Karachi: who’s the winner?
The long-awaited local government elections in Sindh were finally conducted. These elections should have happened years ago, and the delay and lack of interest in strengthening local bodies expose how…
Karachi’s lost glory
A metropolis usually features neat sidewalks, clean pavements, planned housing and efficient installation of utility infrastructure. Once known for all of these, Karachi is no longer a comfortable city to…
Karachi’s lost buses
IN an impressive ceremony last month, a new bus service was launched in Karachi to address the difficulties of commuters. Officials said the buses would ply on seven routes. Operations…
Karachi’s water crisis
PERHAPS for the first time, a newly elected prime minister on his maiden visit to Karachi reviewed the progress of various stalled development schemes. Upon his arrival in the city…
Up for grabs: Karachi
Politics makes strange bed fellows. This is adapted from a line in the play, ‘The Tempest’ by William Shakespeare :( Misery acquaints a man with strange bed fellows). This phrase…
Karachi’s ill-fated Circular Railway
The Karachi-walas of the 1960s and '70s recall with joy their travel to works and for leisure by the Circular Railway. This mode of travel with dignity and comfort was…
Solution to Karachi’s electricity problem
In the background of severe load-shedding in Karachi recently, NEPRA has moved finally to take some action under tremendous political and public pressure. Cynics or skeptics believe that nothing is…
Monsoon floods expose blockages in Karachi’s drains – and politics
Craftsman Mohammad Zakir, 35, who lives in a low-lying area of Orangi Town, does not recall the authorities ever cleaning out the stormwater drain serving his neighbourhood. Thorani Goth in…
For the love of Karachi
Karachi is prestigiously part of the world top 10-12 cities club, in terms of population. In terms of infrastructure, however, it would probably stand at the very bottom. A city…
Karachi-a voice unheard
Drowned. Submerged. Disconnected. Disman-tled. Dying. These sorrowful adjectives are not describing some mini-island of Indonesia but the largest city in Pakistan and the eighth largest city in the world –…
