‘Underground subways the only way to address Karachi’s transport’
Investment in young generation has no match, says CEO, Data Communication & Control, Samir A. Hoodbhoy

About thirty years ago, I had a dream that Karachi should have underground subways as it is the only way to resolve the issue of transport. Thus, I started lobbying for a 20-year plan, as did US President John F. Kennedy to send a man to the moon in ten years. Our objective was to learn about technologies which we could not procure or purchase. We were supposed to pursue such technologies through introducing a variety of courses in our engineering universities. The initial stage of the program was to teach students the required technology at our universities. We thought about a coordinated plan under which the final year projects were based on those technologies we were supposed to require for our infrastructure projects. We made a plan during the days of Dr. Attai-ur-Rehman and Abdul Kalam (the then Vice Chancellor of NED University) cost Rs20 crore. The Planning Commission, HEC and City Nazim agreed upon the project which could not be allowed to pass through approval. There are some people who are against the process.
Even now, it is not too late. We have to plan for our future generations as our population continues to grow in numbers. It is not difficult, as technology is progressing, so in fact. What we need is the right guy to lead the process.
ER: We need to create a complete echo system including government, industry and academia. You are involved at UIT University Karachi. Do you think the education being given in universities is enough to address the priority areas in Pakistan?
You need to establish a set of priorities. Once, we had a Planning Commission which, I think, is not here anymore and also the governments at the center are not stable. Who will be the spokesperson for the engineering community? PEC? Right people must join hands, they must lobby and speak out, keeping their individual interests at bay. Then you need financial backing like 1 to 2 million dollars for planning infrastructure through the right technologies for the future. A board should be constituted with people who work on an honorary basis. Once, we had luminaries in the country like Dr. Abdul Salam, but now we are running short of such a kind.
ER: The government has constituted a body which, as claimed, will attract US$50 billion
FDI. Is it a step in the right direction?
Why do you need FDI for everything? What we need is our young generation who should build the country. Nobody will give you money without interest. They expect something. Local infrastructure is important and needs something to attract investment. For example, like India, it has health parks where the patients have all the facilities. We have very good hospitals here which should be used for health tourism. We can invest in tourism also. We have eleven hundred kilometers of coastline where we can attract people from abroad.
We are an arid country and in the desert we need to move to arid irrigation through the use of technologies. Also, we need to introduce drip irrigation along with the introduction of new seeds. In this field we need some research. China has offered agro technologies to Pakistan. – Manzoor Shaikh