Race to the bottom

Despite Sindh government's best attempts at trying to gaslight the citizens of Karachi about the state of their city, the Global Liveability Index has highlighted Karachi's problems in a light so scathing that they're difficult to sweep under the rug. According to the annual ranking by the Economist Intelligence Unit, Karachi currently ranks even below war-torn Kyiv and Tehran - sitting at 170 out of 173 cities in terms of liveability.

It comes as no surprise; at any given moment, the rocky, dug-up, pothole-ridden roads of Karachi do seem as if they've endured multiple aerial attacks. If mere commute is an impossible feat for what is meant to be an industrial hub and a modern economy, then it is quite evident that the city is structurally falling apart.

Although infrastructure is not the only area that Karachi is desperately falling behind in. The ranking also takes into account stability, education, healthcare, culture and environment - most of which are either amiss or wrecked in the city. The sense of stability is conveniently lost at the hands of inflation, violence, protests, crime and negligence. Healthcare is a victim of administrative corruption and the parchi system. And the culture has been destroyed via political opposition. Education remains the only facet which has maintained some form of dignity for the city with a score of 75 out of 100.

The results are not surprising. Many citizens have already given up on the city, resulting in massive brain drain over the previous decades, in search of greener pastures. But those who stay behind must demand accountability and improvement. The largest and most populous city of Pakistan deserves more than being cast aside like a project gone wrong. The city holds potential to transform the trajectory of this country, and it needs to be treated similarly.