KARACHI | Karachi Waterfront by Limitless | Residential | PRO [Archive] - Page 2

singaporean

January 17th, 2008, 11:13 AM

KARACHI, Jan 16: The Sindh government has decided to invite international tenders within two weeks for the development of a multipurpose “waterfront” project along Manora on the pattern of projects executed in Dubai.

This decision was taken at a high-level meeting held at the New Sindh Secretariat on Wednesday after the proposed project was approved by Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan, it is reliably learnt.

The meeting, presided over by Chief Secretary Fazlur Rehman and attended by officials of the city government and the board of investment trust, was informed that the 84,000-acre project would be spread over the coastal area from the Manora Light House to the Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (Kanupp).

The development of the coastal area includes a commercial area, business and recreational facilities and residential schemes to attract foreign entrepreneurs to develop spots to attract tourists.

The meeting was told that out of the 84,000 acres reserved for the project, 40,000 acres would be acquired from the government, 21,000 acres were available as vacant area and 19,000 acres were in the possession of individuals given to them on short-term leases, which could be scrapped as and when required. Most of the coastal land was in the use of the Karachi Port Trust, the Pakistan Air Force and the city government, the meeting was told.

The meeting decided to meet after two weeks to review the progress on the decisions taken on Wednesday to call international tenders for the purpose.

http://www.dawn.com/2008/01/17/local2.htm

siamu maharaj

January 17th, 2008, 11:45 AM

84,000 acres from Manora to KANUPP? Without even using Google Earth I know that that's completely and utterly wrong.

MTF

January 17th, 2008, 01:58 PM

yup it cant be true unless they are building a new plant(unlikely). Been to Manora lighthouse area that place has potential.

January 17th, 2008, 04:25 PM

Upto the KANUPP?

Their saying as if its a landmark or a good thing for a project :|

abskess

January 17th, 2008, 04:28 PM

i guess they will make a cool development on that strip from hawks bay to manora.

my proposal to them will be to make a development on that strip like cancun in mexico and have a big 50 storey hotel at the tip of manora, it will look beautiful from clifton and dha.

if you dnt know what cancun is, its a strip like sandspit in mexico with big hotels and resorts on it and a commercial area, here are pictures
http://www.advantagemexico.com/cancun/images/cancun_areal_large.jpg

http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/7827/4835or.png

http://www.esidle.com/travel/photos/cancun.jpg

http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/8018/3112qh.png

http://www.tourbymexico.com/qroo/cancun/punta.jpg

http://mexicancaribbean.com/Imagenes/cancun/cancunprincipal.jpg

http://www.flightcentre.ca/images/destinations/cancun.jpg

i also have heard that they will make an industrial zone there, that might mean that they will also make a seaport, probly at cape monze.

WOW! simply beautiful! :banana::banana::banana:

musiddiqui

January 23rd, 2008, 02:27 AM

Wednesday, January 23, 2008
By our correspondent

Karachi

The Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) on Tuesday announced that it will initiate a struggle against the ‘Waterfront City’ project on the coastal land of Karachi.

The PFF will launch the struggle from next month, looking to stop what it calls a ‘waging conspiracy’ against fishermen’s families, who, it says, would be the main victims of the project.

The Sindh government has decided to invite international tenders for the development of the project, designed on the pattern of those executed in Dubai, along Manora.

It would be disastrous environmentally and may cause widely displacement of local communities, mostly fishermen, who depend on fishing, said a PFF spokesman. These communities will be deprived of their source of livelihood as a result of this new city project. Moreover, the project would also destroy the beautiful beaches, which attract hundreds of picnickers, who visit the place on weekends and holidays.

The PFF criticised the approach of the city government, saying that Karachi had already witnessed 50 sea storms in 55 years and 50 earthquakes during the past 75 years. It said that the city had also witnessed tsunami-like disasters in 1819, 1943, 1945 and 1956 along its coastal areas. Keeping this in mind, said the PFF, going through with the Waterfront City and Diamond Bar Island projects could be devastating for Karachi. It said that the government should take precautionary measures against these threats instead of pushing people towards danger.

Civil society organisations have already expressed concern over the project, saying that Hawkesbay huts would be the first to be evicted, pointing out that the eviction process†had, in fact, already started in June†2006. A majority of hut owners were not provided lease money notices, which was aimed at making them defaulters, they claimed.

According to them, these tactics were also used to displace locals to make way for the Lyari Expressway, where pressure compelled legitimate stakeholders to give up their rights in the ‘larger interest.’

Civil society organisations feel that an effort needs to be made to stop the government from executing these projects in order to save the beaches from being turned into a new Dubai at the expense of local communities and Karachi’s citizens.

They said: “The people of Gwadar were uneducated; they let others make billions at their expense. We in Karachi will not let someone take us for a ride. We will knock every door to seek justice and save our property.”

The civil society organisations have formed a forum, Dharti (Earth), to wage a joint struggle against these projects. The PFF, being a partner of the forum, has called a phase-wise struggle starting next month.

Source: The News (http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=92488)

MTF

January 23rd, 2008, 02:34 AM

:gaah::gaah:

musiddiqui

January 27th, 2008, 05:20 AM

Sunday, January 27, 2008
By Shahid Husain

Karachi

The huge Waterfront Development Project currently being built on Karachi’s coast is hazardous for life since it is vulnerable to seismic damage, Roland de Souza, a leading architect explained while talking to The News.

“The strength of the soil will determine how well the building is able to sustain seismic shocks. The soil at the coast and under water is generally subject to a phenomenon known as liquefaction (where the soil becomes jelly-like), therefore there are specific standards and regulations for buildings being constructed along coastal areas and along beaches. These provisions even exist in the Karachi Building Control Authority [KBCA] regulations but they are not being followed,” he said.

Earlier, in a letter he sent to the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) on June 14, 2007, de Souza wrote that “Karachi lies at the confluence of the Arabian, Indian and Asian tectonic plates. Subduction of the plates gives rise to tsunamis, some of which have adversely affected the Karachi coast in the past. Additionally, construction on soft soils near the sea is vulnerable to seismic damage (liquefaction of soil).

“As far as the water front projects in similar countries are concerned, the Sri Lankan government intends to ban construction within a 100m zone in the North and Eastern province. The government has also announced its decision to regulate all new construction in a 700m zone beyond the 300m coastal zone declared under the Coast Conservation Act No 57 of 1981.”

The details of this project have not been disclosed by the government as yet but the official website of CDGK and Limitless (Dubai-based real estate developer involved in the project) have provided some information on the project. According to the CDGK website, the City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal told journalists that the master plan to construct a new city – the Karachi Waterfront Sugarland City — at Hawkes Bay has already been finalised and will be constructed on 60,000 acres with an estimated cost of $68 billion.

The website of Limitless explains the salient features of the project as follows: “The project is a joint initiative of Limitless and the Government of Pakistan to create a new, balanced waterfront development — Karachi Waterfront, on 25,000 hectares site west of the existing city of Karachi. The ‘new city’ will contain a defined and carefully weighted balance of residential, commercial, recreational and entertainment facilities in state-of-the-art, master-planned communities. The development will also be home to special economic zones creating a hub for the trading, manufacturing and services industry supported by world-class infrastructure and amenities. Phase I of the project will involve an investment of $20 billion over the next 10 years for developing more than 2,000 hectares of prime waterfront property. Subsequent phases of the project are expected to involve much larger investments.”

Strangely enough, no Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been conducted for the project as yet even though it is mandatory for any massive project and the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) that is supposed to conduct the exercise is sitting idly probably because it lacks the requisite technical expertise.

“The situation seems to be paradoxical because while the corporate sector, especially oil and gas companies go for an EIA when they undertake a project, the public sector is ignoring it,” said Naseer Memon, an environmentalist associated with an international non-government organisation called LEAD.

“The problem is that Sepa is not technically well-equipped and is also short of staff. For instance, it has only one assistant director in the entire Sukkur division where many big projects are coming,” he pointed out.

Arif Hasan, a noted town planner and architect, maintains that if planning does not respect the ecology of the area, the city will not be able to withstand natural disasters; it will lose its natural assets and will eventually become divided into rich and poor ghettos in constant conflict with each other.

Mubarak Baloch, nazim, Union Council (UC) 8, too portrayed a horrible picture and said that as many as 200,000 poor people will be uprooted if the Sugarland project is translated into a reality. “We submitted our reservations to the city nazim and Naib Nazim, Nasreen Jalil, some eight months ago but we are still waiting for a response,” he lamented.

Though progress in the form of new projects like the Karachi Waterfront City is always welcome, still development for development’s sake should be avoided especially if it is in conflict with the ecology and environment of a city.

Source: The News (http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=93227)

furhan_h

January 27th, 2008, 03:18 PM

well I'm sure the company building this has the technical expertise and sense to perform a complete environmental assessment and then start with the project. They wouldn't want to risk their repute by building something that'll deteriorate into a disaster. If it ever happens.

cntower

January 27th, 2008, 11:10 PM

So basically this isn't going to happen or are they all quiet and waiting for the elections?

cntower

January 27th, 2008, 11:53 PM

I actually spent 20 mins going through the whole thread and came to the conclusion that the Cheif Minister of Sindh should be ordered to climb the tallest building in Karachi and jump to his death that cheaky lil' bastard.

WTF was he delaying this project for, I swear getting anything done in this country is such a b(#%! God damn getting a bloody telephone line connected to your house is enough trouble!

These politicians I HOPE and PRAY they burn in hell.

cntower

January 27th, 2008, 11:58 PM

Infact, i'm going to get the contact number of the CM of Sindh and give him a call tomorrow morning. By the time I'm done he'll be speaking fluent Punjabi, yeh meri guarentee hai.

oogabooga

January 28th, 2008, 12:00 AM

January 28th, 2008, 12:19 AM

Infact, i'm going to get the contact number of the CM of Sindh and give him a call tomorrow morning. By the time I'm done he'll be speaking fluent Punjabi, yeh meri guarentee hai.

You might want to go through the H & BS thread before you make that call...especially the last few posts.

Warning: do NOT do so if you get offended by curse words.

oogabooga

January 28th, 2008, 12:23 AM

You might want to go through the H & BS thread before you make that call...especially the last few posts.

Warning: do NOT do so if you get offended by curse words.

Dude, hes the one who posted those videos! :|

January 28th, 2008, 12:29 AM

I know .. the warning was for other forumers who would jump to that thread to see what they have been missing.
:lol:

January 28th, 2008, 01:09 AM

He's not the CM anymore, so just be careful in cursing the wrong person, let along a .. Chief .... Minister ... :shifty:

sanaji78601

January 31st, 2008, 10:34 AM

yes, be careful. After all you are talking about CM

Sufi Pistol

February 1st, 2008, 09:07 PM

Lo...ker lo galll....

musiddiqui

February 3rd, 2008, 05:33 AM

Experts say that generations will pay for this misguided planning

Sunday, February 03, 2008
By Shahid Husain

Karachi

The multi-billion dollar Waterfront Development Project proposed on the beaches of Hawkesbay and Sandspit will be a “monumental disaster” if the economic, social, human, environmental and urban growth needs of Karachi are not taken into consideration, said Arif Belgaumi, a noted town planner and principal architect, Ahed Associates.

“If the goal is to bring in FDI [Foreign Direct Investment] at any cost without considering the needs of the city of Karachi, then a project like this will be a monumental disaster, for which the country and the city will pay for generations,” he said while talking to The News.

However, Belgaumi agreed that attracting FDI, while ensuring the environmental and social needs of the city, is desirable.

“It is possible — indeed desirable and responsible — to attract FDI for targeted projects that fulfill the identified needs of the community and, therefore, sustains the larger economy through thoughtful and responsible development. The needs of the goths and other communities should be considered while formulating the criteria for any such development,” he said.

The plan – that is, the Karachi Strategic Development Plan 2020 (KSDP 2020) — calls for the adoption of the provisions of the Karachi Coastal Recreation Development Plan 1990-2000 that identifies the nature of and development on the coast, areas to be used for recreation and the sensitive ecological areas marked for protection and conservation.

The plan explicitly says: “The coastal sea and its back-water and creeks provide a source of livelihood to fishing communities who live on the coast. The fisherman must enjoy free access to their traditional grounds in the sea, backwaters and creeks. For any development to be sustainable and acceptable, the historical rights of the communities to the sea and the coastal village land they occupy ought to be respected.”

However, in complete violation of the above-mentioned objectives, the population living on Karachi’s coastal areas is threatened, and as many as 200,000 people inhabiting the goths in Hawkesbay/Sandspit alone are likely to be uprooted. If this happens, free access to the sea will be nothing more than a far-fetched for the fisherfolk.

This is in spite of the fact that the KSDP 2020 says: “The fishing community settled in coastal villages should not be forced to abandon their lands or source of livelihood. The local villages should not be dispossessed and their village lands not acquired by the government.”

Mubarak Baloch, Nazim Union Council (UC) 8 (Keamari town), is concerned that thousands of Baloch and Sindhi inhabitants of the coastal villages of Karachi — most of them fishermen — will be uprooted from their ancestral lands because of the Waterfront Development Project.

“The government is bent on evicting the hut owners at the beaches because it is not ready to accept lease money and it seems that the poor people living in goths will also be evicted when the project materialises,” he said.

Former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, during his term in office, cried hoarse that the present government is attracting FDI in a big way. However, independent economists portray a different picture. For instance, Kaiser Bengali, a respected independent economist has been quoted to have said in an interview with The News on Sunday (TNS): “… The investment (FDI) has been in terms of telecommunication, mobile phones and food. All of these companies earn their profits in rupees but remit their profit in dollars. So there is dollar outflow in terms of profit remittance against which there is no dollar inflow. We have created a liability without creating a countervailing asset.”

“In 1999, the total profit remittance outflow, which in monetary language is called reverse remittance, was $97 million a year. Today it is close to a billion dollars and rising,” he explained.

Belgaumi agrees with this: “Global capital is certainly looking for a home and it is imperative that Pakistan should attract it with investment opportunities. At the moment, I would have to say that global capital is not affecting Pakistan significantly.”

Source: The News (http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=94430)

DesiSoul

February 3rd, 2008, 05:18 PM

Who is this Kaiser Bengali? He's talking about FDI and reverse remittance like a freshman would after his first economics class. How can he fail to appreciate the benefits to Pakistan's economy given that these companies were able to remit millions of dollars out of Pakistan! FDI is in no way a one way traffic and almost always beneficial to the host economy in more than just monetary terms.

UnitedPakistan

February 3rd, 2008, 08:48 PM

Build the damn thing already!

I am willing to regret it for generations!

swerveut

February 5th, 2008, 01:26 PM

LOL! good to cruise by here and see this wonderful comment by our very own UP.

Same here bro. Am willing to regret it for generations. Just build that damn thing now. And as far as DHA's coastline goes, it didnt exist before DHA reclaimed it themselves, so they can do whatever the hell they want with it.

musiddiqui

March 1st, 2008, 01:52 AM

Saturday, March 01, 2008
By Shahid Husain

Karachi

The proposed multi-billion-dollar Sugar Land City project on Sandspit, a prime recreational site about 18km south-west of Karachi, is a threat to the endangered Green Turtle and Olive Ridley Turtle that lives on the shore. “Sandspit/Hawkes Bay is the largest nesting area of green turtles in Pakistan but the emergence of Sugar Land City will ultimately destroy the natural habitat of the endangered species,” said Dr Ejaz Ahmed, Deputy Director General, the World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-P).

Marine turtles are a species of special concern and are included in the WWF-P strategic plan. Globally, there are eight species of marine turtles and are all classified as endangered. The green turtle (Cholonia mydas) and Olive Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) are the two species of marine turtles that nest along the Sandspit and Hawkes Bay beaches on Karachi’s coastline.

All species of the marine turtles are listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Pakistan is a signatory to the CITES which prohibits trade in turtles, turtle parts and eggs. In fact, the Government of Sindh has also declared marine turtles as a ‘protected’ species.

The green turtles nest between August and January with their numbers peaking in November. The Olive Ridley turtles nest between July and September and their nesting is very scarce throughout the season. “There are only a few areas in Pakistan where turtles nest. These include Sandspit and Hawkes Bay, Taq area near Ormara, Astula Island and Jivani but with the emergence of Sugar Land City there won’t be sandy beach where they can nest,” said Dr Ahmed.

All species of marine turtles, including the Green Turtles, nest after sunset. A female turtle pulls herself out of the water and travels all the way to the dry sand on the upper beach. She does this by using only her upper flippers. Reaching the upper portion of the beach, she uses her front flippers to dig a broad pit in the sand about 50cm deep and her rear flippers to delicately carve out a bottle-shaped burrow. She then lays her clutch that consists of approximately 80-100 leathery-skinned eggs and covers them carefully with the sand. The whole process of nesting takes about two-and-a-half hours.

“Turtle nesting will become rare after the emergence of Sugar Land City because for some peculiar reason, the female returns to the sandy beach after years where it has taken birth,” said Naila Ahmed, Executive Committee member of Shehri, a non-governmental organisation. “If such development takes place, these natural habitats of turtles will be lost forever,” she said.

Ahmed pointed out that till the reclamation of land at the Mai Kolachi Bypass, the migratory birds visited the place year after year but no sooner did the mangroves disappear that the birds stopped visiting the site as well. She went on to say that the Coastal Development Plan prepared in collaboration with the United Nations Development Fund (UNDP) earmarked the Sandspit/Hawkesbay beach as a ‘no-construction area’ but the government is adamant about building the multi-billion-dollar Sugar Land City there.

“The decision to build Sugar Land City has been taken by the government of the former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz but this was imposed on the provincial government,” she said. “Even the Master Plan 2020 categorically states that mangroves, the fishing community and turtles’ natural habitats will be protected but in all likelihood, they will be completely destroyed once the mega city comes into being,” she said.

She said the Sugar Land City will be twice the size of Manhattan but it is not clear who will inhabit it because there aren’t enough rich people in the country to settle there.

“The fate of Scheme 42, a lower middle income group scheme in the area and several other such schemes is also not clear. Will there be ghettos side by side with bungalows and resorts of the super rich?” wondered Dr Ahmed.

The Sugar Land City project involves an area of 60,000 acres of area with a total investment of $68 billion that has been approved by the federal government. The first phase of the project will involve an investment of two billion dollars over the next 10 years. It is also expected to involve much larger investments in the later phases.

Sandspit drives its name from the words sand and pit associated with the pits dug by marine turtles during nesting season on the shore.

The beach is frequented by about 150,000 visitors annually. The area exhibits a unique blend of social and economic significance and ecosystem values. These include a turtle nesting beach of global significance, mangrove wetlands of immense ecological importance and coastal fisheries of great economic potential, according to the WWF-P.

Source: The News (http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=99050)

brightside.

March 1st, 2008, 05:03 AM

What the hell is this? People are objecting to a project that will turn Karachi into Dubai? Why? Because of a few hundred thousand fishermen? Karachi is not the only place from where fishing can be carried out, but it is the only place where something like this waterfront can be made. The fishermen can reach a compromise with the government, maybe the government can build facilities for them further out into the sea, and provide them with higher quality boats.

siamu maharaj

March 1st, 2008, 07:51 AM

150,000 visitors a year? That's pretty shitty. That's like 400/day. Pakistani journalism at its best again!

I do agree that we need to protect the turtles, but I'm sure a way can be found. Also, the turtles are limited to a very small area.

Red aRRow

March 1st, 2008, 09:08 AM

musiddiqui

March 4th, 2008, 03:10 AM

Tuesday, March 04, 2008
By our correspondent

Karachi

The Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) has convened a consultation meeting of the fishermen communities of Karachi to design a strategy against the ‘illegal’ construction of the Waterfront Sugar Land City project. The meeting will be held at Abdul Rehman Village, Hawkes Bay on March 5 at 3.00 p.m., it was announced on Monday.

A PFF spokesman said that the federal government of Pakistan, through a conspiracy collaborated with the Sindh government and the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) has decided to sell off the 90-kilometre coastline of Karachi — including the islands — in the name of waterfront development. In the first phase, the government plans to build the multi-billion-dollar Sugar Land City on 84,000 acres near the coastline of Manora to Hawkes Bay situated in the West of Karachi. The PFF believes that the construction of the proposed Sugar Land City project will result in poverty and hunger among hundreds of fishermen families, who have been residing in these coastal localities since the time of their forefathers while deriving their livelihood from there as well.

The destruction of the most basic and traditional source of livelihood of the fishing communities will render the entire marine ecological system terribly uncontained. Moreover, the project will also destroy the breeding grounds of fish and shrimps, as well as disturb the natural habitats of the local and migratory birds and the marine species. Fishing grounds will be annihilated which may cause unemployment among poor fishermen who have already been facing a decline in their catch due to over-fishing and increasing marine pollution. Mangroves forests which are already being rapidly destroyed will suffer more due to the construction of the new city.

With the passage of time, investors will surge in these areas and earn at the cost of the fishermen’s lives. Ironically, the federal government has concluded a contract on its own, without taking the traditional stakeholders (fishermen) into consideration, the PFF said.

The PFF has strongly condemned this decision of construction of the new city at the Karachi coastline and appealed to the national and international media and social, human rights and development experts to immediately intervene in this matter of the sheer violation of human rights and dignity and save the livelihood of the fishermen. Opposing the plan, the PFF was of the view that it will cause colossal loss to the fishermen depriving them of their livelihood.

Source: The News (http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=99490)

brightside.

March 4th, 2008, 04:57 AM

We cannot halt development just for a few hundred thousand fishermen and their dependents. The income generated for Pakistanis through the new developments will be far higher than what fishing generates. Perhaps these fishermen can be given jobs at these new projects.

Besides, I don't think it's impossible to build these fancy new developments and keep the fishing waters fertile. Maybe they just need to move their fishing activities further off coast, for which they should be provided newer, electronics equipped boats. That should make everyone happy.

Khanrak

March 4th, 2008, 08:59 AM

I say we just give these fishermen construction jobs, a free housing unit, and a few thousand dollars in compensation for their land and sea.

siamu maharaj

March 4th, 2008, 11:15 AM

Screw the fishermen.

Jsultan

March 4th, 2008, 01:13 PM

ABBASIA

March 4th, 2008, 02:18 PM

[QUOTE=musiddiqui;18811647]Tuesday, March 04, 2008
By our correspondent

Karachi

The Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) has convened a consultation meeting of the fishermen communities of Karachi to design a strategy against the ‘illegal’ construction of the Waterfront Sugar Land City project. The meeting will be held at Abdul Rehman Village, Hawkes Bay on March 5 at 3.00 p.m., it was announced on Monday.

lets plant a suicide bomber there... and we wont be facing these issues again...!! :nuts:

My old time Pal Sultan, let's prove ourself to be a nation of law. Instead of planting a suicide bombs on our each national matters, better if we can sit and workout some win win situation within the legal boundaries dicated by our constitution for long term peace, development and tranquility.

PEACE

March 4th, 2008, 03:28 PM

I say we just give these fishermen construction jobs, a free housing unit, and a few thousand dollars in compensation for their land and sea.

Its not their land and sea.

Jsultan

March 5th, 2008, 10:51 AM

[QUOTE=Jsultan;18818832]

My old time Pal Sultan, let's prove ourself to be a nation of law. Instead of planting a suicide bombs on our each national matters, better if we can sit and workout some win win situation within the legal boundaries dicated by our constitution for long term peace, development and tranquility.

PEACE

was kidding sir jee...!! i am a man of peace...!!

brightside.

March 5th, 2008, 11:36 AM

Its not their land and sea.

Every citizen has an 'inalienable right' to have free access to the coastline.

http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1125565514252 (US)

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20030802/ai_n12706417 (UK)

http://www.edcnet.org/AboutFiles/CoastalAccessSurvey.pdf (US)

http://ccns.chebucto.org/Right_to_Roam.pdf (Canada)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6536481.stm (UK)

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21316325-5006790,00.html (Australia)

The theory is that restricting access to the coastline to only those who can pay for it is discrimination against the poorer people of society. The concept emerged during the apartheid era of South Africa and the US segregation of blacks at beaches.

pakboy

March 5th, 2008, 08:01 PM

Every citizen has an 'inalienable right' to have free access to the coastline.

http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1125565514252 (US)

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20030802/ai_n12706417 (UK)

http://www.edcnet.org/AboutFiles/CoastalAccessSurvey.pdf (US)

http://ccns.chebucto.org/Right_to_Roam.pdf (Canada)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6536481.stm (UK)

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21316325-5006790,00.html (Australia)

The theory is that restricting access to the coastline to only those who can pay for it is discrimination against the poorer people of society. The concept emerged during the apartheid era of South Africa and the US segregation of blacks at beaches.

sections can be privatized as they are in dubai and many other countrys.

March 5th, 2008, 11:28 PM

Every citizen has an 'inalienable right' to have free access to the coastline.

http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1125565514252 (US)

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20030802/ai_n12706417 (UK)

http://www.edcnet.org/AboutFiles/CoastalAccessSurvey.pdf (US)

http://ccns.chebucto.org/Right_to_Roam.pdf (Canada)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6536481.stm (UK)

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21316325-5006790,00.html (Australia)

The theory is that restricting access to the coastline to only those who can pay for it is discrimination against the poorer people of society. The concept emerged during the apartheid era of South Africa and the US segregation of blacks at beaches.

They (fishermen) claim it to be their land because they have been living there for decades. They wouldnt even allow normal civilians there believe me.

musiddiqui

March 6th, 2008, 12:58 AM

By Amar Guriro

KARACHI: A Dubai-based international construction company has started environmental impact assessment surveying over Hawkesbay for the proposed 68-billion-dollar ‘Waterfront Sugar Land City’ for a client company, claimed the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum Wednesday.

The survey would reveal the feasibility of constructing a modern city along the coastal belt of Sindh on the western side of Karachi city. According to the ‘Karachi Strategic Development Plan 2020’ the Federal government signed an MoU in 2006 with the client company that had initially planned to work on 40,000 acres but has now extended it to 60,000 acres (or 16 square kilometers).

‘Waterfront Sugar Land City’ would start from the small coastal Kaka village, cover two union councils – UC Gabo Pat and Baba Bhitt - and would end at the KANUPP power plant. The project would also affect five kilometers of Sands Pit, a part of which is used as a nursery and hatching place for endangered green turtles.

UC Gabo Pat consists of more then 150 small historical villages - Kaka village, Soomar Goth, Abdul Rehman Goth, Yousinabad, Bulidi, Mubarik village - and UC Baba Bhitt has 25 villages and four islands, including Baba island, Bhitt Island, Salehabad Manora island and Shams Pir island.

The Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum has said that the project would force 400,000 fishermen and their families to migrate from more than 175 villages and Hawkes Bay would be sealed off for the public that picnics there. The NGO has announced a series of protests from April. “This is not development of the area but a disaster,” alleged Mohammad Ali Shah of the PFF. Not only the villages but the tombs of 14 saints would also be affected.

A coalition called Dharti has been formed by dozens of civil society organizations.

“This is not the first time the federal government has started such a controversial mega project,” he added. “It sold two islands of Sindh to a foreign company.”

The PFF took a group of journalists to Abdul Rehman village where more than 150 elders had gathered to express their views with the media.

Source: Daily Times (http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\03\06\story_6-3-2008_pg12_5)

brightside.

March 6th, 2008, 02:00 AM

They (fishermen) claim it to be their land because they have been living there for decades. They wouldnt even allow normal civilians there believe me.

Well ethically it's everyone's land. Anyone can go there to hang out and enjoy the beach.

March 6th, 2008, 02:44 AM

Well ethically it's everyone's land. Anyone can go there to hang out and enjoy the beach.

Enjoy and leave, not occupy the land and claim it to be theirs!

brightside.

March 6th, 2008, 05:20 AM

of course. the problem the fishermen have with these developments is that the private beach front property owners will not allow anyone access to the beach without paying a good amount of $$$ so access to the beach will no longer remain a right for Karachiites.

I don't want to pay just to see my own country's coastline. If the beach itself is made public property by law, but buildings and development is allowed right next to the beach sand, then everyone should be happy.

Just like currently the Village restaurant exists. The beach next to it is public property, but to go inside the village you have to be a paying customer.

March 6th, 2008, 11:39 AM

Theres no charge to goto the sea and enjoy, but theres a charge when you sit there the whole week claiming it to be yours ;)

furhan_h

March 6th, 2008, 02:25 PM

Theres no charge to goto the sea and enjoy,

yet

but theres a charge when you sit there the whole week claiming it to be yours ;)

Some of these Sindhi villages have been in certain places for over 300 years. I attended a lecture at my institute by Arif Hasan yesterday. It was about Karachi, it's evolution and certain issues, and was quite enlightening. He also talked about how older settlements are dealt with when you need to develop the area where they are located. You don't dispose them off the way they do here. It's cruel, unethical and inhumane. Many of us were born here, we grew up here too. Yet, we hardly know anything about this city, let alone the way to deal with it.

Slums and villages are different. Although when adversity reaches a high point, villages turn into slums. While they may be unpleasing to the privileged, when removed all of a sudden, scores of people end up sleeping on the streets, as they do in Mumbai. It has to be done properly, slowly and ethically.

March 6th, 2008, 04:10 PM

transistorized

March 6th, 2008, 04:53 PM

^^ I dont know the exact details, but I think for such projects, investors are required by law to pay off the people living there (i.e. these people do have a right to that land under the law), afterall govt also had to pay off people living in Gawdar even though almost none of them had proper documentation for it. There is no way govt is going to just evict these people, they are going to get compensated for it.

Infact, I believe there is a British-era law that actually gives property rights to someone if there ancestors have been living on it for more than a few generations.

brightside.

March 7th, 2008, 04:42 AM

If you are living for 300 years, good but its bad when you claim that land to be yours (or your familys). The land belongs to the entire population and the Govt. has a right to construct anything that it finds profitable for the country.

I do not support the privitization of even 1 inch of the Pakistani coastline. Except for the navy and ports, every place on the beach should be accessible to the public for free.

People on the California and New South Wales coast don't pay a dime to go chill at their huge beaches, and neither should we.

They can build whatever they want right next to the beach, but the beach is everybody's and the government has no right to sell it off to anyone.

ABBASIA

March 7th, 2008, 11:24 AM

I do not support the privitization of even 1 inch of the Pakistani coastline. Except for the navy and ports, every place on the beach should be accessible to the public for free.

People on the California and New South Wales coast don't pay a dime to go chill at their huge beaches, and neither should we.

They can build whatever they want right next to the beach, but the beach is everybody's and the government has no right to sell it off to anyone.

Well it depends upon government to government, in Malaysia on Langkawi Island the most fabulous portion of the beach called Datai beach is privately owned by Hotels and is not accessible to general public. And these hotels on average cost u around 500+ dollars per night.

March 7th, 2008, 11:33 AM

I do not support the privitization of even 1 inch of the Pakistani coastline. Except for the navy and ports, every place on the beach should be accessible to the public for free.

People on the California and New South Wales coast don't pay a dime to go chill at their huge beaches, and neither should we.

They can build whatever they want right next to the beach, but the beach is everybody's and the government has no right to sell it off to anyone.

There is a free portion on Seaview, from McDonalds to Village Restaurant, and thats a huge portion!

The rest are prone to be developed anyways, the site along with Village is empty BUT its a residential land already under DHA's planning. And on the left of McDonalds is you know Dolmen City.

Plus to be really honest, nobody even goes to Seaview for the beach, if they want to go, they goto Gaddani or the rest of the coastline (Hawkes Bay) etc.

Intoxication

March 8th, 2008, 01:40 AM

Well it depends upon government to government, in Malaysia on Langkawi Island the most fabulous portion of the beach called Datai beach is privately owned by Hotels and is not accessible to general public. And these hotels on average cost u around 500+ dollars per night.

True. I studied about it. Its the same in many developing countries. Coastlines are restricted to just the foreigners holidaying and staying in their hotels. Understandably this has caused resentment in the local population.

musiddiqui

March 9th, 2008, 03:31 AM

By Amar Guriro

KARACHI: The area of the proposed mega project of the ‘Waterfront Sugar Land City’ initiated by the Federal Government of Pakistan with a Dubai-based construction company occupies more area than most of the cosmopolitan cities of the world, including New York, San Francisco, Washington DC and Rome, said architect Arif Belgaumi.

Shehri-CBE and Dharti organized a seminar ‘Our Coast is Under Threat’ in collaboration with the Friedrich Naumann Stiftung at a local hotel Saturday to discuss the new project. “The proposed plan of the Waterfront Sugar Land City is not feasible as there is no harbor at the site and it is distant from the major highways and roads that connect other cities with Karachi and the unavailability of potable water indicates difficulties in the future,” said Belgaumi.

He used computer sketches and maps to show that the actual land area of the project is twice the area allocated by the government. “With the help of computer sketches, I found that the area is not 44,000 acres but over 80,000 acres,” he said. He also stated that the project holds negative consequences for Sindh.

WWF Deputy Director General, Dr. Ejaz Ahmad said that construction of the ‘Waterfront Sugar Land City’ endangers the species of green turtle. “The green turtle of the Arabian Sea is found along a 5.5-kilometer-long shore on Sandspit and the project would completely destroy its nesting site,” he said.

He also pointed out that the Government of Pakistan was a signatory to various international conventions, including Ramsar, a convention for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. It is thus bound to protect these natural sites.

Roland deSouza of Shehri-CBE said that after completion of the ‘Waterfront Sugar Land City’ the beaches would become private, something that constitutes a violation of the law.

Muhammad Husain of Maheegir Tehrik said that it would cause the resettlement of thousands of fishermen from their ancestral fishing grounds. “Controversial mega projects such as this are not for development but for the destruction of the local fishing community and that they would not accept such projects,” he said.

Dharti is a coalition of 17 civil society organizations working against the construction of Waterfront project.

During the seminar, Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF), a civil society organization working for rights of the Sindh fishermen community and a member organization of Dharti objected to the resolutions passed by Shehri-CBE. “Shehri-CBE has just demanded its concerns on certain aspects of the proposed plan of Waterfront Sugar Land City’,” said PFF president Syed Muhammad Ali Shah. PFF became a part of the Dharti coalition to stop the project immediately.

During the seminar when a member of Shehri-CBE started reading the resolutions, Shah objected and insisted on including as a main point that the seminar completely rejected the project. “See the other projects the government promised different plans about them but later it was proved that the promises were nothing than just false claims, therefore the project must be stopped immediately,” he demanded.

A majority of the participants agreed with Ali and insisted on including the point, which was added: “If our demands are not fulfilled, we will reject the project.”

Shah alleged that Arif Belgaumi was an official architect on the project. “He is speaking against the project but he is actually part of it and in such conditions we cannot work with them, therefore have decided to part with the coalition,” he said. Belgaumi rejected the allegations, saying that he was not the architect. “I have only six staff at my office and with such a small staff I can not design such a huge project,” he explained.

Source: Daily Times (http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\03\09\story_9-3-2008_pg12_2)

March 9th, 2008, 03:32 AM

So .. :?

pakboy

March 9th, 2008, 03:43 AM

UnitedPakistan

March 9th, 2008, 03:56 AM

well they should just stack this project and build something else far away like sonmiami bay, were a port city is planned, they could even build a port and industrial zone themselves like emaar is making king abdullal economic city in saudi.
Sonmiani bay is used to test missiles and there is a special breed of bird that lives in that area. Shaukat Aziz was struck down hard by everyone when he mentioned that plan a while ago.:)

siamu maharaj

March 9th, 2008, 07:16 AM

Anyone against this project should have his balls crushed.

Whiteeclipse

March 10th, 2008, 06:07 AM

When is this project going to start?

musiddiqui

March 28th, 2008, 05:08 AM

Friday, March 28, 2008
By Shahid Husain

Karachi

The proposed multi-billion dollar Sugar Land City project will destroy estuaries and oysters found at the mouth of Hub River besides bringing misery to the local population that has been inhabiting the area for centuries now.

“The massive project will lead to an environmental disaster and destroy estuaries and oysters found at the mouth of the Hub River,” Mohammad Nauman, an associate professor at Karachi’s prestigious NED University of Engineering and Technology told The News.

Oyster is a term commonly used for a number of different groups of bivalve mollusks, most of which live in marine habitats or brackish water. The shell consists of two usually highly calcified valves which surround a soft body. Gills filter plankton from the water and strong adductor muscles are used to keep the shell closed. Some of the groups known as oysters (true oysters) are highly priced for purposes of human consumption (both raw and cooked). However, certain other species which are also called oysters (for example the pearl oyster) are not widely eaten, at least not in the recent times.

Tahir Qureshi, Director, Coastal Ecosystem, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature-Pakistan (IUCN-P), confirmed that the proposed Sugar Land City will have an adverse impact on oysters and the ecosystem of the area.

“The mouth of the Hub River is already contaminated with industrial pollutants and the biodiversity is threatened in the area. The development of Sugar Land City will further deteriorate the existing situation and impact the pristine and threatened ecosystem of the area,” he said.

The Master Plan of Sugar Land City involves the ‘development’ of most of the city’s public beaches, such as Hawkes Bay and Sandspit as well as Manora and Cape Monze.

The project has been initiated by Limitless, the first integrated real estate developer launched by Dubai World — a private developer. Dubai World is the parent company managing and supervising a portfolio of businesses and projects. Sugar Land City will be the first overseas project for Limitless.

The first announcement of the project came on Dubai World’s website on June 5, 2006, where it stated that Limitless will develop the Karachi Water Front Project. This was followed by The News that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed by Pakistan’s former Minister of State and Privatisation and Investment, Umar Ahmad Ghuman, and Dubai World Chairman, Sultan Bin Sulayman. The MoU was followed by a high-level meeting held in Islamabad on June 24, 2006, which was chaired by former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

It was decided in this meeting that since the area indicated by Dubai World is very large, the development may start in phases. It was envisaged that in the first phase, Manora along with Sandspit and the areas behind it in the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) western back waters, up to KPT’s land limits with Hawkes Bay, would be offered to the group.

In the second phase, while developing the Hawkes Bay Beach Front, it will be ensured that a few portions are left open for the general public for recreational purposes.

This project involves an area of 60,000 acres with a total investment of $68 billion that has been approved by the federal government. The first phase of the project will involve an investment of two billion dollars over the next 10 years. It is also expected to involve much larger investments in the later phases.

Yet another multi-billion dollar DHA’s Waterfront Development Project is planned over a stretch of 14 kilometres of land from Sindbad (Old Casino) up to the Golf Course on Clifton Beach. The plan divides the coastline into seven distinct zones (A to G) and envisages high-rise commercial building complexes, hyper marts, food courts, cinema, amusement park, five-star hotel, an underwater world with a Dolphin Park and aquarium, amphitheatre complex with a capacity of 6,000 people and water sports facilities, according to leading town planner and architect Arif Hasan.

Right from the beginning, however, the project has been resisted by saner elements since they feel that it would jeopardise urban planning and create ghettos along with resorts for the super rich. They also argue that the project is a bad omen for biodiversity.

Dr Ejaz Ahmed, Deputy Director general, Worldwide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-P) argued, for instance, that the development of Sugar Land City will also affect the coral reefs at Charna Island.

“Corals are an important part of the ecosystem and play an important role in reducing the intensity of tsunamis. They act as rocks. They are also important in eco-tourism,” he said.

More importantly, the development of Sugar Land City would uproot as many as 200,000 people who have been living in the Union Council-8 (Keamari Town) for centuries.

“The historical villages of the Baloch inhabitants will be displaced which will bring more miseries for the inhabitants,” Prof. Nauman said. “The development of Sugar Land City will lead to resorts for the super rich on one hand and ghettos for the poor on the other,” he added.

This view is corroborated by Mubarak Baloch, Nazim Union Council (UC) 8 (Keamari Town). “The radius of UC 8 is about 80 square kilometres and that means that a large number of goths (hamlets) will be devoured by Sugar Land City,” he said.

Strangely enough, the federal government is adamant about going ahead with Sugar Land City despite the fact that even the Karachi Master Plan 2020 points out that the ecology of the area should not be destroyed by any project.

“Karachi has a coast of 90km, much of it with vulnerable mangroves that needs protection and preservation as an ecological system. Furthermore, the nature of the sea and the coast are such that any modification of the basic structure of the coast can have serious and far-reaching implications on the shape and structure of the coast through erosion and deposits that can affect both the ecosystem and impact on the harbour and access channels,” reads the proposed programme of the coastal development.

Source: The News (http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=103500)

brightside.

March 28th, 2008, 05:55 AM

This project involves an area of 60,000 acres with a total investment of $68 billion that has been approved by the federal government. The first phase of the project will involve an investment of two billion dollars over the next 10 years. It is also expected to involve much larger investments in the later phases.

$68 billion FDI and people are resisting this project :ohno:

Yet another multi-billion dollar DHA’s Waterfront Development Project is planned over a stretch of 14 kilometres of land from Sindbad (Old Casino) up to the Golf Course on Clifton Beach. The plan divides the coastline into seven distinct zones (A to G) and envisages high-rise commercial building complexes, hyper marts, food courts, cinema, amusement park, five-star hotel, an underwater world with a Dolphin Park and aquarium, amphitheatre complex with a capacity of 6,000 people and water sports facilities, according to leading town planner and architect Arif Hasan.

Dosen't sound like Pakistan. Sounds more like Dubai, yet people don't want this project implemented.

Right from the beginning, however, the project has been resisted by saner elements since they feel that it would jeopardise urban planning and create ghettos along with resorts for the super rich. They also argue that the project is a bad omen for biodiversity.

Ghettos? How the hell will developing high rises and creating jobs create ghettos? Someone explain this stupid logic to me.

Dr Ejaz Ahmed, Deputy Director general, Worldwide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-P) argued, for instance, that the development of Sugar Land City will also affect the coral reefs at Charna Island.

“Corals are an important part of the ecosystem and play an important role in reducing the intensity of tsunamis. They act as rocks. They are also important in eco-tourism,” he said.

These will be threatened whether or not this project is carried out. There will be development along the coast sooner or later, we can't keep it the way it is forever.

I'm sure there can be a solution to the threat to biodiversity of our corals.

More importantly, the development of Sugar Land City would uproot as many as 200,000 people who have been living in the Union Council-8 (Keamari Town) for centuries.

So? China moves people out of the way all the time. This is not an acceptable excuse.

“The historical villages of the Baloch inhabitants will be displaced which will bring more miseries for the inhabitants,” Prof. Nauman said. “The development of Sugar Land City will lead to resorts for the super rich on one hand and ghettos for the poor on the other,” he added.

lol they already live in ghettos. At least with this project the people being moved from their ghettos will have a chance to get a higher paying job.

This view is corroborated by Mubarak Baloch, Nazim Union Council (UC) 8 (Keamari Town). “The radius of UC 8 is about 80 square kilometres and that means that a large number of goths (hamlets) will be devoured by Sugar Land City,” he said.

hah, as if Kemari Town is a world class area that would be a shame to be converted to a modern, planned, urban development.

Strangely enough, the federal government is adamant about going ahead with Sugar Land City despite the fact that even the Karachi Master Plan 2020 points out that the ecology of the area should not be destroyed by any project.

The Federal Government is smart (at least so far).

“Karachi has a coast of 90km, much of it with vulnerable mangroves that needs protection and preservation as an ecological system. Furthermore, the nature of the sea and the coast are such that any modification of the basic structure of the coast can have serious and far-reaching implications on the shape and structure of the coast through erosion and deposits that can affect both the ecosystem and impact on the harbour and access channels,” reads the proposed programme of the coastal development.

Something tells me these mangroves and corals will recieve more protection if the project goes ahead than it ever will if it doesn't.

March 28th, 2008, 06:04 AM

^^ The mangroves wont get jack, these same people will forget about them if this gets abandoned.

March 28th, 2008, 06:06 AM

These nutcases dont really do anything about these people, but rather only go after the big projects and the big $

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e78/Fahadzkhan/1134.jpg

Red aRRow

March 28th, 2008, 11:05 AM

Anyone against this project should have his balls crushed.

Dude I saw hordes of eunuchs on traffic intersections in Karachi. I guess the ball crushing had already started long time ago. :lol:

Sufi Pistol

March 28th, 2008, 01:35 PM

Karachi's mangroves, world's 4th or 5th largest, have already been destroyed by the industrial, chemical and 'Biological' wastes of ours. What these idiots are crying for? They should have gone to put a full stop where these wastes come from or atleast they should try to have all this treated before falling into the sea to save mangroves.

Stopping investment and consequent development for the sake of (already destroyed) environment does not make any sense. If this is true that this project would destroy oysters, mangroves or whatever, then this must have been true for the harbour, the hundreds of years old colonies along the coastline and all the development done in past along it..........

mounty

March 29th, 2008, 10:12 AM

GOD help my country

loot of illitrate .........always trying to stop good projects
:ancient::ancient:

cntower

March 30th, 2008, 01:23 PM

siamu maharaj

March 30th, 2008, 02:31 PM

For the ones who want this to go ahead, think about some of those people who have nothing except there homes! How can you be talking about high rises and developing Karachi by displacing them! Will anyone guarantee them a livelihood, a home?

Most of us are decently well off, but you should stop and think about the vast majority of the country who barely have enough to get by. I hate people from Pakistan who try and show one corner of the country and completely ignore the other, whether we like it or not it's there. Sweeping it under the rug is not going to solve our problems.

I want this to go ahead, but those poor people should get SOMETHING in return, not peanuts.
Where do you get the idea that they would get peanuts in return? Their proerpty is worth peanuts, so it's a good trade even then. I saw the area where the Lyari people were relocated. It's good enough for any of us to live. Not trying to imply we are better, just talking about what we expect from where we live. But as far as I know, most of the Lyari people objected to being moved.

You can't stop any development because someone opposes it. It happens everywhere, it's a fact of life.

pakboy

March 30th, 2008, 06:40 PM

exactly, there houses will not just get bulldozed they will also be compensated, and obviously they will be compensated at the value of hawks bay and not clifton of dha.

March 30th, 2008, 07:46 PM

The Lyari affectees went from living in shambles to living under a proper house, albeit in Hawkesbay so in all they all do get proper accommodation for their "loss" of their land.

pakboy

March 30th, 2008, 10:49 PM

the gov. also said they will make a new state of the art fishing village for them with all latest facilities.

well i guess someone else is paying them more money not to leave their land, i wonder if its linked with the judges movement and iftis sacking

Khanrak

March 31st, 2008, 02:22 AM

Guys, I honestly don't think its the fishermen causing this mess as much as it is lawyers hungry for huge cash settlements that are coercing the fishermen into raising objections so that the lawyers can get some $$$. And of course, politicians are on the anti-development bandwagon, because as far as I know, tey haven't been promised a dime for this. Illiterate fishermen aren't the problem, its the rich and educated lawyers who are using them.

siamu maharaj

March 31st, 2008, 08:08 AM

The Lyari affectees went from living in shambles to living under a proper house, albeit in Hawkesbay so in all they all do get proper accommodation for their "loss" of their land.
It's near SITE (the one I saw, in case there are several of them). I was on the Northern Bypass and it was about 3 or so kms. from that collapsed flyover.

singaporean

April 8th, 2008, 12:21 PM

KARACHI - The fishermen representative bodies and the civil society have called off their agitation programme after getting assurances from the leading political party in the government to present the resolution against the master plan of “Waterfront Project”.
“The newly formed government has also assured the villagers would not be deprived from their home, lands and likelihood in the name of developments, while centuries old villages of fishermen would never be removed at any cost”, said Mohammad Ali Shah Chairman of Pakistan Fisher folk Forum.
Mr Shah was talking to The Nation on Monday; he said that the members of the parliaments belonging to the ruling party have contacted him where they assured to bring the prolong issues of the fishermen into the assembly and will play their vital role to pass the resolution against removing their old villages and the “Waterfront Project”.
He added that elected representatives of the parties had also assured them that none of the project would be chalked out without removing the reservations of the local people. After getting such assurances the PFF and its other coalition partners have announced to call off the agitation against the government.
Earlier, around a month ago, PFF and Darty (alliance of fifteen none-government organisations) had announced to launch a protest struggle against the project; the struggle was scheduled to be launch from the first week of this April. The project, that had been launched by the former Prime Minster Shaukat Aziz led government in the coastal belts of the metropolitan, while the Project had also been approved by the current City District Government by their resolution.
Shah termed that project as anti fishermen, and saying that it had been launched to snatch the homeland of the old and poor Karachiites, while the project would deprived the fishermen from the homes and livelihood, more then one million fishermen have been associated with this profession from many generations, most of the villages had been recognised by the British government.
He said that, when they launch the agitation against the project so the political parties, including Pakistan People Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League (PML)(N), Awami National Party (ANP) and others those were in the opposition benches in the previous regime, had also jointed hands with fishermen’s representative bodies to gear up their struggle. Now these parties came in the power, the poor people hopeful with theses parties and they should do their attempt to remove decades’ old problems.
He claimed that, the previous government had adopted the anti poor people policies as their coalition partners were also parts of their policies, instead of initiating efforts for some welfare or betterment protects for the poor people, the then government had only interested to launch the development for only upper class people.
He also revealed that, the pervious government had adopted the strategy to establish another province in the coastal built of Sindh and Balochistan where they were about to settled the outsiders.
He said that if the outsiders would be established here so where the local and old Karachiites could go and from where they can get their livelihood, on this regard, the previous rulers were about to occupy all the three hundred islands of Sindh in the name of development, later they had also plan to move forward and occupy all the coastal built of Sindh and Balochistan.
Talking about the “Waterfront Project”, Shah said that, the project had been designed in three phases, while the work in the first stage of the project that called “Diamond Bar” is under progress in DHA area, and around its’ 50 percent work had been completed, that was about to followed by second project “Crescent Bay” and the third “Sugar Land City” that was plan to establish in the coastal area where thousands of centuries old villages have been existed from the British era.
He hoped that, the genuine democratic government will fulfil their promises and do their efforts according to the wills of the poor people of the country.

http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/Apr-2008/8/nationalnews12.php

????????????????????????????????????????????????????

April 8th, 2008, 01:49 PM

Around 50% :?

pakboy

April 8th, 2008, 08:19 PM

i guess they have done the ground works

pakboy

April 8th, 2008, 08:22 PM

siamu maharaj

April 9th, 2008, 07:57 AM

i guess they have done the ground works
It's crappy journalism at its best again. No work has been done on the islands. The project hasn't even got the go-ahead. A couple of months back, the Saudi Forces used it for war games. You can see the island from Phase VIII, and it's barren land. I think the guy wanted to say that 50% of the work has been completed in Crescent Bay.

siamu maharaj

April 9th, 2008, 08:00 AM

really shows you who was behind the protests and the people who didnt want this project to happen
Was there ever a doubt??

pakboy

April 10th, 2008, 02:25 PM

dude there were actuly ground leveling works going on over a year back,

and ye a 2 year old can now see who was behind the coas throughtout pakistan

singaporean

April 25th, 2008, 06:26 PM

KARACHI, April 24: Developers working within the DHA Waterfront Development Project have been warned against initiating any construction or marketing activity without obtaining environmental clearance from the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency.

The secretary to the Sindh environment and alternative energy department, Mir Hussain Ali, told Dawn that the no-objection certificate (NoC) issued to the DHA in the context of its waterfront project did not entitle an individual or group of entrepreneurs to launch mega projects without having submitted Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) or Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports and without having sought the government’s approval as required under the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997 and the IEE/EIA regulations, 2000.

On February 18 this year, Sepa issued an NoC to the DHA for a waterfront development planned over coastal land stretching from Sindbad to the Golf Course.

However, environmental experts feel that Sepa should have asked the DHA to submit an EIA report with regard to reclamation of the sea. It should have also invited comments from the public and held a public hearing on the subject. However, the NoC was issued by Sepa on mere submission of an IEE report.

Some Gulf-based contractors reportedly intend to set new standards for residential, commercial and retail property by creating three west-facing bays in one of the DHA’s seven waterfront zones. The project also envisions the development of an amusement park, a food court complex, a boardwalk, an expo centre, private beaches, hotels and desalination and power-generation plants.

Illegal investment invitation

Referring to the development of the commercial district on reclaimed land in the DHA, Mr Ali said that all quarters are expected to refrain from violating environmental laws and protocol.

“I too have received complaints that certain quarters [have already] started inviting public attention and investment in a couple of development initiatives in the DHA waterfront project, which is contrary to the rules,” he said. “The environment department and Sepa will move against these quarters and ask them to comply with the rules.”

Mr Ali also explained that the conditions of the NoC issued to the DHA stated clearly that approval was being granted for only the subject project, and any future project resulting from the approval would require environmental clearance (an IEE or EIA) depending upon the expected impact of the project and the legal requirements. In case the project was already shaping up, he added, the proponents would be required to let the department or its subordinate agency know about the development methodologies and the measures intended to be taken in context of ecological, environmental and social considerations.

“The developers in question should refrain from advertising the project in the media and inviting public investment,” remarked Mr Ali.

‘Perturbing information’

However, the recently posted Sepa director-general, Ali Ahmed Lund, told Dawn that his office had not so far received any request from the developers of the bay district.

“While the general public and conservationists are reportedly concerned over DHA’s reclamation of wetlands, the information about high- and mid-rise towers for residential and commercial purposes is really perturbing,” he commented. “Sepa will certainly not stand by.”

According to a Sepa source, the NoC binds the DHA, which is the proponent of the waterfront project, to undertake to comply with all national regulatory requirements regarding effluents and air emissions at all stages of the project. The proponent is required to prepare an emergency response plan for the security of all residents, employees and visitors to the project, and address any concerns raised by neighbouring communities during construction and operation.

The source said that the NoC requires the DHA to coordinate with the city district government and other relevant authorities over traffic management and nuisance issues, and to develop a comprehensive solid waste management plan that would be submitted to Sepa for its records and follow-ups. Furthermore, the DHA is required to submit a separate IEE/EIA for any enhanced change in the approved waterfront project.

http://www.dawn.com/2008/04/25/local4.htm

pakboy

April 26th, 2008, 12:25 AM

that is creasant bay not karachi waterfront

musiddiqui

May 3rd, 2008, 07:15 PM

^^wrong thread, the article is regarding Crescent Bay not Karachi Waterfront

singaporean

May 3rd, 2008, 07:32 PM

Mod plz.

May 3rd, 2008, 09:26 PM

done :cheers:

Karachite

May 10th, 2008, 01:39 PM

Manora Cantt Board going to Dubai-based firm

* Initial investment of $20b for development, hotels,
apartments
* Shaukat Aziz signed MoU in 2006

By Shahzad Shah Jillani

KARACHI: The Manora Cantonment Board (MCB) is soon going to be handed over to a Dubai-based firm for development, Daily Times has learnt.

The board’s spokesman has told Daily Times that Pakistan’s Ministry for Ports and Shipping signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2006 with Dubai World, M/s Limitless and Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) for the redevelopment of Manora Island. “Former prime minister Shaukat Aziz brought the companies in as part of the plan to attract direct foreign investment for beach front projects at Sea View and Gwadar,” he said.

The Karachi Port Trust (KPT) and all military establishments will vacate the island and hand it over to the companies.

The development will comprise high-rise hotels and apartment buildings in addition to beach huts for foreigners, the spokesman said, adding that according to the design, the island would be turned into a tourist resort with a water sports arena on the shore.

M/S Limitless is the same company behind The Palm Jumeirah and Jumeirah Islands and is known for its master planned communities.

Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai signed the MoU with the Government of Pakistan, according to a spokesman for the Ministry of Ports and Shipping. “The Manora Island project was named Sugar Land City with an initial investment of $20 billion,” he said. “It is very disappointing that the project was unnecessarily halted due to resistance from the fishermen community. A total investment of forty billion US dollars will be made soon by addressing all the apprehensions of those opposing the project,” said the spokesman. He added that investors had already suffered as they spent millions of dollars on the design. “It would have been easier for people associated with the shipping business and also the picnickers if the Manora-Clifton bridge was made with seven billion rupees.”

Manora is a small 2.5-square-kilometre island located just south of the port of Karachi. It is connected to the mainland by a 12-kilometer long causeway called Sandspit and a 13.4 km one from Mauripur Town. Manora and neighboring islands form a protective barrier between the Karachi harbor to the north and the Arabian Sea to the south. The western bay of the harbor contains endangered mangrove forests which border Sandspit and Manora island. To the east are the Karachi Bay and the beach towns of Keamari and Clifton. According to the 1998 census, Manora’s population was 9,987 and has since dropped by half.

Three types of civilians are residents of the Manora Cantonment Board: leaseholders, employees of federal departments including KPT and fishermen. “Most of the KPT employees left Manora after receiving a golden handshake from the trust and have now moved to other parts of the city, leading to a drop in the population,” explained the board’s spokesman. The fishing community has said that it comes under the City District Government Karachi (CDGK). “The fishermen were at a distance from the board and were located in Salehabad that comes under the CDGK administration,” the spokesman said. “The CDGK was responsible for providing them basic civic facilities and not us.”

The former chief executive officer of the Manora Cantonment Board, S.M Shaukat Najmi, retired in February. Irfan Asghar, the CEO of the Korangi Cantonment Board (KCB), has been given the additional charge of the Manora Cantonment Board.

Source:http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\05\10\story_10-5-2008_pg7_27

zees

July 29th, 2008, 07:48 AM

Limitless fails to finalise Karachi Waterfront deal

The multi-billion-dollar Karachi Waterfront project planned by Limitless is on hold as the Dubai-based developer struggles to reach an agreement with the Pakistani government to proceed.

Published: 25 July 2008 16:15
http://www.meed.com/news/2008/07/limitless_fails_to_finalise_karachi_waterfront_deal.html

Red aRRow

July 29th, 2008, 11:37 AM

^^I wonder how much is Asif Ghadaari asking.

July 29th, 2008, 12:08 PM

90%

Intoxication

July 29th, 2008, 06:41 PM

90%

:lol::lol::lol:

RANA AAA

July 30th, 2008, 12:01 AM

Mr 90% now :lol:

Karachite

August 6th, 2008, 02:34 AM

Political storm could hit Karachi Waterfront
By Suzanne Fenton, Staff Reporter
Published: August 05, 2008, 23:23

Dubai: The future of Karachi Waterfront project planned by developer Limitless is unsure, as many question whether Pakistan's political storm is the root cause.

Limitless yesterday denied that an agreement had been signed between the company and the Pakistani government, saying "only an MoU (memorandum of understanding) had been signed. That's all."

The Karachi Waterfront development is described on Limitless' website as a "joint initiative" between Limitless and the government of Pakistan, launched in 2005.

The project, a 250-square kilometre city just west of Karachi, will comprise residential, commercial and entertainment facilities. The phase I of the project itself is estimated to cost $20 billion.

Link: http://www.gulfnews.com/business/Real_Estate_Property/10234783.html

Chief Justice bahaal ho jain tu yeh project bhi chal paray gaaaa....LOL

August 6th, 2008, 09:31 AM

:ohno:

siamu maharaj

August 6th, 2008, 03:36 PM

It was shelved ages ago. Why do we keep on hearing about it? Just wondering.

zees

August 17th, 2008, 09:38 AM

$68b Karachi Waterfront project still in doubt

DUBAI - The multi-billion Karachi Waterfront project, unveiled in June 2006 by Limitless, has made no progress in two years and still awaits necessary approvals from various authorities in Pakistan, Khaleej Times learned on Saturday.

According to sources, the project involving an estimated $68 billion phased investment, is still in limbo and has been facing strong hidden opposition from the political parties in Sindh province.

They believed the contract to build a 250-square kilometre city was approved due to intervention of the former prime minister Shaukat Aziz and didn’t meet the necessary requirements.

“The project is still awaiting necessary approvals from the authorities concerned,” sources said and declined to provide further details.

Another source in Sindh provincial government said some Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) also oppose the mega project as the massive construction will badly damage the coastal and city environment. The NGOs are of the view that the proposed project would damage the coastal life as well as some of the mangroves near Bundal Island.

Sources rule-out that the present political turmoil in Pakistan is a major cause of delay and said opposition from provincial political parties and NGOs is the major reason for delaying the mega project. “Several problems are being faced by the local partners of the Dubai-based developer as they have to require several approvals from the provincial as well as federal authorities.”

The waterfront development project is part of the Government of Pakistan’s initiative to attract investment and visitors to Pakistan. It was the first international mega project announced by Limitless since the company was officially launched in April 2006 as an integrated international real estate developer arm of Dubai World.

The project comprising residential, commercial, recreational and entertainment facilities and will be home to special economic zones creating a hub for trading, manufacturing and service industries. Its first phase involving an investment of $20 billion was expected to build 20-square kilometre of property over 10 years.

“The master plan of the project prepared by the Dubai-based developer is finalised and awaits final approval from Government of Pakistan to go ahead,” sources said. When contacted, a spokesperson for Limitless said: “Limitless remains interested in Pakistan as a future market and continues to monitor the situation there.

We are currently exploring opportunities in Lahore and Karachi” The MEED also reported recently that the project is on hold as the Dubai-based developer struggles to reach an agreement with the Pakistani government to proceed.

“We are still in the negotiation process and it has not been concluded in with the government,” MEED quoted Limitless Chief Executive Officer Saeed Ahmed Saeed as having said. Without a final agreement, it is unclear whether the proposed project will go ahead. “It is very difficult to say,” Saeed says. “The problem is with them. They need to make a decision quickly.” Despite best efforts no government official from Pakistan was available to comment

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?col=&section=business&xfile=data/business/2008/August/business_August533.xml

Whiteeclipse

September 4th, 2008, 05:20 AM

Any updates?

Why is Karachi city government holding this project back.

affendi

September 4th, 2008, 05:26 PM

the bureaucracy in sindh and karachi is still quite powerful. getting a massive project like this off the ground is hard. and there has been considerable opposition from several NGOs and community members for making a project that will cater to the rich. i only see it as a multi billion dollar investment. thats all that matters. not sure if this will ever see the light of day.

siamu maharaj

September 4th, 2008, 07:25 PM

Why the mods don't lock this thread for good is beyond me.

brightside.

September 5th, 2008, 02:29 PM

Mushy is gone, so is this project. The current socialist government will never let it happen.

RANA AAA

September 5th, 2008, 04:12 PM

:ohno:

siamu maharaj

September 5th, 2008, 04:56 PM

Mushy is gone, so is this project. The current socialist government will never let it happen.
ACtually this was gone during Mushi's time. I said it'd be gone almost as soon as the news of it started flowing. What I said back then was 'if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is'. No ambitious project will take off in Pakistan. I said the same about those 2 islands too.

brightside.

September 5th, 2008, 05:39 PM

^^ Yeah it was gone back then, but if anything like this was gonna be built, it was gonna be built in his time. The PPP is too busy allocating bajillions of trillions of rupees for building homes for fishermen and other unemployed leeches of society, but they would never accept something like this that actually helps expand the middle class.

Instead their strategy is to build homes for poor people for free.

December 2nd, 2008, 10:56 PM

while searching for some other stuff, I came across this article. Its dated as August 21, 2008.

The multi-billion dollar project unveiled by Limitless in June 2006 hasn't made any progress during two years. According to recent news reports, the Karachi Waterfront project is still waiting for approval from varied Pakistani authorities.

The report further reveals strong, but hidden, opposition from political parties in the Sindh province. The project involves $68 billion and the opposition is based on a belief that the former prime minister, Shaukat Aziz, influenced the approval of the contract, which allows a 250-square kilometer city to be built. Unrevealed sources said “The project is still awaiting necessary approvals from the authorities concerned,” but no further information was provided.

According to a Sindh provincial government source, there are a few non-governmental organizations also opposing the huge project as it could damage coastal and city areas because of the massive construction plans. The NGOs have expressed concern about the possible damage to coastal life and some mangroves located near Bundal Island. The sources also claimed the present political chaos in Pakistan is not a reason for the project delay and that only the causes stated earlier are responsible. Continuing the comments, sources also said “Several problems are being faced by the local partners of the Dubai-based developer as they have to require several approvals from the provincial as well as federal authorities.”

The Karachi Waterfront development is part of the Pakistani government's strategy to bring in more investments and visitors to the country. As the first international project announced by Limitless after its incorporation in April 2006, the waterfront project includes commercial, residential, recreational and entertainment facilities. Limitless is an integrated international property development affiliate of Dubai World. The project will also house specialized economic zones, and act as a center for manufacturing, trading and service industries. The initial investment of $20 billion was expected to contribute to the development of a 20-square kilometer property area during the first 10 years.

Reliable sources revealed the project's master plan has already been prepared and finalized by Limitless. However, it's awaiting final approval from Pakistan's government to begin work. The spokesman for Limitless commented on the issue by saying “Limitless remains interested in Pakistan as a future market and continues to monitor the situation there. We are currently exploring opportunities in Lahore and Karachi.” The London-based MEED magazine also reported that the Dubai-based developer is yet to reach an agreement with the government of Pakistan over the Karachi Waterfront project. MEED also quoted the CEO of Limitless, Saeed Ahmed Saeed, who said “We are still in the negotiation process and it has not been concluded in with the government. It is very difficult to say. The problem is with them. They need to make a decision quickly.”

Without a definite agreement, there are many doubts about the project's progress. No Pakistani government officials were available for comment on the matter.

Source (http://www.aim168realestate.com/real-estate-news/uae/809/karachi-waterfront-project---.html)

brightside.

December 3rd, 2008, 10:49 AM

So what if Aziz 'influenced' the approval of the project? It's a great project, isn't it? Why wouldn't any Sindhi want it built?

affendi

December 3rd, 2008, 09:41 PM

if someone was going to invest $70 billion in pakistan and i was the PM, i would influence whoever i had to for the project to get approved. simple as that. its too bad our idiot politicians dont understand that now.

Faddie

December 8th, 2008, 09:40 PM

This Project is Impossible
Forget it Guys !!!

AAAJ

December 11th, 2008, 08:25 AM

This Project is Impossible
Forget it Guys !!!

Nothing is impossible ^^

swerveut

December 13th, 2008, 09:41 AM

This is not a political discussion page.

As far as this project goes, even limitless has taken it off of their website now. This project is DEAD.

MODS PLEASE LOCK THE THREAD.

samranali

March 14th, 2009, 03:05 PM

Any updates on the project
plz reply me wat is the situation

abidi2009

March 14th, 2009, 03:13 PM

Troll!

umiii

March 15th, 2009, 07:24 PM

just pray for this project to start properly.

taseer121

March 15th, 2009, 07:31 PM

^^ but this hasn't even been approved and looking at the financial crisis in ME countries and all over the world I think there won't be big money available for a year or 2.

syedahsaninam

March 18th, 2009, 05:54 PM

PEOPLE....PEOPLE.....WHAT PART OF THIS PROJECT IS CLOSED DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND.....THEY TOOK IT OF THE LIMITLESS SITE....

Ahmad Rashid Ahmad

March 18th, 2009, 07:00 PM

Any new progress?

March 18th, 2009, 09:31 PM

Any new progress?

Yes, you are in the brig...that's some progress.

RANA AAA

March 19th, 2009, 04:04 AM

PEOPLE....PEOPLE.....WHAT PART OF THIS PROJECT IS CLOSED DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND.....THEY TOOK IT OF THE LIMITLESS SITE....

bhai jan ap idhar (SSC) main koi aik saal say hoo .ap ko pata hona chaye k capital letter main post karna yahan acha nai samjha jata .

taseer121

March 19th, 2009, 12:50 PM

^^ idher CAPITAL LETTER mein likhan gunda gardi samjhi jati hai :laugh:

umiii

March 19th, 2009, 10:30 PM

hahah mujhe yad hai jab start me me b brige hoya tha capital letters ki waja se

Menec3

April 9th, 2009, 05:04 PM

HOLD IT! this project may not be sacked, because limitless isnt even in the project anymore its just dubai world and the Nakeel group (who are different from limitless).
So limitless ARE NOT IN THIS PROJECT. I am looking to find out in all these articles if the project is truly sacked.

taseer121

April 9th, 2009, 05:14 PM

plz provide a reliabe source and link so other forum members can feel satisfied. plus it will stop all the rumores and dis-information by anyone else. thanx

Menec3

April 9th, 2009, 05:22 PM

Well i can say the project has been approved thats for sure, so change that. Next is that the project is not sacked, just slow because this is the latest article on it:

KARACHI: DHA waterfront project discussed

KARACHI, Nov 25: The need for conducting a review of the Waterfront Development Project on a quarterly basis was underlined at a meeting between Sindh Environment Minister Hasan Askari Taqvi and MNA Khush Bakht Shujaat and DHA Administrator (Brig) Khalid Tirmizi on Tuesday.

They discussed various environmental and public interest issues.

They were given a presentation on the ongoing projects in DHA, including the Waterfront Development Project (WFD), and were informed about the measures taken by the housing authority to handle the environmental issues. The minister underlined the need for monitoring measures taken by DHA.

He said the execution of Waterfront Development Project should be ensured in the interest of the public while addressing the environmental concerns at all cost.

The minister was informed that DHA was making all-out efforts to ensure that WFD project remained environment friendly and address all public concerns.

The minister suggested that Creek City Hospital Project, a component of WFD, should be reviewed to have more beds than the planned capacity of 300 beds.

MNA Khushbakht Shujaat raised a number of issues of public concern in DHA. She was informed that DHA to improve the security environment was establishing a security company and planning to install surveillance cameras in the area.—APP

http://www.dawn.com/2008/11/26/local10.htm

Menec3

April 9th, 2009, 05:30 PM

Oh and its more recent than the article saying no progress is put on it. And im saying limitless is not in it because there are some other articles i found that didnt say limitless in it but only DHA, dubai world and the Nakeel group.

Menec3

April 9th, 2009, 05:33 PM

Limitless left it but that does NO WAY mean its not gona happen because another company came forward.

taseer121

April 9th, 2009, 05:34 PM

:okay:

abidi2009

April 9th, 2009, 06:12 PM

Limiless and Nakheel both have different projects!!

Nakheel has planned to invest $68bn and limitless will invest $20bn for 1st phase!!

Menec3

April 9th, 2009, 08:08 PM

Limiless and Nakheel both have different projects!!

Nakheel has planned to invest $68bn and limitless will invest $20bn for 1st phase!!

What about the pakistani gov?

Menec3

April 9th, 2009, 08:09 PM

We cant say yet that the project wont go on. Maybe its just and the gov now, i think i saw something which said limitless had pulled out, if i find it i will link it here.

syedahsaninam

April 9th, 2009, 08:13 PM

Menec3

April 9th, 2009, 08:17 PM

Limitless seeks more global openings after subprime

17 August 2008
DUBAI - UNFAZED by subprime crisis in the United States and Europe, Limitless will continue to explore more o p p o r t u n i t i e s across the world, a top official of the company said.

“We continue to explore opportunities that fit our global strategy, and the current market conditions could lead to more opportunities,”

Saeed Ahmed Saeed, Chief Executive Officer of Limitless, said on Saturday. In an exclusive interview with Khaleej Times, Saeed said Limitless currently has $100 billion projects in seven countries and will announce new projects in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and the Far East at an appropriate time.

“Limitless has nine global projects, worth around $100 billion of total development value, in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Russia and India.

These large-scale projects span over 20,000 hectares and will provide homes for nearly three million people,” Saeed, a civil engineer, said. “This year we have announced projects in Russia and Jordan, and launched new operations in Jordan and Turkey, bringing the number of overseas offices to 11. In July, we broke ground on Sanaya Amman, our first project in Jordan.”

Subprime crisis: Saeed, who spearheaded some of the most prestigious developments in Dubai, including Palm Jumeirah, Ibn Batutta Mall and The Gardens, is confident that subprime crisis will have no major impact on Middle East property market.

“Some analysts are predicting a price adjustment in Dubai. At Limitless, our valuation and research team undertakes continuous and extensive studies of the market, allowing for this kind of movement.” “In addition, as unique properties are more likely to hold their value, we are confident that we will be less affected by price movements.

Limitless developments are all about sustainability, and pricing is part of that,” Saeed maintained. He further said that subprime crisis, bullish oil market and rising costs of construction materials are unlikely to hit the company’s ongoing and future projects. “The company undertakes projects with pre-funding in place, so it is not adversely affected by these issues.”

Dubai projects: Saeed, a driving force behind several world famous projects such as Palm Jebel Ali, Palm Deira, The World Islands and Jumeirah Village, said Limitless currently has two projects in Dubai — Arabian Canal and Downtown Jebel Ali.

“Downtown Jebel Ali, our first project in Dubai, is well underway. Our first four commercial buildings are completed and being prepared for handover.” He said work on first four mixed-use towers in Zone-1 of the development is progressing rapidly.

“Downtown Jebel Ali has four zones, each with its own creative, sustainable plaza, providing a central transport and retail hub. Work on Plaza-1 will start later this year. Plots will be handed over to third party developers in the near future,” he explained.

“Downtown Jebel Ali will spread over 200 hectares and have around 320 buildings, 236 of which will be residential.

There will also be four metro stations, four new freeway interchanges and its own internal peoplemover system for safe, convenient and environmentallyfriendly travel within each zone,” Saeed added.

Arabian Canal project: About the progress on Arabian Canal project, the Limitless CEO said pilot excavation work is now complete, and the company will announce the contractor for the major earthworks at phase one of the development in the very near future.

“Arabian Canal has two elements — a 75-kilometre waterway, being designed and managed by Limitless, and a 14,000 hectare canalside city for 1.5 million people, being masterplanned by Limitless,” Saeed said. “The project will be a creative, balanced and sustainable landmark destination for Dubai’s residents and visitors,” he added. Regarding progress on Al Wasl (Riyadh), he said Saudi Arabia is a strategic market for Limitless.

“Al Wasl is our first project for the country, and we unveiled the master plan earlier this year at Saudi Travel and Tourism Investment Market — one of two major events in KSA that Limitless has sponsored this year. We anticipate that work on Al Wasl will start later this year.”

South Asia: In reply to a question, he said Limitless is exploring some opportunities in India and Pakistan to further expand its business in South Asia. “Limitless’ first project for India is Bidadi, a 4,000 hectare mixeduse development near Bangalore, which will accommodate around 750,000 people.”

“In Pakistan, we are exploring opportunities in Lahore and Karachi. We will make further announcements on these projects at an appropriate time in the future,” Saeed said. To a question regarding Karachi Waterfront project involving $68 billion investment, Saeed said: “Limitless remains interested in Pakistan as a future market and continues to monitor the situation there.”

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/business/2008/August/business_August534.xml&section=business&col=

Menec3

April 9th, 2009, 08:17 PM

When he talks about the waterfront, is he trying to say they pulled out?

July 28th, 2009, 01:00 PM

Limitless drops Karachi Waterfront development

Limitless, the global master-development arm of Dubai World, has dropped the plan to go ahead with the Karachi Waterfront, a multibillion-dollar project in Pakistan, and is currently reviewing its project stream in light of the world economic crisis, a company spokesperson said.

"As a global developer, we explore many potential opportunities, some of which will fit our global strategy and some of which will not. Karachi Waterfront never progressed beyond memorandum of understanding stage, and did not fit our global strategy," the spokesperson said in an e-mailed statement to Emirates Business.

However, she did not clarify as to whether the project was "cancelled" and Limitless had dropped plans to enter Pakistan. Karachi Waterfront project, which was announced in 2006, involved phased development of the 25,000-hectare site.

Phase one involved an investment of $20 billion (Dh73.4bn) over the next 10 years for developing more than 2000 hectares of waterfront property.

The investment was supposed to eclipse Emaar Properties' Dh8.8 billion into master planned communities across Pakistan.

The new city was to become home to special economic zones, creating a hub for trading, manufacturing and services industry.

In 2006, Limitless said the project was a part of the Government of Pakistan's initiative to relieve pressure on the existing city and attract investment and visitors to Pakistan.

When asked about the status of its $1.7bn mixed-use project in Indonesia, the spokesperson said: "We continue to review them in light of the global crisis. We have already adjusted the pace of development to reflect current market conditions, and will continue to do so."

In April, Limitless said it is currently reviewing its position on its $12bn mixed-use project in India, as it is yet to acquire land.

The company has a joint venture with DLF Limited.

The developer said recently it is aiming to produce the first Leed-certified building in Jordan with its 200-metre residential twin towers, Sanaya Amman, while in the UAE, its Downtown Jebel Ali project, currently under construction, will feature district cooling and eco-friendly alternatives to the regular transportation, among other green initiatives.

http://www.business24-7.ae/Articles/2009/7/Pages/27072009/07282009_aad87b3198894edd8b3ea53fbddc9ab5.aspx

I guess time to close this thread.