In 1947, Karachi was better than Mumbai in terms of governance, civic infrastructure and local services. Now, Mumbai fares far better in all these respects. I was drawn into this comparison as I came across your editorial ‘Karachi’s Plight’, which mentioned that double-decker buses move slowly and cause traffic jams, besides having a high maintenance cost.
I think that by now, Karachi should have had a modern circular railway system, apart from BRTs and Metros.
But Karachi remains neglected ever since the partition. And one major reason of the step-motherly treatment being meted out to Karachi is that the party ruling the Centre has been different from the one ruling Sindh, of which Karachi is the capital.
Another important factor is resources crunch. Successive governments at the Centre have given priority to things other than infrastructural development. The helmsmen must give Karachi its due as soon as possible.
Ravi Kumar Emani
Hyderabad Deccan
