People come to cities hoping to transform their living conditions, but in Pakistan they are met with the same miseries, packaged differently, perhaps even more chaotic than simpler lifestyles. Anyone living in Karachi or having been to the city can vouch for the overall abysmal infrastructure in the city.

There is a reason why it is ranked the worst cities of the world to live in by the Economist Intelligence Unit. It makes sense, though much to the chagrin of developers, there is currently a ban on the construction of high rise buildings in the city after a decision of the Supreme Court. The ban imposed by Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) persists as we move into 2018.

Beyond the broken roads, and streets blocked by garbage, the availability of basic utilities like water, drainage systems, gas, and electricity is a privilege for Karachi dwellers. Speaking to BR Research, Chairman ABAD Arif Jeewa opined that high rise buildings is the future of cities and this ban is adding to the existing housing gap that already stands at 12 million houses across the country. But the question remains: is Karachi even equipped to continue developing, whether vertically or horizontally?

Recall that the ban on the construction of high rise buildings was imposed in May 2016 after a petition was filed to highlight the dearth of clean drinking water and sanitation in Sindh. Though high-rise and multi-storey buildings have mushroomed across the city in the past few years, it was found that many approvals of these buildings were given despite the shortage of water and absence of drainage systems.

On the flip side, Chairman ABAD believes that there is no shortage of water, only leakage and stealing. The former because of old water pipelines and the latter because of the tanker mafias. Levying the blame on the lack of city planning, builders and developers believe that the problem is not the construction of high-rise buildings but the government’s inability to plan ahead and provide public utilities as population expands.

There is no doubt that city planning and governance is appalling in this sprawling city that is always growing. But the ban is also the ultimate catch-22! Should the high rise construction continue without access to drinking water available to residents, without electricity and gas connections, without proper roads connecting to them and parking spaces allotted to them? Or should we let the housing gap, and the kacchi abadi grow until such a time when the city is able to address these matters?