Model for metropolitan government
Democracy is paid lip-service in our country, lofty ideals being propagated from every pinnacle but never allowed in practice, particularly in the functioning of a metropolitan government. Town planning and management by elected officials must cater for housing for the city’s population with judicious distribution thereof of utilities like electricity, gas and water, adequate sewerage and garbage disposal facilities with commensurate telecommunications, good medical and educational institutions supported by extensive recreational facilities. A sound traffic plan must be ensured with wide roads and parking places monitored by efficient traffic police. A well organised Fire and Ambulance service is a must for metropolitan areas. Since it takes money to effect all this there should be an effective tax assessment and collection department. Above all law enforcement is a crucial issue and metropolitan police have to maintain the peace while enforcing the authority of the metropolitan government. Our cities are decaying from a lack of effective organisational structure, the main problem city being Karachi. Incredibly enough, one of the most organised communities in South Asia, the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) is located in Karachi and can serve as a role model to emulate, with the changes necessary for a democratic grass roots structure.
DHA Karachi was registered in March 1953 as Pakistan Defence Officers Cooperative Housing Society (PDOCHS) with more than 7,000 acres of leased Defence Land and 640 acres of Provincial Government land under its aegis, bifurcated into nine phases, Phase 9 being abandoned later due to diversion of Malir River through it. By 1978 the financial condition of the Society had deteriorated to such an extent that the then Martial Law Administrator, Lt Gen Iqbal Khan, dissolved the PDOCHS and DHA was created through Presidential Order. A serving Army Brigadier, functioning as the Administrator with retired Armed Forces officers as the Secretary and four directors, is responsible to the Executive Board headed by the senior Armed Forces Officer in Karachi, in this case the Corps Commander. The Executive Board answers to a Governing Body headed by the Federal Secretary, Ministry of Defence.
4857.67 (or 66%) of the total 7363.04 acres is under use for residential areas, only 252.52 (or about 3.5%) for commercial areas, 1171.66 acres (or 16%) for roads and 1081.13 (or 14.7%) for amenities. The areas earmarked for amenities in Phases 1 to 7 were less than 10%, the average has come up because in Phase 8, having 3056 acres under development, has been increased as much as upto 25%. Roughly more than 1/3rd of residential and commercial units have been constructed in DHA.
Statistics do not make life better, facilities and amenities do. Except for electricity, gas and telecommunications, which are Federal subjects, and water, for which DHA has been dependant upon the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board (KWSB), DHA is responsible for all other facilities and amenities.
Roads were in an abominable state, parks were uncared for, libraries and sports facilities were non-existent except for one club established in 1978, catering to only a few hundred members. Fancied residential and commercial plots were reserved before balloting for “higher-ups”, in the golden words of one Corps Commander, then Lt Gen Jahanzeb Arbab. Rampant corruption was the order of the day, the then Secretary allotted plots to favourites, one favourite woman got a number of them in different names. It took a hard and honest no-nonsense task master like Lt Gen Iqbal Khan (later promoted General and appointed Chairman JCS), who took over from Lt Gen Jahanzeb Arbab as Corps Commander and Martial Law Administrator Sindh, to send the Secretary (a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel) to jail but that was no consolation, between the whole lot of them the PDOCHS had been looted for over two decades. The consolidation took some time, since 1987 the DHA has come into its own. No praise is too good for the present DHA executive personnel who have overseen this miracle (at least in Pakistan), out of deference to their wishes one cannot name them, they are symbols of the honesty once associated with the military uniform, one is really proud to call some of them a friend.
There was full-scale commercialisation in DHA residential areas in violation of DHA bye-laws with a proliferation of offices and showrooms besides many schools and Foreign Consulates, the mushroom growth threatening to turn the whole area into a commercial ghetto. In 1987, with the arrival of the incumbent Administrator, the DHA cracked down, with the full backing of the present Corps Commander, Lt Gen Asif Nawaz, Chairman of the Executive Board of DHA. While a lot of hue and cry was raised by motivated interested parties, the Sindh High Court has repeatedly upheld the authority of DHA, restoring the residential image of DHA (and its authority), more importantly the rule of law usually bent to suit “higher ups”, was upheld.
With 49,804 members of all categories, its planned 18,000 residential and 7,000 commercial units, DHA is a small town presently having over 60,000 population. The DHA is not given ANY funds from ANY government source, it is a self-sustaining organisation deriving its revenues from the sales of land to its members and the development charges obtained from them. DHA is ENTIRELY dependent upon the funds of the community. The assessment and collection of funds may be a difficult enough task, to spend it judiciously is an even bigger responsibility. DHA Development Budget is earmarked for construction of facilities and amenities. During 1989, the DHA earned Rs. 128.97 million compared to Rs.123.63 million during 1988. Development cost Rs.72.050 million during 1988-89, Rs.283.29 million during 1990-91 and a gigantic Rs.502.10 million has been planned and approved for 1990-91.
The Beach Avenue, covering more than 2 km facing the Arabian Sea, has been enhanced with improved retaining walls, wide dual carriage ways and footpath with beautiful and impressive lights all along the sea shore. More than 20,000 Karachiites make it a major recreational location on Thursdays and Fridays. A consultant has been engaged for the improvement of water supply, of the requirement of 6-7 MGD, DHA was getting only 2 MGD. After hectic efforts recently with the Mayor and the support of the Caretaker Provincial Minister, Mr Afzal Munif it has been increased to 4 MGD. An innovative Desalination Plant has been planned which has bipartisan public support, the feasibility is in the final stages of study. The former PM, Ms Benazir Bhutto, was extremely keen to see this project implemented. The present Governor and Caretaker Chief Minister of Sindh have raised the matter with the PM to solicit his support on a priority basis.
The DHA’s major effort has been in education and sports. In the sports field 26 squash courts (some with glass back walls), have been constructed or under construction, 17 tennis courts, 11 swimming pools (including 2 completely covered meant for ladies), 4 athletics tracks, 2 hockey grounds (including a hockey stadium), 2 cricket grounds (including a cricket stadium seating 17,000 including 2,000 in the main pavilion), 2 football grounds (including a Football stadium), 6 Health Clubs, 6 gymnasiums and numerous basketball and volleyball grounds besides a Boat Club, Shooting Club, Skating Ground, Horse riding school, Golf driving range, etc, all built on international specifications. Besides libraries in the educational institutions and the various clubs a fair-sized centrally air conditioned library has been established. The complete length of the Gizri Creek is turning into a complex of recreational facilities many times over for Karachiites.
DHA is running 2 colleges for boys and girls, four primary and four secondary schools. Each of these schools and colleges are fully equipped with large classrooms, canteen, laboratories, computer rooms, libraries, sports facilities and lawns. DHA has allotted 63 Amenity plots on “first come first served” basis for construction of schools, colleges, hospitals, clinics, sports facilities, Marinas, etc. Even “marriage gardens” have been constructed as well as covered shopping malls and 3 Daycare Centres. Three restaurants and cafeterias are under construction on Beach Avenue. By the same token in ratio to population Karachi should have about 70-80 such libraries, similar amount of 70-80 each Cricket, Hockey and Football Stadiums, more than 800 swimming pools and over 1,500 each of tennis and squash courts, over 150 colleges with all facilities, etc, etc.
DHA had Rs.489.47 million liquid cash available at end June 1989, yet despite the development works it has gone upto Rs. 647.57 million at end June 1990. The 32% rise of is symbolic of how excellent dues collection and spending thereof by an honest administration succeeds and succeeds well.
The DHA Karachi model, albeit in a more democratic structure, should be emulated in Karachi as a Metropolitan Government amalgamating KMC and KDA under an elected Mayor. People in KDA-1, KDA-5, Clifton, Bath Island, PECHS, Nazimabad, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, etc are just as affluent as in DHA and taxes, development charges, etc are neither properly assessed or levied by KMC and KDA, let alone collected. The crux of the problem is honest and effective city management, since the DHA executive staff uses its authority to take action honestly, the population living therein are not only beneficiaries, they voice their vociferous support. Before 1987, there was a powerful lobby of residents voicing protests on number of issues, now there is so much support for the DHA officials they could get elected in a democratic environment. The authority of the Mayor of Karachi must be made more effective by including all the features of metropolitan government in a true practice of democracy and then let’s see if Karachi functions as a great city should.
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