Karachi is a house to some very beautiful old buildings having clock turrets, but sadly the clocks are either stolen or non-functional due to a lack of repair and maintenance.
The clock tower of the Empress Market building in busy Saddar area is without any functional clock. This dysfunctional clock is an eyesore and the city government has failed to get it repaired. It is said that this clock along with its machinery has been stolen but no action was taken against the thieves as well as the night watchmen of the building.
Pasban-e-Pakistan President Altaf Shakoor has condemned poor upkeep and maintenance of the historical buildings of Karachi, including Empress Market, and said the government departments made for preserving our cultural heritage are not doing their job properly.
He demanded that the new clock should be fixed on the turret of the Empress Market Building on priority. He said corporation and companies could also be taken on board to install and maintain clocks of the historical clock tower buildings.
Aqil Lodhi of Lawyers Committee for Human Rights in a letter to commissioner Karachi has diverted his attention that the clock and its related machinery of the clock of historic Empress Market have stolen and now this clock tower has become an eyesore.
He also demanded to purge Empress Market from the encroachments of roadside vendors. He said that a post of traffic police in the area is providing shelter to the encroachment mafia and bus rerouting of Saddar area is also being violated by the transporters under the patronage of the corrupt traffic cops.
He requested the commissioner Karachi to take notice of the stealing of clock of Empress Market building tower and rampant encroachments around the building in public interest and do the needful.
