A city of fright

Karachis famous title of he city of lights is fast fading and in real danger of being non-existent if things do not change soon. For sure the KESC plays its role in depriving the metropolitan of its title, but the fear factor that is purely political has also infected irrecoverable damage to the image of the mega city.
The economic losses arising from a forced strike, often euphemistically termed as a wilful closure of trading activities in the city, are enormous. Various trade associations claim the losses from a single-day closure of activities to range between Rs8-10 billion. But the losses count can increase depending on the timings of the incident and the affected party.
"The financial loss to Karachi resulting from the closure on Saturday was nearly Rs20 billion; as the Eid festival is fast approaching and the weekend is normally a sale boosting day in Karachi, especially in the festive season, ...we are forced to keep the shutters down or else we live with the danger of losing not even our possessions but also our lives. We are left with no choice but to take the bitter pill of a days closure," told a representative of the citys markets body on the condition of anonymity.
What cannot be calculated though is the loss of confidence and loss of hope, besides, of course, the invaluable loss of lives. The panic that a high profile murder or ethnic clashes in the city creates in the city spreads like wild fire. The citizens have had enough bitter experiences of the past and they need no second invitation to lock themselves in. Those who don do it voluntarily are asked (forced) to do so.
Yet, the authorities seem to do nothing in this regard. At times, it is the political agenda that keeps the government away from interfering into matters of the city, leaving the citizens at the mercy of a few who take pride in running the show of halting life in the entire city.
Worse still, the media too, fails to report the events of forced closures and portrays it as if the whole city was in mourning. The financial hub of Pakistan certainly deserves more attention as Pakistan cannot afford such events on a repeated basis. The authorities need to realise that the losses are spread beyond the sphere of the economy and can have grave consequences on the upcoming burgeoning generation - because clearly, a youth spent in fraught and despair can lead to a case of wasted generation, and all is lost if human capital is lost. It is time to act before the city of light turns into the city of fright.