Pakistan’s Wall Street remains an ugly, chaotic mess

Karachi

Pakistan’s equivalent of the Wall Street, I.I. Chundrigar Road, which begins at Merewether Tower and extends up to the traffic signal at Shaheen Complex, remains chaotic and ugly despite a revamping project undertaken by the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) on April 5, 2007.

All the CDGK did was to ban public buses from this road and replace old tiles on the pavement with newer ones. The pavements are broken yet again and are being used for illegal car parking at several places. The ban on the entrance of buses on the street has added to the misery of the lower grade employees of banks, insurance companies, business houses and newspapers. Open manholes can be spotted at several places on the road, ready to devour unsuspecting pedestrians.

I.I. Chundrigar Road, formerly known as McLeod Road, is not only the financial nerve centre of the city, but is also home to several heritage buildings and monuments. “By the 1870s, McLeod Road, which would become the main centre of commerce and trade, was already home to a number of prestigious European companies and banks,” said noted conservation architect and town planner Yasmeen Lari.

The road was named in memory of John McLeod, Deputy Collector of Customs, who had died “of a trip to Hinglaj in December 1853,” added Lari. The road includes several heritage buildings and monuments including Merewether Tower, the Standard Chartered Bank building, Mohammadi House, City Station and Finlay House to name a few.

However, heavy pollution, traffic congestion and lack of space have almost totally obstructed the ‘respectable viewer space’ at the historic Merewether Tower. This historical tower is situated at the intersection of M.A. Jinnah Road and I.I. Chundrigar Road, and thousands of vehicles pass here every day. These smoke-emitting vehicles wreak havoc on the environment, while the pollution is also detrimental to the historic structure.

“Traffic flow and bus stops have taken away viewer space. Traffic flow should be administrated in such a way that an aesthetic view of the tower is not obstructed,” said the Sindh Department of Antiquities Secretary Kaleemullah Lashari. Going forward from Merewether Tower, one finds a beautiful stone building on the right, where the SilkBank is now located. Then there is the old and majestic State Bank of Pakistan building – a sturdy tribute to colonial architecture, while the smaller central bank structure now houses a library.

Further down the road is the beautiful glass building that once housed Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI), where the late Agha Hasan Abidi wove great dreams. The road is also home to the head-offices of most banks of repute including the Standard Chartered Bank, National Bank of Pakistan, which is Pakistan’s largest bank, United Bank Limited and Citibank. The beautiful stone structure called Finlay House adds diversity to the architectural delights that this street offers, while other commercial entities operating there include the Mohammadi House, the Admamjee Insurance Company, the old bridge adjoining the Standard Chartered Bank, City Station, Habib Bank Plaza, the Feroz Sons Building and Uni Plaza, which happens to be the biggest market in town for computers and computer accessories. The godown of Pakistan Railways is a sprawling piece of land, while the street also has Muslim Commercial Bank that happens to be the tallest building in Pakistan.

The General Post Office (GPO), Army Welfare Trust building, Jang building, the erstwhile Bombay Hotel and Khairabad Tea House are some other historic places in the city. Bombay Hotel that once housed many small offices, residences and bookshops is now empty and awaiting its transformation into a multi-storey building. The Khairabad Tea House continues to provide good food, coffee and tea, and remains a favourite hide-out among writers, poets and journalists. However, in all likelihood, its days are numbered. Adjacent to Khairabad Tea House is the Ramzani Bakery that is famous for its freshly-baked pastries, patties and biscuits.

On Pakistan’s Wall Street is also located the Police Head Office, where tens of thousands of political, student and trade union activists besides criminals have been interrogated and tortured.