport systems that have been established over the past two years for the benefit of commuters of Karachi.
It may be recalled that, in 1997, the government wanted to 'commercialise' these eleven amenity plots and auction them off to pay for the 'golden handshake' dues of KTC employees.
NO, LOCATION, AREA, DISTRICT, DEPORT/UNITS: 1. Plot No ST-1, Block-6, KDA Scheme-36, 8.36 acres, East, Gulistan-e-Jauhar.
2. Plot No ST-4/A & ST-4/B, Block V-A, Nazimabad, 2,261 sq yds, Central, Bus Stand, Paposh Nagar.
3. Plot No ST-1, Sector-5/H North Karachi Township, 2.4 sq acres, Central Bus Stand, Surjani.
4. Plot No ST-35 & ST-39, Sector 11-1, N. Karachi, 5.91 acres, Central, North Karachi Depot.
5. 3rd & 4th floor, Annexe-B, Civic Center, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, 12,751 sq ft, East, HQ.
6. KDA Scheme-2, 7 acres, West, Orangi Nala Depot.
7. SITE, 7.48 acres, West, Model Depot.
8. Malir Halt, Malir, Malir Depot.
9. Plot No H-22, KDA Scheme-3 Township-LIA, Landi, 2.95 acres, East, Landhi Depot.
10. Survey No.448 Deh Mehran, Malir, 10 acres, Malir, Mehran Depot.
11. Plot No ST-39 - B/35-E, Korangi, 23.91 acres, East, Korangi Depot.
It went so far as to have the then Governor Kamaluddin Azfar promulgate an Ordinance unlawfully amending Article 52-A of the KDA Order 1957 (which forbade conversion of amenity plots).
IN A TWO-YEAR MOVEMENT, SPEARHEADED BY SHEHRI: CBE, the citizens of Karachi protested with signature campaigns, letters in the press, meetings with ministers and bureaucrats, and finally, public interest litigation in the Sindh High Court.
Justice Wajihuddin Ahmed had the auction stopped and directed that the citizens' objections be heard by the government.
The attitude of the bureaucrats has changed and mellowed over the years, and the amenity plots have been retained for the beneficial transport system use of the citizens of this burgeoning metropolis.
It is important that ad hoc bus terminals, both inter-city and intra-city, that have been arbitrarily established all over Karachi and are causing congestion, air and noise pollution, traffic jams and a public nuisance, be relocated to proper amenity bus depot plots.
This will go a long way towards clearing up the city by removing road-side bus workshops and, services that are encroaching on public roads.
It is also necessary for the government not to be short-sighted in their efforts to generate funds for the government machinery.
We must not sell off the 'family silver' or be insensitive to the needs of our future generations.-PR
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