Pakistan: Karachi's iconic "global" landmark falls into neglect amid transit delays

Karachi [Pakistan], August 7 (ANI): A historic globe structure situated between the Government Islamia Art and Commerce College and the Dawood University of Engineering and Technology in Karachi is falling into disrepair as authorities continue to delay its proposed relocation amid the ongoing construction of the Red Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, Dawn reported.
The structure, popularly known as the Islamia College Fountain, was built in the 1960s and stands as a post-independence symbol of the city's dedication to education. "Its placement could not have been more appropriate because it is in the middle of two of Karachi's most reputed educational institutions," Dawn noted.
In 2022, concerns were raised that the 60-tonne structure may be dismantled to make way for the BRT line connecting Malir Cantonment to Numaish. In November 2024, Jinnah Town Chairman Rizwan Abdul Sami announced plans to shift the globe near the National Stadium to preserve it. "The town administration with the support of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation would remove and shift the giant 60-tonne structure," he had said at a press conference, according to Dawn. However, the relocation has yet to take place.
Meanwhile, the landmark's condition has steadily deteriorated. The area surrounding the globe is now "dirty," and the structure itself is covered in dust, with nearby construction work giving the entire vicinity "an ungainly look," Dawn reported.
While acknowledging the inevitability of change in a growing metropolis, Dawn questioned the social cost of removing such a landmark. "What is the moral or social cost of that replacement? Wise or caring authorities try and strike a balance," the report said.
It added, "The students who are enrolled at Islamia College or Dawood University need landmarks such as the globe to keep reminding them that each day, as students, we get to learn a new thing about planet earth."
The paper further observed that if the landmark must remain, "then it should remain the way it merits -- clean as a whistle. And if doesn't have to be there to make way for a dedicated track, then the condition that it is in right now reflects poorly on those who are at the helm of city affairs." (ANI)