Mr. Syed Maqbool Raza is a Civil Engineer graduated from NED University of Engineering & Technology in 1982-83 and is a life member of Pakistan Engineering Council and Institute of Engineers Pakistan. He has over 34 years of experience working in the Private, Government and Corporate Sectors.
Over these years, he has acquired experience in projects’ planning, costing/budgeting, vendor selection, design coordination, contracts, construction management, procurement and corporate real estate management, which included renovation/up-gradation of the properties, space rationalization, rent optimization and facilities management etc.
Before joining EA, he had rendered services in HBL, UBL and Bank Alfalah (2005-2014) as a Head of Engineering & Properties Management and was responsible for Planning, budgeting, and undertaking renovation of branches, office space and Greenfield bank buildings, etc.
AT: Before we begin talking about your engineering, would it be good to know your professional journey and background?
Maqbool Raza (MR): I started my career as Trainee Civil Engineer in September 1983 by joining a project management company namely M/s Real Estate Management Corporation (M/s Remco) when the said firm was emerging but was professionally geared up to contribute much to the nascent field of project management. The said firm started its first project namely the Finance & Trade Centre located on main Shahrae Faisal which was taken up by the then tier one DFIs and a few major corporations with a unique project funding model of equity sharing.
AT: Tell us about your role and responsibilities in EA consulting.
MR: I am working as Head of Contracts & Construction Management in EA Consulting for almost five years.
AT: What kind of services and programs are offered at EA consulting, and how are these designed?
MR: EA Consulting is a multi-disciplinary Engineering Consultancy providing complete engineering design and construction management services under one roof. Established in 1981 as Engineering Associates (EA) registered with Pakistan Engineering Council in June 1981. This partnership firm was transformed into EA Consulting Pvt Ltd w.e.f. 1st July 2009. EA is a full-service Engineering and Program Management firm, having its head office in Karachi and a regional office in Islamabad. EA has completed projects for Schools, Colleges, Residential Buildings, Heavy Industries, bridges & Highways, Water Supply & Sewerage, Hospitals, Town Planning, Flood Control, Topographical Surveys, as well as Electrical and Mechanical Installation and HVAC Projects in Pakistan. EA has also carried out projects for Bridges & Highways and Buildings in UAE. It has in-house capability and necessary software for various designs works e.g. MX Road, Eagle Point Packages (Road Calc, Surface Modeling, SDR Mapping and Design, Storm Sewers and Sanitary Sewers Design, etc.), AutoCAD and Micro Station, relevant software packages for analysis and design of water supply & sewerage system (WaterCAD & SewerCAD) and has also acquired GIS software like ARC-INFO and AutoCAD Map. EA has a complete facility available for image processing of satellite images and for developing a map of 1:25,000 or on any scale by utilizing sophisticated software ER Mapper developed by Australian firm Earth Resource Mapping. EA has a very strong survey team equipped with modern electronic equipment and well-trained and experienced surveyors, the preliminary and final surveys of all the road projects designed by EA have done by our survey team. EA has EDM, Total Station, GPS, and other modern survey equipment. The team of engineers / other specialists available with EA Consulting for undertaking any project is composed of highly qualified, skilled, and experienced personnel in their respective fields who undertake assignments using the latest techniques and sound engineering practices. A one-liner could be that EA Consulting is a top-tier engineering consultancy geared up to provide all engineering services under one roof.
AT: You have vast experience of working with different organizations and have worked in civil aviation, banks etc. What were your job responsibilities there?
MR: In the last almost forty years I have Alhamdulillah been able to serve in private, government, and corporate sectors all having varying working environments, and gained incredible experience in construction management, project planning, project design coordination, contracts management, dispute resolution, development of aviation infrastructures, facilities management, handling of corporate real estate from new purchase to off-loading inactive assets, rental expense control, formulation of annual development plans, formulation of PC-1s for the development projects and seeking approvals of the competent forum, etc. During this whole journey acquired tremendous exposure to new SOPs, gained knowledge, contacts, and market familiarity, and went through training, etc. that help a big way during all these years.
AT: Where did you enjoy more and why?
MR: I was extremely fortunate and the Almighty remained very kind that I got the chance to work in two top-tier engineering consultancies, three top-tier banks of Pakistan, and one government entity which to my reckoning is the best government entity which is developing and managing the aviation infrastructure and their own operating expenditures out of their revenues with minimal dependence on PSDP /Government support. I enjoyed the hilt at each of the places I served.
AT: EA is also doing red and green lines projects. Please tell us about these projects, and when these projects will completed.
MR: As, I haven’t involvement in these projects as such any comment on these projects may not be judicious.
AT: What should be the role of engineers in our society?
MR: A professional engineer must after acquiring the education pay back in the most befitting manner by becoming a useful part of society who is an honest, dedicated, inspirational, and positive contributor. The Engineers should after acquiring the requisite technical education shape the world they are living in through their education, personal ethics, actions, and services, and all their efforts must impart a positive impact on our society, economy, environment, politics, culture, etc. and attend other issues, like societal values, social justice creation of safe and healthy surroundings and above all become an inspiration for all. They must remain fully cognizant of the negative consequences of their inventions/works and must bring through their endeavors, technology, or scientific discoveries a positive impact on people, society, politics, economy, environment, culture, etc., and remove negativity in our society.
AT: The role of engineer you have mentioned, do you think engineers are playing their role today?
MR: Yes to a certain extent but a lot more is desirous.
AT: How important are architects and engineers’ working relations while designing any project and its success? What considerations do you keep in mind?
MR: This relationship is required to garner more as collective wisdom and effort would yield the most desirable product.
AT: What are the major reasons for buildings collapsing as we have seen in the last few years many incidents of buildings collapsing?
MR: The construction world in our part of the world has a tremendously large space occupied by people who have money and lust to maximize their profitability and as such, they undertake construction works very unscientifically and resultantly such incidents happen. It is my considered view that PEC and PCATP/IAP have to play a stringent role so that construction is done scientifically and methodically following all bye-laws and standards and managed and completed by technically qualified firms having all the where with all and resources full time.
AT: what type of problems have you ever faced from the owner and contractor?
MR: The constructors who are not qualified but are enlisted with authorities when getting the works awarded compromise on quality, create unwarranted claims, don’t care for the specified timelines and consequently the works are neither completed within approved cost nor prescribed timelines because of various compulsions. There are numerous reasons for this aberration known to all and sundry but effective measures are lacking.
AT: what are the considerations for building safety and what important tips would you like to give designers and the public at large?
MR: If licensed professionals in the respective fields design the projects they will surely abide by the prescribed codes and ensure the safety of the building and other projects. I would earnestly desire that the designers must not compromise on the essentials vis-à-vis health, safety, quality, and environment on account of unjustified user requirements or maximizing plot yield and must ensure that no deviation in design are incorporated later and the projects must essentially are completed as per the approved designs.
AT: Any message for young professionals.
MR: The young professionals must select the most suitable organization to start their career, strive to apply the technical knowledge they acquired during their four or five years stint in the engineering /architecture schools, and keep furthering their intellectual capacity through sustained learning that will galvanize their knowledge and make them a useful resource for any organization and increase level of satisfaction. In addition, they must learn and acquire an entrepreneurial skill set that will help them in the end.
AT: What are your comments on this engineer’s interview series? Do you think young professionals, particularly students, are benefitting from this series?
MR: Newage Cables Engineers Interviews Series is a good initiative and effort, and surely benefit the young professionals and students provide they have inculcated the habit of reading.
