Well next week we have got Ideas 2006 exhibition coming up. We see Rangers all over Karachi. From Gulshan-e-Iqbal to Metropole…they are everywhere. I am even astonished at the pace with which the area around Expo center have been all fixed and decorated. The Liaquatabad underpass (although it aint near Expo), the stadium overhead bridge both have been completed in quite some time, a sufficient time i would say. The result was, after just 3 days the Liaquatabad underpass was no longer able to be used for transportation purpose. Secondly, the Stadium overhead bridge (about which i have just heard stories) which has been completed just abruptly is from day one not in the condition to be used for a smooth drive.
All this leaves us with the Hasan Square overhead bridge. Since its a big project it has not been completed before the Ideas 2006 exhibition, just hope it comes out to be something good and long lasting.
I remeber Mr. Syed Mustafa Kamal saying that the work being done under his reign would last atleast a decade and a half but here we see that only the Abul Hasan Isphani road’s project seems long lasting since it survived the heavy rainy days. The other projects make me lose hope in the Mayor’s work. Maybe the work is inappropriate because the work was supposed to be done in less time period but that would be made transparent in the coming months.
Another conclusion comes up about the fast work in the city due to Ideas 2006 exhibition. The area under Stadium overhead bridge was all dusty just a couple of days back. Now all the dust and sand from around the area has been collected and put behind margins with a little “khaad” and flower pots have been buried with them and some more flower pots have been buried in the island across Expo center. All this decoration work has been done really fast and shows that the government people can do something in less time, so what if the work is not upto the standard. This also makes me conclude that IF government wants it can do the present renovation work in the city at a lot faster pace but sadly in our city nothing’s done without “danda”. This whole decoration work in the city, its been done so fast only to show the President and other guests who would visit the Ideas 2006 exhibition that Karachi is being constructed and renovated and is progressing towards a mega city.
Why does everything need to be done for others and not for the people who live in the city? Why is area around Sheraton, Holiday Inn and the surrounding areas all clean and everything’s pim and almost proper? Why are the roads going to and fro the airport clean and smooth with street lights always on and we see no street lights on Shahrah-e-Faisal? As far as i can answer, the whole situation is a show off. SHow off to all those entering the city. All the foreigners who usually prefer to stay in Sheraton, PC and the neighbouring areas they find karachi clean and green. When i come back from my college, as soon as the bus moves from PIDC area to the CANTT area and beyond I feel an immense change. There is an abrupt end to the cleanliness and greenness and everythig changes as if a button has been pressed and I am transformed to a different period of my life… Why is this so?…Why can’t the whole of Karachi or atleast 1/10th part of karachi be alike…Why is only a small percentage of the city area clean with fairly good infrastructure and that too the area which is manoeuvered by foreigners?
All this shows that everything, well almost everything,being done in this city is for show off. I agree that work is being done in the city and some good work’s been done but that’s another topic with different story.
May the Ideas 2006 exhibition end well…after all this security it should end well.
