Karachi: Bitter residents lament PHA’s indifference

[Naveed Yaseen]

By M Farhan Zaheer
KARACHI: Entering the main gate of the Pakistan Housing Authority’s (PHA) apartments in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, wide roads, well-finished parking lots and rows of concrete blocks and gardens come into view. It is a pleasant site until undeveloped parks and piles of garbage also come into view.

The apartments in Gulistan-e-Jauhar are one of three PHA projects in Karachi. They have not yet been leased, but they do have residents who pay maintenance charges. Every month, they pay Rs800 for security guards, a supervisor, electricians, plumbers, sweepers, maintenance of open areas and electric bill of street lights and water pumps.

The PHA Owners’ Association, the elected body of residents in the apartments, claims that the residents should know the duties of the newly-appointed regional manager, or whether he receives portion of the monthly maintenance charges. The Association has demanded that the PHA consult it in all matters of finance and general administration.

The residents’ list of grievances does not end here. In addition to the undeveloped parks and open piles of garbage, they have complained to the authorities concerned about the seepage in the apartments, but to no avail. “The PHA has not accepted any of our complaints,” lamented one resident.

The residents add that there are “a number of anti-social and immoral activities” in full swing within the grounds, although the PHA has denied it. “No such thing is going on to my knowledge,” maintained Captain ® Akram, Regional Manager of PHA in Karachi.

Gulistan-e-Jauhar is not the only place containing dissatisfied PHA residents. Complaints have also been flowing from Landhi PBC, where the PHA has another apartment project.

The residents here say they are not getting basic facilities and claim the PHA is negligent and indifferent to their problems.

ìWe are still not getting any gas, despite the fact that all dues to the PHA have been cleared,” fumed one particular resident on condition of anonymity. He added that even the residents, who were not being supplied with gas, had to pay their monthly fee of Rs800.



There are 544 flats in total in Gulistan-e-Jauhar scheme, out of which half of the flats are occupied. Few months back, PHA authorities let a multinational use some unoccupied flats on rent without the consent of its allottee(s) for a couple of weeks. The company used the flats for a big advertising campaign, painted the blocks and damaged the door locks, but most importantly defaced the original and brand new colour of the apartment block it used, and left a visible difference in contrast to other blocks of the project.

The residents lamented that the PHA had made money by a big contract with the multinational at the cost of their property and in the end did not compensate for the damages that the company caused to the property of residents. A resident of the scheme said that the PHA claims that allottees do not pay monthly dues which is the why the authority fails to provide required facilities to the residents, but to provide allottees’ flats on rent without informing them despite they pay regular dues is not fair on PHA’s part.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=126031