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Cantonments need to be abolished, and stricken out from the law. It's a colonial anachronism used int the past to shield British military from the local jurisdi

Cantonments need to be abolished, and stricken out from the law. It's a colonial anachronism used int the past to shield British military from the local jurisdiction. Now they just add to complete jurisdictional—topological clusterf__k. The same is for governments of other city's subdivisions. The lion share of Karachi's troubles is from super unclear jurisdiction over much of its function, with each player in local government throwing hot potato problems to the next one in the chain.

actuator 6y ago
Can't the cantonment just function like its own local body working alongside the other local bodies, with proportionate allocation of budget? I understand with the influence the defence establishment wields in the affairs, it has a greater say but isn't it in their interest to keep the financial hub of their country healthy.
- baybal2 6y ago
  Ideally, they should be, but there are just too many administrative divisions already, and adding 6+ more to them will not do good. There is a need to dramatically simplify the "topology" of Karachi's government. As it is now, just finding out who orders whom in Karachi is neigh impossible. One needs a special talent to think of a government system this convoluted.
  - ashtonkem 6y ago
    Sounds like the ancien régime in pre revolutionary France; the absolute mess of tangled powers, rights, obligations, and jurisdictions made well meaning reform almost impossible, and gave untold ammunition to those more interested in obstructionism to maintain the status quo.
sumedh 6y ago
Some Indian cities have Cantonments, I used to live in one such city. The roads in the cantonment were in better condition compared to the city roads and cantonments areas are much cleaner and well maintained compared to the city parts.
- baybal2 6y ago
  In context of Pakistan, a cantonment is still is what is defined by the 1924 Cantonment Act, and not just a geographical connotation. As I understand, in India, a place may well be called a cantonment for historical reasons only, while being a regular town/city/district for administrative purposes. And that law is defining it very, very poorly, and it is where the trouble with them comes from. Per the Act, a cantonment is “any place … in which any part of the regular forces or the regular air force of Pakistan is quartered … or is required for the service of such forces…” Now decide on the boundary of the “any place,” which has never been historically defined, and delineations of jurisdictions with non cantoned off area. Some cantonments never had defined boundaries, and grew to size of cities. Some, on other hand, began to envelop more and more of its host cities' area as definitions of their boundaries were reinterpreted. Another matter is whether garbage removal, or provision of other utilities in a cantonment a duty of its own cantonal authority, or a region/county/city hosting it? People who wrote that law wrote it before even electricity was a thing, and never though of such things.
- screye 6y ago
  Indian armed-forces cantonments are amazing. Practically the best place to live in India. Incredible schooling, all the resources you need and a level of security that provides a ton of freedom. I can practically pick out someone who has grown up on a cantonment. Everything from their demeanor, breadth of skills and a very special kind of cynical liberalism immediately gives it away.

actuator 6y ago

Can't the cantonment just function like its own local body working alongside the other local bodies, with proportionate allocation of budget? I understand with the influence the defence establishment wields in the affairs, it has a greater say but isn't it in their interest to keep the financial hub of their country healthy.

baybal2 6y ago
Ideally, they should be, but there are just too many administrative divisions already, and adding 6+ more to them will not do good. There is a need to dramatically simplify the "topology" of Karachi's government. As it is now, just finding out who orders whom in Karachi is neigh impossible. One needs a special talent to think of a government system this convoluted.
- ashtonkem 6y ago
  Sounds like the ancien régime in pre revolutionary France; the absolute mess of tangled powers, rights, obligations, and jurisdictions made well meaning reform almost impossible, and gave untold ammunition to those more interested in obstructionism to maintain the status quo.

sumedh 6y ago

Some Indian cities have Cantonments, I used to live in one such city. The roads in the cantonment were in better condition compared to the city roads and cantonments areas are much cleaner and well maintained compared to the city parts.

baybal2 6y ago
In context of Pakistan, a cantonment is still is what is defined by the 1924 Cantonment Act, and not just a geographical connotation. As I understand, in India, a place may well be called a cantonment for historical reasons only, while being a regular town/city/district for administrative purposes. And that law is defining it very, very poorly, and it is where the trouble with them comes from. Per the Act, a cantonment is “any place … in which any part of the regular forces or the regular air force of Pakistan is quartered … or is required for the service of such forces…” Now decide on the boundary of the “any place,” which has never been historically defined, and delineations of jurisdictions with non cantoned off area. Some cantonments never had defined boundaries, and grew to size of cities. Some, on other hand, began to envelop more and more of its host cities' area as definitions of their boundaries were reinterpreted. Another matter is whether garbage removal, or provision of other utilities in a cantonment a duty of its own cantonal authority, or a region/county/city hosting it? People who wrote that law wrote it before even electricity was a thing, and never though of such things.
screye 6y ago
Indian armed-forces cantonments are amazing. Practically the best place to live in India. Incredible schooling, all the resources you need and a level of security that provides a ton of freedom. I can practically pick out someone who has grown up on a cantonment. Everything from their demeanor, breadth of skills and a very special kind of cynical liberalism immediately gives it away.