Public and private control and contestation of public space amid violent conflict in Karachi Noman Ahmed, Donald Brown, Bushra Owais Siddiqui, Dure Shahwar Khalil, Sana Tajuddin and Gordon McGranahan Working Paper Urban Keywords: November 2015 Urban development, violence, public space, conflict, Karachi About the authors Published by IIED, November 2015 Noman Ahmed, Donald Brown, Bushra Owais Siddiqui, Dure Noman Ahmed: Professor and Chairman, Department of Shahwar Khalil, Sana Tajuddin and Gordon McGranahan. 2015. Architecture and Planning at NED University of Engineering Public and private control and contestation of public space amid and Technology in Karachi. Email – [email protected] violent conflict in Karachi. IIED Working Paper. IIED, London. Bushra Owais Siddiqui: Young architect in private practice in http://pubs.iied.org/10752IIED Karachi. Email – [email protected] ISBN 978-1-78431-258-9 Dure Shahwar Khalil: Young architect in private practice in Karachi. Email – [email protected] Printed on recycled paper with vegetable-based inks. Sana Tajuddin: Lecturer and Coordinator of Development Studies Programme at NED University, Karachi. Email – sana_ [email protected] Donald Brown: IIED Consultant. Email – donaldrmbrown@gmail. com Gordon McGranahan: Principal Researcher, Human Settlements Group, IIED. Email – [email protected] Produced by IIED’s Human Settlements Group The Human Settlements Group works to reduce poverty and improve health and housing conditions in the urban centres of Africa, Asia and Latin America. It seeks to combine this with promoting good governance and more ecologically sustainable patterns of urban development and rural-urban linkages. Acknowledgements We would like to acknowledge the following friends and colleagues for their input into this study: Mr Iram Saigal, Security Expert; Mr Nooruddin Ahmed, Advisor to the Institution of Engineers Pakistan; Ms Saher Baloch, Journalist; Mr Malik Zaheer ul Islam, Former Director, Traffic Engineering Bureau KDA; Personnel of Rangers and Police; neighbourhood associations of Bohra Community in North Nazim, Askari IV and Naval Housing Scheme; residents of Lyari, Orangi, Korangi and Bladia who spoke to our survey team; Ms Soha Macktoom and Ms Hira Sadiq for their multiple contributions in organising the workshops and activists of political parties including Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Jamaat-e-Islami, Dawat-e-Islami and Awami National Party; and Ms Zeenia Shaukat, Dr Asad Sayeed and Dr Jaideep Gupte for their insightful comments on a draft of this paper. We also thank Mr Hussain Zaidi and his team in helping us prepare the video documentary based on this study. International Institute for Environment and Development 80-86 Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1X 8NH, UK Tel: +44 (0)20 3463 7399 Fax: +44 (0)20 3514 9055 email: [email protected] www.iied.org @iied www.facebook.com/theIIED Download more publications at www.iied.org/pubs IIED WORKING PAPER Few cities in South Asia have been affected by violence more than Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city and economic centre. This working paper examines the impacts of the city’s declining security situation on the control and contestation of public space. It focuses specifically on the efforts of public and private actors to protect themselves through the widespread use of physical barriers as a form of conflict infrastructure. To help provide a way forward, recommendations are presented for planning and managing barriers more effectively and equitably, and for supporting alternative means of security for the poorest and most insecure groups. Particular attention is paid to the city’s ethnic and religious/sectarian politics and the limited capacity of the authorities, and their difficulties in maintaining neutrality in attempting to intervene. Contents Executive summary 4 3 Spatial security measures 14 3.1 Physical barriers 14 1 Introduction 6 3.2 Symbolic mechanisms 15 1.1 Methods 6 3.3 Surveillance systems 15 1.2 Structure of the report 7 3.4 Spatial manifestations 15 3.5 Effects 31 2 Socio-spatial patterns of violence in Karachi 8 2.1 Historical factors 8 4 Conclusions and recommendations 33 2.2 Spatial manifestations 11 References 36 Annex I – Workshop information 39 www.iied.org 3 PUBLIC AND PRIVATE CONTROL AND CONTESTATION OF PUBLIC SPACE AMID VIOLENT CONFLICT IN KARACHI Executive summary In its recent past, Karachi has experienced recurrent These spaces reflect significant state failures in the waves of violence and terrorism. The structural causes realms of security and urban planning, which have also behind the city’s predicament are multifarious, but have allowed public and private actors to intervene informally. been strongly influenced by national political instability, Physical barriers are the most visible and widespread regional conflict associated with the Afghan war, interventions that have been deployed. Other and migration and ethnic violence accompanying the interventions include surveillance systems used to partitioning of India. As a major port city, Karachi has monitor suspicious behaviour and symbolic mechanisms also become a strategic hub for the Afghan heroin trade, (eg posters, banners and wall chalking) used to an asylum for migrants and refugees, and an entry point delineate territorial control and demarcate authority for arms and munition destined for Afghanistan. Rising and political affiliation in contested localities. These urban poverty and unemployment (particularly among mechanisms have resulted in a number of distinct youth), ethno-political tensions, socio-spatial divisions, spatial manifestations: and governance failures have combined with these external factors to create the conditions conducive • Forced cul-de-sacs occur where arm levers, iron to various forms of violent conflict – ethno-political, gates and, in more unusual cases, walls, have blocked sectarian, militant and criminal – throughout the city. public streets, creating dead ends. They tend to be concentrated around gated neighbourhoods/ This working paper examines the impacts of violent apartment blocks, high profile residences, markets, conflict on the control and contestation of public religious gathering spaces, and culturally/politically space in Karachi. It focuses specifically on the efforts significant institutions. Forced cul-de-sacs protect of public and private actors to enhance safety and residents and other beneficiaries from unknown security through the use of physical barriers as a form pedestrians and vehicles, but have burdened the of conflict infrastructure. Case studies were undertaken general public by reducing accessibility and freedom to document these efforts in different parts of the city of movement. They have also prevented informal using field surveys and photographic documentation, vendors from entering neighbourhoods, adversely silent probe and observation, and key informant affecting their livelihoods. interviews augmented by a literature review. Workshops with key stakeholders engaged in security and urban • Disrupted footpaths occur where concrete barriers, planning were also held during the research to galvanise cargo containers, metal spikes, reinforced concrete interest in the findings and their implications for urban walls, bollards, and sand bags have encroached onto policy and practice. sidewalks. They tend to be concentrated around the boundary walls of significant institutions, police and The paper begins by analysing the major historical ranger posts and stations, hotels, embassies and factors that have contributed to Karachi’s declining consulates, and prisons. Footpaths are disrupted in safety and security situation and its spatial impacts. order to protect residences and institutions against This includes a focus on the city’s geographic location, potential intrusions, but this also creates additional urban migration and ethnic partitioning, and planning hazards for pedestrians by forcing them into traffic. failure and informality. The different spaces affected by violent conflict are then outlined. They include secluded • Restricted thoroughfares occur where cargo peri-urban spaces; low-income neighbourhoods containers, concrete blocks, and temporarily parked (including katchi abadis, or informal settlements); polling buses have blocked access to major streets. stations (when general or municipal elections are held); Restricted thoroughfares permit the control of apartment buildings; land; business and marketplaces; pedestrian and vehicular access by residents and the streets and public spaces; places of worship; authorities, but impede accessibility and mobility, and educational institutions; and spaces where women face create additional hazards for pedestrians. various forms of everyday violence. 4 www.iied.org IIED WORKING PAPER • Privately controlled public spaces occur where Support local platforms for planning and managing boundary walls, metal grills, cargo containers, and physical barriers more equitably – Physical barriers concrete blocks have encroached public spaces. They have become an irreversible reality, even though most tend to be concentrated around residences of political are illegal. Subsequent efforts by the Sindh government leaders, public offices and gated communities. to remove illegal barriers have been vigorously Privately controlled public spaces protect those they contested by ordinary citizens and other stakeholders were designed for, but they remove space from the demanding alternative