The remains of Keti Bunder: Long-gone days of glory only respite for locals

Sweepers, police officials and teachers missing in action as condition of town deteriorates.

KETI BUNDER: “The bustling port city of Keti Bunder is no more - all that is left is its remains and those too are in a terrible condition.”

This opinion shared by Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum’s Muhammad Ali Shah aptly conveys the sentiments of the natives of Keti Bunder who tell tales of their long-gone days of glory. The port city was once on the road to prosperity, lit up by street lights. Its people were wealthy and healthy.

Today, however, there are hardly any street lights, power supply is only for a few hours and the roads and streets of Keti Bunder appear as if hit by a natural calamity with heaps of garbage in the main market.

Outsiders find it hard to believe that Keti Bunder’s municipality offered financial support to Karachi years ago.



“What will be the condition of a city which has been neglected by the state?” asked Shah. “Despite being a port town, people’s source of earning is not fishing but catching snakes. How can they survive under such conditions?”

Poor quality of life

According to residents, Keti Bunder was one of the most famous ports in the region at one time and their ancestors used the sea ports for travelling and business activities, including fishing. “We were the happiest and richest people in the region,” recalled 60-year-old Muhammad Hasan aka Chacha Nakhohe.

Locals estimate that the population of Keti Bunder is about 5,000. There is one higher secondary school [for boys and girls], two primary schools and a Rural Health Centre (RHC).

“Parents want their children to go to schools but the quality of education is very poor. Teachers hardly attend school,” complained a resident, Rehmatullah. “The RHC is under the supervision of a dispenser but the doctor rarely visits the hospital.” Residents lamented that the hospital opens only for a few hours and if the dispenser leaves, there is no way to shift a patient to the nearby city.

Similarly, sweepers in the town are a sight unseen. “I haven’t seen a single sweeper or cleaner,” said Dr Allah Dino Memon, another resident. “We don’t have a sewerage system. The open gutters spread diseases and the town urgently needs regular cleaning.”

No facilities, much hope

Keti Bunder’s public transport system is nil — a van leaves for Karachi at 8am and returns at 6pm. If you miss that bus, the only option is to stay overnight and catch one the next day.

The building of the police station has almost collapsed and not a single policeman is deployed in the city. “It proves that the local communities are united and there is zero crime in Keti Bunder,” said Muhammad Saleem Dabro. “It is also an indicator of the government’s interest in this area. In all situations, even in time of emergencies, we have been left to fend for ourselves.”

Ghulam Haider Channa, the senior vice-president of Pakistan Peoples Party for Keti Bundar taluka, was not happy with the condition of his people but believed that Keti Bunder will once again be among the progressive and prosperous cities of Pakistan. “We will have plants for water supply soon,” he said. “The future of this city will be completely different — it’ll be the Paris of Pakistan.”

His hope for transforming the town heavily relies on the MPA elected from Keti Bunder, Sindh Local Government Minister Owais Muzaffar, who has promised to bring change. Locals, however, feel like they’ve heard the tall claims too many times.

The Keti Bunder Jail (left) as well as the building of the police station is completely run-down. Residents complained that besides lack of transportation, regular supply of electricity, sweepers to keep the town clean and availability of clean drinking water (right) are also a big problem. PHOTOS: ATHAR KHAN/EXPRESS

Published in The Express Tribune, October 26^th, 2013.