A library — inaugurated in the Chakiwara area of Lyari in Karachi on the Independence Day of Pakistan under the supervision of Chairman DMC South Malik Fayyaz — deserves to be commended. The library is indeed a worthwhile initiative that will help inculcate reading habit in the residents of Lyari who really love to study and excel.
While Lyari is only known for its bad activities all over the country, in fact, it is not just about drugs, goons and gang wars. Lyari is a place where peace-loving people live. It is a place whose residents love healthy activities like sports, football in particular. It is a place whole inhabitants are tied with each other in a bond of friendship and brotherhood.
Unfortunately, our national media has always portrayed Lyari in a bad light — as an epicenter of crime in the city. Due to the negative perception build by the media, people from other parts of the city fear going to Lyari and consider it as a “slum” where a major chunk of population lives below the poverty line.
Yes there were times when gang wars were rife in the city, but the situation has now improved a lot. Senior citizens of the area have taken responsibility of creating such an environment in their localities that every individual belonging to any caste could easily roam in streets of Lyari without any fear.
I also request media-persons to highlight the positives and create a good image of Lyari and its people.
Maaz Khan Burfat
Karachi
Published in The Express Tribune, August 29th, 2020.
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