KARACHI: The Sindh and the federal governments have approved the draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to be signed for the remodeling and development of Jahangir, Martin, Claytor and Pakistan Quarters Project.

The draft of the MoU was prepared by the Ministry of Housing & Works (federal govt) and the Sindh government in consultation with each other which Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Former Justice Maqbool Baqar has approved, a CM House communiqué said here on Saturday.

As per the agreement between the two governments, federal and provincial, the MoU would be signed between Ministry of Housing & Works (federal govt), the Sindh government, and Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) for the implementation of ‘Remodeling and Development of Jahangir, Martin, Claytor and Pakistan Quarters Project’.

The old quarters have 335 acres of prime urban land in the middle of the city. At present, there exist government-built residential quarters that are mostly in dilapidated condition. These quarters were initially allotted to federal government employees when Karachi was the Federal Capital. After the capital was shifted from Karachi, the quarters were never retrieved from employees of the federal government.

Most quarters are still occupied by the families of such employees, and some of the quarters have been sold to third parties. There is no allotment or title deed available with any resident. The quarters have outlived their age and are in shabby conditions.

Similarly, land use considering the value of land is inefficient and is a challenge for service providers. Therefore, a MoU would be signed between the Federal and Sindh governments and the KMC for the development of the Jahangir, Martin, Clayton and Pakistan Quarters. The proposed project would see phase-wise development. In the first phase a comprehensive master plan would be prepared by the KMC. Also, potential sites on vacant land would be identified for the launch of a pilot project for construction of vertical housing structures. After the relocation of the existing residents into newly constructed structures, land would be retrieved and developed as per the master plan.