Our Journey
The Beginning (2015) The Banyan Tree Project was initiated in 2015 after the demolition of unofficial heritage Banyan Trees to pave the way for the development of the Old Clifton underpass. The Catalyst (2019) Following the subsequent removal of several Banyan Trees across Karachi’s Shahrah-e-Iran road in September 2019, Architect and Activist Marvi Mazhar assembled a committee of concerned citizens comprised of Senator and Adviser to CM Sindh Murtaza Wahab, Environmental Activist Tofiq Pasha Mooraj, Film Director Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, FM91 CEO Sara Tahir Khan, and Architects Arif Belgaumi, Shahid Khan, and Mariyam Iftikhar. Together, they campaigned tirelessly to preserve Old Clifton’s sacred, centuries-old Banyan trees – the so-called ‘grandparents’ of Old Clifton, as fondly called by conservationists. The “Banyan Tree” movement gains traction While the cause gained traction, they had yet to garner the support of the broader public. An invitation extended to Marvi Mazhar by the Lyceum school…