The Marvi of Sindh: ‘Bring back the city of Shah Abdul Latif’

Gul Hassan Kalmati captures the essence of Karachi in his comprehensive book about the city.

KARACHI: We have to bring back the mindset from the times when Karachi was referred to as the city of Shah Abdul Latif, claimed Karachi University criminology department chairperson Dr Fateh Muhammad Burfat.

He was speaking at the launch of Sindhi writer and researcher Gul Hassan Kalmati’s book, ‘Karachi: Sindh ji Marvi’ at Szabist on Friday. Taking a detailed look into the dynamics of the metropolis, the comprehensive volume about the city’s history and evolution gives a multidimensional view of the sprawling metropolis.

Sharing his views on the spread of the city, Dr Burfat pointed out that the urban villages were the most neglected areas of Karachi.

“History is silent in many places. In these instances, one must find a route on his own,” said Kalmati, discussing the obstructions he had overcome during his research.

“It is this distorted growth that has to be understood and stopped in the coming days,” said Karamat Ali, the executive director of the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research.

Meanwhile, architect and urban planner Arif Hasan said that since the book covered everything from land and water issues to the tombs at Chawkandi, each aspect of it should be made part of the history curriculum in schools.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 1^st, 2015.