Residents of Clifton, Karachi, marched on Sunday against the ongoing construction of a 46-storey building in Clifton's Block-5, a residential part of the neighbourhood. Men, women and elderly residents gathered near the Do Talwar roundabout and walked to the site of the under-construction tower. They say the project would add to problems that already exist, and that it marks a shift from residential to commercial use.
Why residents oppose the project
Residents said Block-5 already faces water shortages, a faulty drainage system and unpaved streets, and that the construction would make these worse. Placards read “Say no to any commercial activity in Block-5 Clifton” and “Our residential streets are not for high-rises”, while a banner asked “Where will the water come from?” The protesters claim the status of a residential plot was changed for commercial use, which they fear could be the first step toward high-rise buildings across the area.
Sabera Tapal, a businesswoman, described the area's decline from the “best” to the “worst” and said sewerage problems and unpaved roads were already a burden. She demanded “no commercialisation” of Block-5 or any other residential part of Clifton. Shumaila Dawood said the locality was once considered premium, with several foreign consulates, and that it now lacks basic infrastructure even though multi-storey buildings are still being allowed.
Complaints and the legal route
Ms Tapal said residents had complained to the Cantonment Board Clifton, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation, but none had acted on their concerns. Actor Tipu Sharif, who joined the march, said the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) had earlier restricted buildings above a certain number of storeys in the area. He asked who would handle garbage collection and basic services for a commercial high-rise, and said the building is going up on a narrow street beside three-storey homes.
Advocate Hafeez Jagirani said he had complained to the SBCA's director general, seeking a halt to the work and the removal of what he called an “illegal and unlawful high-rise commercial building”. His complaint alleges that construction is based on “fake, forged, bogus, manipulated and managed documents”. He said he had also filed a right-to-information application with the Sindh Master Plan Authority, claimed that no geological survey or soil testing had been carried out, and said he would approach the court. These allegations have not been confirmed by any authority.
What residents want next
In a press statement, the residents urged the authorities to review the proposed 46-storey building in Clifton and all high-rise construction on inner residential roads. They also called for “strict enforcement of zoning regulations and building bylaws”. No official response to the protest or the complaints has been reported so far, and the matter remains open.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Karachi ke Clifton ilaqe ke Block-5 mein 46 manzila building ki tameer ke khilaf residents ne march kiya. Unka kehna hai ke wahan pehle se pani ki kami, kharab drainage aur kachi sadkein hain, aur ye building masla aur barha degi. Residents ke mutabiq plot ko commercial istemal ke liye tabdeel kiya gaya hai, aur wo chahte hain ke residential ilaqon mein high-rise na bane. Abhi tak ikhtiyar daaron ka jawab samne nahi aaya, is liye agle faisle par nazar rakhna zaroori hai.
