It was the time when the subcontinent had cities with special distinctions that told them apart from other cities in the region. The Moghuls normally set up their capital at Agra, Lahore or Delhi. Agra is famous for the fabulous marble structure that is indeed a treasure for anyone to visit. Baber and his progenies unified the subcontinent in their respectively distinctive but grand styles of governance. Later Delhi became the emblematic city of the imperial symbol in the twentieth century and that is when in 1947 the subcontinent was split in to two nations. Before or even after the partition, the city of Lahore was adroitly remembered for its celebrated university, the outstanding colleges and its vibrant cultural life.
Pakistan inherited two mega cities of Karachi and Lahore. A decade or so later Islamabad was developed as a model city which was a big feather in the cap for the new born nation. But sixty four years after independence, the cities no longer represent the aspirations of a nation which should have adhered to the principles of saving the precious heritage as well as give new meaning to the very soul reflecting sumptuousness of freedom and thought in these cities. Though the concept of social evolution had been well understood and developed but it was in the nineteenth century that scientific discovery of evolution was made.
The policy to give emphasis on evolving creative cities and not just focus on infrastructural development is a laudable one. But ground realities point towards a rapid and gradual deterioration of environment in the urban communities. The cities are no longer being looked upon as places where people interact, do business and socialise. They have become the battling ground to settle the scores of something nobody knows anything about. In big cities one can find just as big a war zone as anyone can envisage. It is difficult to select the words to describe the maladies affecting the urban communities in this country. It is indeed a drawback that provisions of efficient road network and other utilities have not yet been made available to a large majority of the hundred and eighty million people in the country. In these circumstances, efforts to nurture a creative environment in the cities and towns would be a Herculean task. We need to move forward quickly to stem the rot that has already crept in to the bigger cities of the nation. For creative energies to prosper a supportive environment for nurturing the same is a sine qua non. A strong imagination helps, as they say, to bring an event. We build cities to house people and that they become useful members of the community. In socio-economic terms, the human resource is also an earnest contributor in the effort to further the cause of economic development leading to prosperity for all.
The other towns in the country look up to the bigger cities where social and economic life is projected to reflect as role model for others to follow. The master plan for Islamabad was very conveniently abandoned in the eighties. The blue area along the Jinnah Avenue was abruptly added. This addition resulted in traffic congestion in a city where previously there were adequate roads available for the residential areas on the two sides of this now not so wide a boulevard as it was originally intended to be. Traffic concentration further necessitated the creation of underpasses but the encroachment and destruction of green areas between sectors for building approach roads was not a wise decision. This has resulted in altering the very openness of the city which was the hallmark of the model of the city. Until recently, the wide and beautiful avenues in the city, the Mall and the main boulevard of Gulberg in Lahore have been catering well to the needs of rush hour traffic even after many decades of their construction. The wide roads of Clifton and the Saddar area of Karachi were once washed every morning. There used to be a feeling of freshness when one stepped out on to the vibrantly alive environment of these cities. We must revive the image of the city as a place for people to appreciate the beauty and soul of its environment.
The writer has served as consultant to the United Nations and other developing economies on the issues of trade and development and can be reached at [email protected]
