Karachi is the largest and the most popular city of Pakistan and it has the only (in a working condition) seaport and financial centre, as well as the capital of Sindh province. It has an estimated population of 23.5 million people as of 2011, and a density of 6,000 people per square kilometre (15,500 per square mile). Karachi is the third largest city in the world by population in a city and it is hub of banking, industry, economic activity, revenue generation and trade and is like home to Pakistan's largest corporations, including those involved in textiles, shipping, automotive industry, entertainment, the arts, fashion, advertising, publishing, software development and medical research. Karachi is also a hub of higher education in Asia and the Muslim world.
It was the capital of Pakistan until Islamabad was constructed as a capital in order to spread development evenly across the country and to prevent it from being concentrated in Karachi. Karachi is the location of the Port of Karachi and Port Bin Qasim, two of the region's largest and busiest ports. The city is located in the south of the country, along the coastline meeting the Arabian Sea. It is spread over 3,527 km2 in area. It is also known as the "City of Lights".
The city district of Karachi is divided into eighteen towns each with its own council and Nazim. These towns are Baldia, Bin Qasim, Gadap, Gulberg, Gulshan, Jamshed, Kemari, Korangi, Landhi, Liaquatabad, Lyari, Malir, New Karachi, North Nazimabad, Orangi, Saddar, Shah Faisal, and SITE. History of Karachi:Karachi is a union of different peoples and cultures. Before 1947, the city was inhabited mainly by people from the areas near the city, the people basically being Sindhis, Baluchis, Mekranis and Gujaratis. Karachi is a heart of Pakistan carrying multi-cultural values from all over the subcontinent and the economical hub, finance generator of Pakistan, generating 68% of revenue for Pakistan. In 1947 most of the city’s Hindu population left, and a large number of immigrants(Mohajirs) came from India.
Most of these are from the Urdu Speaking parts of India. But Memons from Gujarat and small quantities of communities from other areas also arrived. Giving Karachi a flavour of all the provinces and parts of British India. After independence a steady stream of immigrants has been coming to the city from different parts of Pakistan and made large Punjabi, Pathan, Bengali and Hazara communities to grow in Karachi.
In 1971 there was a large influx of mainly Urdu Speaking people from the former East Pakistan. In the 1980s a large number of Afghan refugees streamed into the city.Current issues in Karachi: Increase in a rapid growth population also increases the problems of the people of Karachi and are taking place in the city due to which citizens from all profession are suffering, from business men to school children and students. Main cause of sudden growth may be the result of political rifts and differences amongst the political parties due to which citizens are largely suffering.
Target killing and suicide bombing is the most rated and unbearable issue of the citizens of Karachi. On a daily basis tens and hundreds of people are dying in Karachi. It creates frustration and mental torture in the public because a death of a single person is the death of the whole family of that person. Mostly the target killing is doing by the political parties of different interest and the whole game is planned and organised by external factors(intelligence agencies) for some bigger interest. Double sawari (Pillion riding) ban was imposed for 3 days last year which is still imposed.
It has rapidly increased the problems for the citizens of Karachi and they are forced to travel in rickshaws, busses and taxies unwillingly paying unfair demanded fares. Knowing the problem that they cannot travel on bikes, drivers and bus conductors ultimately demand high fares and rents to their willing places and due to which they often misbehave with passengers knowing that they (citizens) do not have any other option for travel.The demand of unfair fare, other issue is the increasing robbery and looting in public transport. It is becoming the usual that armed robbers get into the busses, rob people without any hesitation and sometimes harass them and then get off from the bus at the next stop, no solution is provided for this issue.New trend of transport strike (wheel jam) is increasing, which is organised by powerful political parties and are being backed by the political party and mostly strikes are called for political motives. Yes! The motives are political but citizens suffer.
Like MQM did number of times in the past. People who are earning on a daily basis and run the family on their daily wages won’t be able to earn because transport is not available due to strike due to the larger interests of the political parties and cannot travel on a bike along with his friend because there is a ban on pillion riding in the city and the same goes for the students and citizens from all walks of life.Citizens, who were caught doing pillion ridings for some reasons, were caught and convicted in police stations and then later on released on bail. Youngsters and students suffered the most from this as they were forcefully criminalized and convicted to the lockups of local police stations with handcuffs on.
Literate citizens of Karachi especially youngsters and students are treated as professional criminals in the name of pillion riding and by convicting and locking them up, impression is given that the citizens including youngsters and students are professional criminals. Instead of terrorists, murderers and robbers, police lockups seem to be filled with literate citizens. Few days ago, a student of 1sy year (intermediate part1) missed his exam when he was getting towards his examination center at gulzar e hijri on a bike along with his brother and he was caught and convicted for pillion riding and missed his examination on that day.Artificial Load shedding another most rated and core issue of Karachi is the lack of electricity, which seems an artificial crisis, increasing the problems of the citizens and people got frustated. Karachi being an economical hub with thousands of industries and factories, traders and businessmen all over the city is suffering due to the lack of electricity as load shedding is being done during working hours due to which the economy of city is getting down rapidly. Persons responsible for the artificial load shedding should know that Karachi is earning 68% of the total revenue of Pakistan.
Everyone knows Karachi is one of the important city of the country so Enmity with Karachi is enmity with Pakistan and its economy.Not only traders and business man are getting disturbed and frustrated but citizens from all the professions are suffering due to artificial load shedding especially students. Sometimes there are examinations of all boards underway including Intermediate, Post and Pre Graduate and students are suffering from long lasting load shedding and their studies and examination preparations are suffering greatly. Besides all these prominent problems due to load shedding there are many domestic problems occurring which are becoming the cause of mental torture for citizens which is increasing the frustration among the citizens. In the extremely hot weather, lack of electricity is increased and then the frustration of the public is exploited by the political leaders. The lack of water and water supply in domestic and industrial areas is being affected, further increasing the problems of city and citizens.
The related officials are being silent and careless, with regards to the artificial crisis. It is a clear indication that this artificial crisis has some reason and might be a part of political feud from which citizens are suffering.In this regard, City council Naib, City Nazim and City Nazim extended their hands towards KECS and offered them that they are ready to cooperate on anything for the solution of the crisis but KESC officials did not respond to the offer, may be due to political pressures.Land grabbing and Bhatta wasoli is another issue that is creating a fuss and disturbance in the city.
Land mafia seems to be very powerful with complete political backing, taking away the lands owned by citizens and also government’s land. No one can dare to resist them as they are heavily armed and have political backing. Different gangs of land mafia clashing with each other disturbing the peace of city and if someone tries to resist, mafia excellently give it the ethnic colour. It is right to say that these land grabbers and land mafia are using the ethnic excuse to create a fuss in a city and are responsible for the ethnic tension in the city. This entire circle of land mafia, politicians and officials of law enforcement agency are responsible for the ethnic rifts in the city in order to save the illegal lands.
Use of drugs is increasing in the city and good number of youth is being targeted by drug mafia. In Karachi, some 2 million youth and children are at the risk of drug addiction, as prevalence of drug addiction in very high in this mega city. A Karachi-based NGO working on the issues of street children and youth reported to a reputable news agency (The Nation) that in Karachi over two million youth are addicted, and rest of the youth and children are at also at a high risk of drug addiction, as drug trafficking is prevailing in every part of the city.In Karachi the main addiction is of Hashish, because this drug is easily available at every nook and corner of the city. The main trafficking areas of hashish are Sohrab Goth, Banaras, Pahar Ganj, Azam Basti, Frontier Colon, Qaida Bad, Chanessar Goth, Dhobi Ghat and Massan near Keamair, Umer Farooq Colony, Mango Per, SITE, Muzafarbad Colony, Bilal Colony, Pehlwan Goth, Nata Khan Goth and Bhitai Colony.Drug mafia also seems to be operating with a political backing and law enforcement agencies have failed to stop the rapid growth of the drug trafficking in city.
Drug mafia also has taken the ethnic cover and under the ethnic cover their drug business is flourishing with the backing of some personals of law enforcement agency and some prominent political figures. Causes:All those who are doing these kinds of activities can be arrested but the police themselves are from some groups like 40 % is from MQM and in all 70 % police is from some powerful groups or political parties. This is the biggest and one of the important causes of the disturbance in Karachi.The ABOVE mentioned issues are the routine issues but when we go into the issues we conclude that the base of the issue is not arising from them, it is from outside of the country. External influence:These issues are known to everyone through internet or social media.
This is a natural phenomenon that everyone who is doing something wants authority and power in his job. As we know that there are several powerful groups working in Karachi having think tanks at their back. These tanks make strategies for the group to empower themselves, which is the ultimate goal. But when we look deep into the case we come to the point that there is an external pressure or external influence on these groups who provides weapons which is the ultimate source of the problem because when someone has got weapons , he must uses that for his security. Those external influences are in the form of Intelligence agencies (MI_6, RAW, CIA).
They create differences in the powerful groups of the area, and then they provide weapons to all of them. These external agencies are just targeting Karachi because Karachi is the economic hub of the country, it has sea port and lot of industrial activities are running there. If these agencies can manage to affect this city they then will be able to ruin the economy of the country hence they will offer loan to our country and can put their demands to us.Conclusion:We have to stop these activities by sending army or by taking harsh decisions because 10 % of the population of Pakistan is living in Karachi. Target killings and other issues are not bearable.
Government, our agencies and think tanks should take a step towards this otherwise these activities would increases and will spread into the whole country.
