KARACHI:
Back in 1947, when Karachi was first declared the capital of Pakistan, it was a relatively small port city with very few local inhabitants. The city also happened to be the birthplace of the Father of the Nation, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, and people from all over the country migrated here to benefit from the vast opportunities that the capital city would offer. However, even then Karachi needed a developed infrastructure.
Initially, the capital and the federal government welcomed all ethnicities and faiths to live in the city peacefully and harmoniously. Many people benefitted from the economic opportunities and were able to climb up the social ladder. However, since the 80s, the city has suffered neglect and abuse at the hands of different political parties and agendas. For so many years, especially during the Musharraf’s regime, Karachi’s destiny had been in the hands of the Altaf Hussain-led MQM. During this time, there were few developments in the city with prolonged periods of civil unrest.
The peace and security and the spirit of tolerance that was unique to this city suffered a huge blow. Kidnappings for ransom, target killings and China Cutting were running rampant in the city. Land allocated for amenity parks, including state-owned real estate, was forcibly occupied by mafias and goons. There was no sense of ownership of Karachi by the beneficiaries of this plunder who minted billions of rupees but remained unaccountable. The PPP cannot absolve itself of gross misgovernance and neither can MQM. What Karachi needs is a sense of ownership and tolerance by the majority of its residents. The residents must give back to the city that offered them jobs, homes and prosperity. They should hold the governing bodies accountable and demand change.
M Tariq Ali
Lahore
Published in The Express Tribune, December 18th, 2021.
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