Karachi stands deprived of water and energy resources. All residents ‘buy’ water from the tanker Mafia, which operates under the cover of corrupt individuals; they have alternate electricity arrangements in the shape of generators, UPS and solar panels. They pay and hire for security, themselves. They build and beautify roundabouts and other monuments.
The government agencies are more a nuisance than help. Even gas is rationed randomly. A rightful question of the citizenry is: if we pay for everything that in other countries is provided by the government, then are the taxes paid by them meant only for tickling the ego of the politicians; they are allowed by the masses to roam around in a royal cavalcade of 30- 40 vehicles. In short, it is the private sector that is keeping the city alive and kicking. The efforts deliberate or otherwise to convert it into ruins haven’t ceased.
The roads in Karachi have one thing in common: they are all broken and are in a deplorable state. It appears that the target is to see and ensure that no road or street should have a smooth stretch beyond five yards! The manner in which we have dug up the city as if we are in search of an El- Dorado; soon it will qualify to be admitted to the UN’s list of heritage cities that require protection from further neglect and decay. Karachi, if left alone today, to continue its journey of sliding into an abyss of lost in oblivion, has immense potential to grow into the Moenjodaro- II.
READ MORE: OPINION: Karachi: A tale of woes—I
In the absence of government and governance, recently there has been a surge of pressure groups, who are demanding the powers-that-be pay attention to the rapid decline of Karachi – a city that now is bursting at its seams, with an exponentially growing population numbers; both by procreation and migration. In a recent meeting of one such group, a member claimed (alleged) that on the average at least 300,000 plus people migrate every month to the cities of Sindh province from all over the country in search of better economic opportunities.
The Greek tragedy is nobody trusts the figures of the official census, where the population of Karachi is deliberately put at 20 million people; while in reality it could easily be in the region of 20-30 million people. All mega cities of the world have in place a mass transit system; we don’t have even regular bus or private commuting facilities scheduled. The buses and the rickshaws are now outnumbered by motorcycles: stop at any traffic light and you will realise that your vehicle is surrounded by nest of motorcyclists. Given the security situation, a sight like this to many comes as a representative of a frightening situation.
The devolution towards local government has been halted. During President Musharraf’s era the city witnessed positive growth. Since success is never without parenthood, a local ethnic party claimed the growth to be the result of its efforts – nothing could be farther from the truth. In fact, Naimutullah Khan Sahib, the Mayor from Jamaat-e-Islami, did more work for the betterment of Karachi than any other politician or political entity.
The need is to devolve power to the people of the city. The resource allocation and its application need to be corrected and revised. If Pakistan has to achieve exports in excess of USD 50 billion over the next 5/8 years, it has to make Karachi a fully functional city. Why can’t we be as bold as the Chinese our friends are; they recently truncated the city of Chongqing from the province of Sichuan to make it a federally administered city due to its economic growth and importance. Chongqing is about the size of Austria.
What are we scared of in looking at the possibility of creating more administrative units? It will unify more than divide. Why can’t we trust ourselves and have faith in the common factors that bind us; those that glue us? Shying away like an ostrich sticking into neck into the sand will not take away the problem.
The need is to place power to the people who have to follow the highest standards of governance. Accountability should be ruthless and unpardoning. Let the local government work. Let’s build a new or repair the infrastructure. Let’s export, that’s the only way for Pakistan to have export-led growth and for that objective to be achieved Karachi is the lynchpin.
What ails Karachi is not voicelessness but that its voice is not reaching where it should. Neglecting a city is a first step towards neglecting a nation, said John F Kennedy. And, ‘what is a city but the people?’ (Shakespeare in Coriolanus).
The alternative thought is a verse from Lord Byron, ‘while stands the coliseum, Rome shall stand; when falls the coliseum, Rome shall fall; And, when Rome falls – the world.’ (Replace coliseum with Karachi and Rome with Pakistan – now re-read!). Can we not work towards allowing the future 20-year-old young man in the year 2047 to claim proudly that ‘In 1947 my forefathers inherited bricks and have left it in marble for us’.
If we cannot be equally powerful at least all citizens must be allowed to be free equally. (thought borrowed from Voltaire ). In the way forward towards the hundredth year celebrations in 2047, there is exactly the need for a new slogan based on peace and economic growth. Karachi from a city of despair to a city of hope is the only hope for redirecting Pakistan’s economy.
Finally, to rephrase Napoleon Bonaparte’s remark about France, I, vociferously like all other citizens of this city and country, pronounce, ‘Karachi, with all thy faults we still love thee’.
(Concluded)
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
The writer is a Senior Banker & Freelance Contributor