By Salman Ahmed
Karachi, the world’s 7th largest city and the Largest Economical Hub of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is larger than many countries that exist on the map of the world. Millions of people living here with thousands of problems colliding with daily life struggle to make their way for the basics. One serious look is all it demands to be scrutinized and you would find a world of far-reaching and never-ending issues.
Nonetheless, it’s a city that endorses such a magnetic power that Karachiites cannot live apart from its land. It’s the city whose mother tongue is the national language of Pakistan. A city even after being pushed to darkness is known as the City of Lights for its vigorous and exuberant attitude. It makes you feel at home regardless of your cast, community, religion, race, culture, or any sort of belonging. One can easily find every single culture of Pakistan in the land of Karachi.
Sadly, the dynamics of Karachi are not the same as in the past decades. Back then, in the days of her glory, people used to enjoy their business, life, and the enlightened environment considering the city as the land of opportunities. The city hugged them all like a mother fostering empathy, love, and fraternity and still does but it feels the same as someone who would only be contacted to say, “Need a favor!” or in our language “Aik kaam tha yaar!”.
The home of Founder Leader Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah though, even after 74 years of independence, still dreams to have a brighter side of its life. The city calls out every individual day and night for the same care it gives to the people residing here. The administrative authorities left no room for Karachi to grow and stand out. The ownership from the residents of Karachi has been limited to its own belongings and left the city belonging to none. Infusion of such attributes from the people either the residents or the non-residents has dried up the land. Writ of Govt. is challenged day by day by the influential and dominant individuals in the face of criminal acts which lead to an insecure environment and surprisingly government seems to be good for nothing. There had been a time when my city was listed among the top 2 growing cities in the world and the people witnessed the development work day and night. The city had witnessed the greenbelt which has been thrown away, a mass-transit system that has been battered by the mafias working on the ground, parks and recreational centers that have been taken away by the land grabbers, and what not the worst.
Karachi, a city of population over 3 Million, without any proper and faithful census, gives life to the people with very scarce resources. The economical hub has been destroyed with zero development of infrastructure and basic facilities for the Karachi-ites. Is this what a motherland deserves? I question every political, social, and other entity of Karachi! Karachi questions the reason behind such discriminatory acts. But the question is, who will answer? A stanza of Urdu poetry defines the situation well. تو اِدھر اُدھر کی نہ بات کر یہ بتا کہ قافلہ کیوں لُٹا مجھے رہزنوں سے گِلا نہیں تیری رہبری کا سوال ہے
Though those all have been broken and burned to ashes by mafias. People are ruined in lines to have the basic necessity of water whereas numerous dies on road due to electric current flow in rainwater. This is a very narrow reality for a citizen of Karachi. It is merely a dilemma that Karachi is the city which bares above 70% of contribution in national revenue collection and in return 2% is allocated with heavy tons’ gratuitousness. Karachi has no sign of 3rd tier of democratic government; The Local Government System, though it claims of running the government under a democracy. The people lauded for change have even changed their eyes over Karachi.
No one actually cares today that where our peaceful and enlightened Karachi has been driven to. But being a Karachi-ite, I still dream. I dream of a city, where people are not being killed or murdered on the basis of their ethnicity, cast, and religious following. I dream where there’s a Full-Stop over a nuisance. I dream where education prevails and development increases at the grass root level. I dream of a city where justice is never delayed either if it’s a case of domestic violence or sexual harassment. I dream where solutions come before the problem aches. I dream of a city where there is no room for extremism, terrorism, thugs, and other anti-state elements. I believe in brotherhood, harmony, peace, love, prosperity, success and a revolutionary leadership who not only rules the state, province, or just a city but also the heart of Millions of Karachi-ites, and for this dream, I have to stand up, I have to change myself. No matter what others say, what others do. The only thing matters are what I think about Karachi, my city, my homeland. Stand up to own your city so that no other person from outside dares to do immoral acts or create a nuisance. Stand for your city as this city stands for you. Stand up for your own worth at least, or ready to die being worthless?
