Annoyances and eyesores.

Byline: Shazia Hasan

KARACHI -- The first time that one noticed those plastic pots with artificial flowers and leaves hanging from poles near Kala Pul one wondered about their significance. Were they there to add beauty to their surroundings? Since when do plastic flowers add beauty to anything? Though plastic flowers are used for decoration indoors, why were they being used to do the same outdoors? And above all, one frowned at the thought of them still hanging from those poles when dirty.

Well, it happened. The white flowers are now brown, the red ones gray with all the dust and smoke in the air and no one thinks of cleaning them or getting rid of them now that they are so dirty. They were quite unnecessary from the start and now instead of lending beauty to the place, which, mind you, they never did to begin with, they are an eyesore.

It wasn't so long ago when after the new round golden hanging street lights on Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road on which is located the Chief Minister House were installed, a slightly different kind of lights with one light slightly higher than the other lit up the Clifton Bridge nearby. The poles and fixtures on these lights with white shades were black; they are brown with rust now with some of the shades broken as well. Obviously, things such as cleaning and maintenance didn't cross anyone's mind after installing the new lights.

A tattered and torn Pakistan flag flying high.

Turning towards Hoshang Road one would also find a fallen light pole. It has just been laying there on the side of the road near the divider for days.

It took a while for those in charge to come up with a suitable design for the KPT Underpass...