Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Justice (Retd) Maqbool Baqar in order to implement his Urban Rebuilding Plan under which high rises would be constructed at the vacant plots of old quarters – Matrin, Claton, and Jahangir Quarters, has decided to sign Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Federal Ministry of Housing & Works. This emerged in a meeting the chief minister held with the Federal Ministry of Housing & Works through a video link. Federal Secretary of Housing & Works Dr Shahzad Bangash along with his team participated in the meeting through a video link from Islamabad.
The CM was assisted by Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab, Chairman P&D Shakil Mangnejo, Secretary Local Government Manzoor Shaikh, DG P&D Asad Zamin and others. The CM said that he has worked out an urban rejuvenation/rebuilding plan under which high-rise plazas would be constructed at the empty plots of Matrin, Clayton, Jahangir Quarters and Pakistan Quarters which are in dilapidated condition. Justice Baqar said that these old quarters were established over an area of 240 acres at the junction of District East and District Central. He added that after the shifting of the Capital in 1959, no proper maintenance of the quarters has been made by the federal government. It was pointed out that the federal employees on their retirement did not vacate the official accommodation. Their next generations and some other people have encroached upon the open spaces around the houses.
The CM said that the key objective of the urban rejuvenation project was to improve housing conditions, improve infrastructure and public services, increase economic activity in the areas and create new jobs and economic opportunities. The federal secretary for Housing also shared a similar plan and finally, it was agreed upon that a MOU should be signed between the Sindh government and the federal government so that the project could be carried forward. The chief minister directed his team to prepare a draft for the MOU and share it with the federal government so that it could be signed within the next two weeks.
