Westerners can’t compete with Bahria Town residents in lifestyle: Malik Riaz
KARACHI:
Founder and Chairman Bahria Town Malik Riaz says it is his passion and
desire to develop Pakistan on a par with the US, Dubai and London.
He expressed these views in an exclusive talk with Geo here on Friday.Referring to the Clifton Flyover and Underpasses inaugurated on Friday, when the anchor asked why the private sector launched such projects which were deemed to be launched by the governments, he said: “Our people should have better education, and heath facilities but we are not working in any sector.
Seeing cleanliness of this underpass, the rest of Karachi may be cleaned. Bahria Town will pay its bills and we have linked it with our ‘Icon’. The Sindh government has nothing to pay for cleaning, or electricity.”
He said the project should have been completed in five months but it took one full year. “We spent seven months on dealing with the court cases and stay orders. I’m thankful to the court that allowed us to start work.”Asked what the Bahria Town would do to deal with problems like the accumulation of rainwater in the underpasses, he said if technical procedures are followed properly, water does not gather in any underpass of the world.
“God willing, not a drop of water would gather here.” He said the Bahria Town administration will ensure maintenance of latest lights throughout their lives. “Bahria Town will do it; we’ll pay all the expenditure including electricity bills.
Asked how the Bahria Town administration will deal with the problem of wall-chalking, Malik Riaz said wall-chalking could not be done on the tiles which they had used in the underpass. When asked how much the Metro Bus, which will run from Bahria Town to Tower, will facilitate the residents of Bahria Town, he said they were not only catering to the Bahria Town, but also to the entire Karachi.
“About 370,000 people will travel on the Metro Bus daily. We have signed an MoU with Daewoo in this regard. We want to start this project tomorrow if hurdles are removed in our way. Once Sindh government procedures are complete and tenders are announced, other people should also come so that there is no stay order or other problem. Bahria Town is investing money at a distance of 45km. We have not got a go-ahead so far. We, however, have got proposal, design, feasibility and environmental approval, thank God.”
The Bahria Town chief guaranteed that if hurdles were removed tomorrow, they will start work day after tomorrow.“You will be traveling in Metro Bus on the 10th or 11th month.” Talking about the bus route and the fare, he said the service would cover the whole of Karachi.
“Its first phase is 45KM and second 28 KM. Its subsidized fare will be Rs20. It will follow the pattern of Lahore and Islamabad. I appreciate Mian Shahbaz Sharif for doing a good job there. Seeing him, we have started work here.”
Asked if he wanted the people of Pakistan to have the same lifestyle enjoyed by the westerners, Malik Riaz said Bahria Town had provided a lifestyle far better than the one being enjoyed by the westerners.
“The cine club, parks, mosques that Bahria Town has built have no precedent the world over. I throw you a challenge that we can be competed anywhere in the world.”When the anchor asked if he was going to build the third biggest mosque of the world after Harmain Sharifain, Mr. Malik said: “You cannot compete with that. We say our mosque can house 800,000 worshipers. Disney Park is being built at a cost of Rs6 billion. Night Safari Singapore is under construction. Clubs, cinema, schools and hospitals are being built in Bahria Town. The residents of Bahria Town do not go outside.”
Mr. Malik said he was not afraid of problems and hurdles in his projects. “Problems are profit and God helps us.”The Bahria Town chief said he had read somewhere that all heroes had to face problems. “You want to do something but others want to stop you. They want to take Pakistan back to Stone Age. We can develop and be prosperous if the judiciary, the army, politicians and bureaucrats united on one platform. We have to bring our money to Pakistan to run it. The biggest problem the country has been facing availability of clean drinking water. Diseases like cancer and hepatitis are spreading. All our resources are in the service of the nation. Millions of people are treated in our hospitals. You will get double the amount you spent on welfare.”
Fasahat Mohiuddin adds from Karachi: Bahria Town Flyover and underpass were inaugurated here on Friday costing Rs1.8 billion.
Bahria Town chairman Malik Riaz said in two years he could put Pakistan ahead of the US and Europe if the army, bureaucrats, political leader, judges and all stakeholders unite on single platform.
The oldest worker of Bahria Town, Ghulam Jillani, 70, a carpenter, cut the ribbon along with Malik Riaz on the Labour Day. Riaz said Jillani’s family was going on Umrah financed by the Bahria Town. Malik said new projects would be inaugurated by their workers after their completion.
Zain Malik, Vice Chief Executive of Bahria Town, and KMC Administrator Saqib Ahmed Soomro were also present on the occasion.“This is a gift to the KMC and Karachi. I am thankful to the KMC, KE and SSGC for providing services for this project free of cost.”
The cost of the project is Rs1.8 billion and its name is Bahria Town Flyover and Underpasses. It comprises three underpasses and two underground pedestrian passes.
Riaz said all the credit for completion of this project goes to Mustafa Kamal, former city Nazim Karachi. Malik said he had first time visited this place to cut the tape and right from designing and completion of this project credit went to Mustafa Kamal. He said Mustafa Kamal had worked day and night for the completion of this project.
Riaz said Mustafa Kamal loved Karachi and Pakistan. He said Pakistan was right now the most underdeveloped country in the world and it could develop if local investors invest their money instead of making investments abroad.
Riaz said foreign investors asked them if local investors were not investing in Pakistan then why they should do it.Malik urged judges not to give stay orders in development projects. “I also urge judges that before giving stay orders, they should also hear the other party.”
He said Bus Rapid Transit System will be started and this had been extended to the DHA. Replying to a question that why public sector projects were not completed in which political leaders were involved, Malik Riaz said they were all corrupt.“If a desert like Dubai could get so much development and progress, why not Karachi?”
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He expressed these views in an exclusive talk with Geo here on Friday.Referring to the Clifton Flyover and Underpasses inaugurated on Friday, when the anchor asked why the private sector launched such projects which were deemed to be launched by the governments, he said: “Our people should have better education, and heath facilities but we are not working in any sector.
Seeing cleanliness of this underpass, the rest of Karachi may be cleaned. Bahria Town will pay its bills and we have linked it with our ‘Icon’. The Sindh government has nothing to pay for cleaning, or electricity.”
He said the project should have been completed in five months but it took one full year. “We spent seven months on dealing with the court cases and stay orders. I’m thankful to the court that allowed us to start work.”Asked what the Bahria Town would do to deal with problems like the accumulation of rainwater in the underpasses, he said if technical procedures are followed properly, water does not gather in any underpass of the world.
“God willing, not a drop of water would gather here.” He said the Bahria Town administration will ensure maintenance of latest lights throughout their lives. “Bahria Town will do it; we’ll pay all the expenditure including electricity bills.
Asked how the Bahria Town administration will deal with the problem of wall-chalking, Malik Riaz said wall-chalking could not be done on the tiles which they had used in the underpass. When asked how much the Metro Bus, which will run from Bahria Town to Tower, will facilitate the residents of Bahria Town, he said they were not only catering to the Bahria Town, but also to the entire Karachi.
“About 370,000 people will travel on the Metro Bus daily. We have signed an MoU with Daewoo in this regard. We want to start this project tomorrow if hurdles are removed in our way. Once Sindh government procedures are complete and tenders are announced, other people should also come so that there is no stay order or other problem. Bahria Town is investing money at a distance of 45km. We have not got a go-ahead so far. We, however, have got proposal, design, feasibility and environmental approval, thank God.”
The Bahria Town chief guaranteed that if hurdles were removed tomorrow, they will start work day after tomorrow.“You will be traveling in Metro Bus on the 10th or 11th month.” Talking about the bus route and the fare, he said the service would cover the whole of Karachi.
“Its first phase is 45KM and second 28 KM. Its subsidized fare will be Rs20. It will follow the pattern of Lahore and Islamabad. I appreciate Mian Shahbaz Sharif for doing a good job there. Seeing him, we have started work here.”
Asked if he wanted the people of Pakistan to have the same lifestyle enjoyed by the westerners, Malik Riaz said Bahria Town had provided a lifestyle far better than the one being enjoyed by the westerners.
“The cine club, parks, mosques that Bahria Town has built have no precedent the world over. I throw you a challenge that we can be competed anywhere in the world.”When the anchor asked if he was going to build the third biggest mosque of the world after Harmain Sharifain, Mr. Malik said: “You cannot compete with that. We say our mosque can house 800,000 worshipers. Disney Park is being built at a cost of Rs6 billion. Night Safari Singapore is under construction. Clubs, cinema, schools and hospitals are being built in Bahria Town. The residents of Bahria Town do not go outside.”
Mr. Malik said he was not afraid of problems and hurdles in his projects. “Problems are profit and God helps us.”The Bahria Town chief said he had read somewhere that all heroes had to face problems. “You want to do something but others want to stop you. They want to take Pakistan back to Stone Age. We can develop and be prosperous if the judiciary, the army, politicians and bureaucrats united on one platform. We have to bring our money to Pakistan to run it. The biggest problem the country has been facing availability of clean drinking water. Diseases like cancer and hepatitis are spreading. All our resources are in the service of the nation. Millions of people are treated in our hospitals. You will get double the amount you spent on welfare.”
Fasahat Mohiuddin adds from Karachi: Bahria Town Flyover and underpass were inaugurated here on Friday costing Rs1.8 billion.
Bahria Town chairman Malik Riaz said in two years he could put Pakistan ahead of the US and Europe if the army, bureaucrats, political leader, judges and all stakeholders unite on single platform.
The oldest worker of Bahria Town, Ghulam Jillani, 70, a carpenter, cut the ribbon along with Malik Riaz on the Labour Day. Riaz said Jillani’s family was going on Umrah financed by the Bahria Town. Malik said new projects would be inaugurated by their workers after their completion.
Zain Malik, Vice Chief Executive of Bahria Town, and KMC Administrator Saqib Ahmed Soomro were also present on the occasion.“This is a gift to the KMC and Karachi. I am thankful to the KMC, KE and SSGC for providing services for this project free of cost.”
The cost of the project is Rs1.8 billion and its name is Bahria Town Flyover and Underpasses. It comprises three underpasses and two underground pedestrian passes.
Riaz said all the credit for completion of this project goes to Mustafa Kamal, former city Nazim Karachi. Malik said he had first time visited this place to cut the tape and right from designing and completion of this project credit went to Mustafa Kamal. He said Mustafa Kamal had worked day and night for the completion of this project.
Riaz said Mustafa Kamal loved Karachi and Pakistan. He said Pakistan was right now the most underdeveloped country in the world and it could develop if local investors invest their money instead of making investments abroad.
Riaz said foreign investors asked them if local investors were not investing in Pakistan then why they should do it.Malik urged judges not to give stay orders in development projects. “I also urge judges that before giving stay orders, they should also hear the other party.”
He said Bus Rapid Transit System will be started and this had been extended to the DHA. Replying to a question that why public sector projects were not completed in which political leaders were involved, Malik Riaz said they were all corrupt.“If a desert like Dubai could get so much development and progress, why not Karachi?”
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