KARACHI:
Karachi is not just dealing with load-shedding, it is dealing with something deeper that often goes unnoticed – the slow acceptance of struggle as normal life.
What used to feel unacceptable has now quietly become routine. Hours without electricity, water shortages and gas issues are no longer seen as urgent problems. People have started planning their lives around them instead of questioning why they exist in the first place.
This shift is the real concern.
After facing ten straight nights of load-shedding, I reached out with a simple question about how long this situation is expected to continue. The response I received made it clear that the issue is not only technical, but also about mindset. It reflected a system where individual concern carries little weight and accountability feels distant.
The reality is bigger than just one complaint or one household. It is about how a whole city slowly adjusts to less and stops expecting better.
Karachi plays a major role in the country’s economy, yet its people continue to deal with basic services that remain uncertain. Electricity, water and gas are not extras, they are essential for everyday living, for work, for study, and for dignity.
The most worrying part is not only the shortage itself, but how easily it has become something people accept.
A city cannot move forward when its people are constantly forced to adjust instead of improving their conditions. Real progress starts when these issues are no longer seen as normal, and when accountability becomes consistent instead of optional.
Tatheer Zehra
Karachi
