Staff Reporter
A dispute has erupted out between the District South and the Commissioner’s office over the latter granting private companies permission to take over Clifton’s Do and Teen Talwar and KPT Underpass for Pakistan Super League-5 advertisements, which is total violation of Supreme Court orders.
On Wednesday, a DMC South team was sent to Teen Talwar roundabout to dismantle the advertisements, cardboard cutouts, and screens, when a fight broke out between them and the private company staff. “When we reached the sites and conducted a removal operation, the Assistant Commissioner for Civil Lines along with two mukhtiarkars and gunmen came to the spot and asked the police to arrest me,” DMC South Deputy Director for Local Taxes & Advertisement Siddiq Swati said.
“The Boat Basin SHO came to arrest me and I was contacted by DMC South Chairman Malik Fayyaz, as I was following his directives.” The problem is that the Supreme Court has banned advertisements in public places, roundabouts and monuments bringing to an end the billboard culture in Karachi. When billboards were banned some city authorities tried to exploit a loophole by farming out greenbelts and walls to companies as spaces where they could advertise. “We have local taxes by-laws in which the district municipal administrations used to allow private companies to display their advertising on these places, but it was banned after the SC directives in 2018,” Swati said. No one was authorised, including DMC South, to rent out public places, roundabouts, and monuments after the SC verdict.
On January 29, however, the Commissioner had given an NoC to Kollaage Concepts (Pvt) Ltd, Nash (Pvt) Ltd on behalf of Habib Bank Ltd and Prime Services (Pvt) Ltd on behalf of ARY News, to promote the PSL in the DMC South space and others across the city. They were permitted to brand the public spaces from February 1 to March 30.
When contacted, the Commissioner’s office said the public space was given “free of cost”. “It is being done in the national interest, as PSL is now getting international importance,” the office said. “It is not the prerogative of the Commissioner’s office to collect advertisement fees from private companies.”
It granted permission for these locations: Do Talwar roundabout, Teen Talwar roundabout, Metropole green belt both sides, Shahrae Faisal green belt in front of Lal Qila, Hassan Square left wing of the bridge towards Stadium outside Expo Center, the Airport exit and entry, the green belt on Karsaz road. The agreement stated that the companies will pay for the beautification and branding but would not harm any person or property during the installation of the material. It also said no obstruction and disturbance shall be caused to the public and traffic but many of the cutouts have been placed on the KPT underpass walkway.
