Before I come to the main point of this blog, I want you all to read this story.
Mr. Qureshi lives in a posh locality of Karachi. He earns a handsome salary and claims to be a true citizen of Karachi. One day, after coming from the work, he purchased a pan from a illegally situated kiosk on the corner of the street. He chewed it and spit the mighty red peek on the street. Then he entered in his house which was an amazingly spacious house occupying the public footpath space. His wife, Mrs. Qureshi collected all the garbage in a big plastic shopping bag and filled it full. She then threw it from her balcony and the plastic bag exploded upon reaching the ground making an awful mess on the street. Her neighbour, Begum Sultana Siddiqui, threw the diaper of her newborn baby on the street. After a while, Fahad Qureshi, 19, son of Mr. Qureshi, came home on his motorbike after vagabonding and breaking traffic rules. He purchased a juice from a nearby shop and after drinking, threw the empty box in front of his neighbour's gate. He didn't notice the dustbin nearby which is still for 10 years but is not frequently used. He entered his home and opened his social media account. He came across a post which alleged non-locals of tarnishing the beauty of Karachi. While doing so, he also commented against the non-locals putting all the blame on them. The family and their like-minded have a common thought that they are the cleanest people and all the mess is caused by the people who belong to other areas of Pakistan.
The purpose of writing this story above was to present the mindset of a specific group in the city. There is no problem in having a opinion whether right or wrong as everyone thinks from their own mental capability. The main problem arises when this mindset is promoted by people especially the influential faces of the city. This is the time they should be shown the right direction. They need to know that their opinion is totally invalid and is based on prejudice against others. Many of the times on social media, I come across many posts which hold the non-locals responsible for every mess in Karachi. Now I will not say that they are completely wrong as non-locals are settling illegal settlements and usually they take ownership of the city but the question arises if the citizens, the locals, take the ownership of the city or not. A few days ago, I went to Nazimabad and saw garbage all over streets in the residential areas despite well built homes with proper dustbins. Most of the Urdu Speaking people and Memon areas are the turning into dump yard every day. One thing is for sure that a baby diaper in a posh Memon area is not thrown by a Pathan who came from Bannu. Similarly the garbage and red beetle nut spits are not spat by a worker of Laiyyah, but by a resident of Gulshan-e-Iqbal, the posh residential area of Karachi.
The need of time is the fight and struggle against the faulty mentality of blaming each other. The citizens of Karachi feel that they are overlooked and ignored by every authority and administration. From local government to the establishment, everyone is limited to making statements and fake promises only. Karachi was once a beautiful bride. Elder Karachittes describe the city at its utmost beauty in the 1960s. Some also recalls that the MA Jinnah Road was scrubbed often until 60s. There were beautiful parks, iconic buildings, trams, footpaths, public places, and places of worship.
Karachi was among the important cities of Asia. Still it is but in past, it was much more beautiful and developed than other Asian cities such as Hong Kong, Dubai, Singapore, etc. People used to compare it with London, Paris, and Amsterdam. What else is the endorsement that Queen Elizabeth of the Great Britain visited Karachi twice. Former US Vice President Lyndon Johnson also visited Karachi where he befriended a camel driver, Bashir. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy was also seen riding in an limousine on the streets of Karachi. The city received international recognition and people talked about it.
The city never knew that its beauty is short lived. Soon it lost its elegance and glamour. Mafias took over the city. The healthy politics was replaced by racial and ethnic politics. Riots and bloodshed represented the city. Parks disappeared and were replaced by illegal buildings and offices thanks to mafia. Drugs and weapons were smuggled across the city. The gangs fought for decades like the kings who fought in the medieval times to claim the throne. This gobbled up thousand precious human lives. You won't believe that even sacrificial animals were shot during the days of Eid-ul-Azha simply because their owner could not pay extortion to mafias.
Today, terrorism and gang wars has been eliminated from the city thanks to the law enforcement agency, particularly Sindh Rangers and Pakistan Army. Mafia still remains in the city because of deep political and bureaucratic connections. Karachiites still hope that their city will revive its lost elegance soon and they hope see a better future for themselves and their next generations.
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| A dirty street in Karachi City filled with garbage. |
The purpose of writing this story above was to present the mindset of a specific group in the city. There is no problem in having a opinion whether right or wrong as everyone thinks from their own mental capability. The main problem arises when this mindset is promoted by people especially the influential faces of the city. This is the time they should be shown the right direction. They need to know that their opinion is totally invalid and is based on prejudice against others. Many of the times on social media, I come across many posts which hold the non-locals responsible for every mess in Karachi. Now I will not say that they are completely wrong as non-locals are settling illegal settlements and usually they take ownership of the city but the question arises if the citizens, the locals, take the ownership of the city or not. A few days ago, I went to Nazimabad and saw garbage all over streets in the residential areas despite well built homes with proper dustbins. Most of the Urdu Speaking people and Memon areas are the turning into dump yard every day. One thing is for sure that a baby diaper in a posh Memon area is not thrown by a Pathan who came from Bannu. Similarly the garbage and red beetle nut spits are not spat by a worker of Laiyyah, but by a resident of Gulshan-e-Iqbal, the posh residential area of Karachi.
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| A garbage filled street in North Nazimabad, Karachi |
The need of time is the fight and struggle against the faulty mentality of blaming each other. The citizens of Karachi feel that they are overlooked and ignored by every authority and administration. From local government to the establishment, everyone is limited to making statements and fake promises only. Karachi was once a beautiful bride. Elder Karachittes describe the city at its utmost beauty in the 1960s. Some also recalls that the MA Jinnah Road was scrubbed often until 60s. There were beautiful parks, iconic buildings, trams, footpaths, public places, and places of worship.
 |
| Mereweather clock tower |
Karachi was among the important cities of Asia. Still it is but in past, it was much more beautiful and developed than other Asian cities such as Hong Kong, Dubai, Singapore, etc. People used to compare it with London, Paris, and Amsterdam. What else is the endorsement that Queen Elizabeth of the Great Britain visited Karachi twice. Former US Vice President Lyndon Johnson also visited Karachi where he befriended a camel driver, Bashir. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy was also seen riding in an limousine on the streets of Karachi. The city received international recognition and people talked about it.
The city never knew that its beauty is short lived. Soon it lost its elegance and glamour. Mafias took over the city. The healthy politics was replaced by racial and ethnic politics. Riots and bloodshed represented the city. Parks disappeared and were replaced by illegal buildings and offices thanks to mafia. Drugs and weapons were smuggled across the city. The gangs fought for decades like the kings who fought in the medieval times to claim the throne. This gobbled up thousand precious human lives. You won't believe that even sacrificial animals were shot during the days of Eid-ul-Azha simply because their owner could not pay extortion to mafias.
Today, terrorism and gang wars has been eliminated from the city thanks to the law enforcement agency, particularly Sindh Rangers and Pakistan Army. Mafia still remains in the city because of deep political and bureaucratic connections. Karachiites still hope that their city will revive its lost elegance soon and they hope see a better future for themselves and their next generations.
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