The Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) colonial-era clock tower underwent repairs and restoration with the help of the German diplomatic mission in the country.

Berthold Rapp, a technician associated with the renowned Perrot Tower Clocks company, came to Pakistan to work on the historic clock that dates back to 1935. His company is best known for installing the world’s largest clock at the Abraj Al Bait Towers in Makkah.

The KMC building clock tower, which was last repaired and cleaned in 2017, was serving as a nesting area for pigeons and other birds while the clock had stopped functioning properly.

After Rapp's meticulous efforts, the clock is once again showing the right time, with the German expert also providing instructions to local caretakers on how to maintain the structure and keep the equipment, including the pendulum and the harmonic oscillator, in mint condition.

Rapp's arrival was made possible by the intervention of the German Consulate General, who responded to a support call from the KMC. Noting that the local expertise may not be cut out to undertake the mammoth task on its own, the Consulate General invited master clockmakers, Perrot Tower Clocks, to undertake the task.

“I am very happy to have obtained funds for this marvellous central timepiece of our metropolis. The visiting expert for revision and maintenance in close cooperation with KMC and its local clockmaker will, in addition to performing immediately possible repairs, present a status report of further options how to reliably operate the clock in the future,” said Ziegeler.