Karachi’s 'living encyclopedia' Gul Hassan Kalmati passes away

Gul Hassan Kalmati, well-known historian and writer, passed away on Wednesday after a protracted illness in Karachi.

The 66-year-old historian - referred to in his circle as a “living encyclopedia” - was laid to rest in his native village of Arzi Khan Baloch, located in Karachi’s suburbs.

He is survived by a widow, a daughter and seven sons.

Civil society activists, politicians, fans, friends, relatives and thousands of people from different walks of life attended the historian's funeral.

Kalmati was best known as a writer for thoroughly researching Karachi’s history, especially its geography, culture, communities, architecture, and the city's coast.

At least 13 of his books have been published in Sindhi, Urdu and English. Some of his most-read books include 'Coastal Islands of Sindh', 'Immoral Characters of Karachi', 'Karachi Ja Lafani Kirdar', 'Sindh Ja Samoondi Bhet', 'Karachi: Sindh Ji Marui', 'Karachi Jon Rehaishi Scheemon', 'The Impact of Urban Construction on Women’s livelihood', and others.

Read Tampering with history: a case of Pakistan and India

“Kalmati was a thorough gentleman and did a great job writing Karachi’s history,” commented Dr Ayoob Shaikh, one of his friends. “He re-wrote Karachi’s history in the true sense and investigated the truth,” he added.

“He was a brilliant researcher and whatever he wrote was his own commitment and hard work,” Dr Shaikh added.

Kalmati was under treatment for the last four months and was being looked after by senior doctors on the instructions of the Sindh government.

The historian was a former staffer of the Sindh government’s local government department and retired some six years ago.

Senior journalist Riaz Sohail said that during his services in the government office, he wrote articles for Sindhi daily newspaper Awami Awaz.

“He wrote what was completely neglected,” he said. “He wrote about the indigenous people of Karachi. He wrote about the architecture of Karachi and the fishing communities and their culture,” he explained.

“His findings are very interesting,” Sohail said quoting his books. He further suggested that those who want to know more about Karachi should read Kalmati’s work.