Speaking as chief guest at the ground-breaking ceremony of Karachi Port Trust's Rs 606 million three-tier flyover on Korangi Road, last Saturday, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz seems to have deemed it politic to reiterate the government's commitment to interrupted investment in the infrastructure of Karachi, "which is country's largest commercial hub," in such a way as to meet the standard of any international city.
Dilating upon the KPT project, he rightly pointed out that it would considerably ease the traffic problem, greatly benefiting the dwellers of Korangi and travellers to and from the crowded industrial area in that part of the city.
While calling upon the consultant and the contractor to complete the project within the time schedule and in accordance with the quality specifications, he pointed out that it formed part of the 'Karachi Package' which President General Pervez Musharraf had earlier announced and which the government has been vigorously pursuing.
As for the prospects of completion of these initiatives, reassuring should appear to be the Prime Minister's assertion that the federal, provincial and the city government are making co-ordinated efforts to that end.
Mention, in this regard, may also be made of his observation that with the provision of infrastructure for the 15 million residents of the city and its the business, industrial and financial sectors, thousands of job opportunities would also be created.
All this is quite hope inspiring not only for the people of Karachi, but also for those elsewhere in the country benefiting from its incomparable status as the nerve centre of the economy and the hub of its commerce and industry down the decades ever since its gradual transformation from a sleepy fishing village into a pulsating port city.
Of course, a great deal new was added to its stature after independence that saw it turn into the capital of Pakistan. Needless to point out, in that additional capacity, it faced an increasing population pressure which was bound to affect its infrastructure.
However, before the city could make the needed additions to cope with it, yet more pressure came from the increasing concentration of industries. A more attractive location for hastily set up industrial units, to the accompaniment of uninterrupted inflow of workers from all over the country, kept telling increasingly on its already deteriorating infrastructure.
And this can be attributed, among other things, to the failure of early planners of the economy to develop agro-based industries in a scientific manner, on the hand, and neglect of agriculture, on the other.
The obvious result was over-population of the city, as unemployed men from almost everywhere continued converging on Karachi for jobs.
It will also be noted that during recent decades, the sway of terrorism, largely focusing Karachi, hastened the process of dilapidation of its infrastructure. Although the people of Karachi have suffered the most from the collapse of its infrastructure, the other parts of the country have also suffered to varying degrees too.
All this, put together, will point to an urgent need of the other provinces also joining in the challenging task of rebuilding Karachi's infrastructure from the approach of enlightened self-interest, for the stronger it becomes, the more the rest of the country would stand to benefit from it.
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