Karachi

Karachi (help·info) (Urdu: كراچى, Sindhi: ڪراچي) is the largest city in Pakistan and is the provincial capital of Sindh province. Located on the coast of the Arabian Sea, north-west of the Indus River Delta, it was the original capital of Pakistan and remains the cultural and economic hub, as well as being the largest seaport of the country. Its leading economic sectors include finance, business services, transportation, media, television production, publishing, software production, medical research, education and tourism.

Spread over 3,530 km², the city and suburbs comprise the world's twentieth largest metropolitan area.[2] The city credits its growth to the mixed populations of economic and political migrants and refugees from different national, provincial, linguistic and religious origins who have largely come to settle here permanently. It is locally termed as the "City of Lights" (روشنیوں کا شہر) for its liveliness and the "City of The Quaid" (شہرِ قائد), having been the birth and death place of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, as well as his home after 1947. Residents of Karachi are called "Karachiites".

Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Geography and climate
3 Government
4 Demographics
5 Economy
5.1 Development
6 Culture
7 Education
8 Sports
9 Sites of interest
10 Shopping
11 Transportation
12 Real Estate
13 Challenges
14 City Partnership
15 See also
16 References
17 Notes
18 External links



[edit] History
Main article: History of Karachi
The Baloch tribes from Balochistan and Makran established a small settlement of fishing communities, many of whom still inhabit sections of Sindh, and called it Kolachi. The modern port-city of Karachi, however, was developed by authorities of the British Raj in the 19th century. Upon the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the city was selected to become the national capital, and was settled by Muslim refugees from India, which radically expanded the city's population and transformed the demographics and economy. Karachi has faced major infrastructural and socio-economic challenges, but modern industries and businesses have developed in the city, and the population expanded even after the capital was moved to Islamabad in August 1960.


Part of the town of Karachi, with mud houses; camels and villagers in foreground. April 1851The area of Karachi has been known to the ancient Greeks by many names: Krokola, the place where Alexander the Great camped to prepare a fleet for Babylonia after his campaign in the Indus valley; 'Morontobara' port (probably the modern Manora Island near the Karachi harbour), from where Alexander's admiral Nearchus sailed for back home; and Barbarikon, a sea port of the Indo-Greek Bactrian kingdom. It was also known as the port of Debal to the Arabs, from where Muhammad bin Qasim led his conquering force into South Asia in 712 AD. According to the British historian Eliot, parts of city of Karachi and the island of Manora constituted the city of Debal.

The present city started its life as a fishing settlement where a Sindhi fisherwoman by the name of Mai Kolachi took up residence and started a family. The village that later grew out of this settlement was known as Kolachi-jo-Goth (The Village of Kolachi in Sindhi). By the late 1700s this village started trading across the sea with Muscat and the Persian Gulf region which led to its gaining importance. A small fort was constructed for its protection, armed with cannons imported from Muscat. The fort had two main gateways: one facing the sea, known as Khara Darwaaza (Brackish Gate) and the other facing the adjoining Lyari river known as the Meetha Darwaaza (Sweet Gate). The location of these gates corresponds to the present-day city localities of Khaaradar (Khārā Dar) and Meethadar (Mīṭhā Dar) respectively.


An old image of Karachi from 1889In 1795, the village became a domain of the Balochi Talpur rulers of Sindh. A small factory was opened by the British in September 1799, but was closed down within a year. After sending a couple of exploratory missions to the area, the British East India Company conquered the town on February 3, 1839. The village was later annexed to the British Indian Empire when the province of Sindh was conquered by Charles Napier in 1843. Kolachi was added along with the rest of Sindh to the jurisdiction of the Bombay Presidency.

The British realized its importance as a military cantonment and a port for exporting the produce of the Indus basin, and rapidly developed its harbour for shipping. The foundations of a city municipal government were laid down and infrastructure development was undertaken. New businesses started opening up and the population of the town started rising rapidly. Karachi quickly turned into a city, making true the famous quote by Napier who is known to have said: Would that I could come again to see you in your grandeur!

In 1857, the First Indian War for Independence broke out in the subcontinent and the 21st Native Infantry stationed in Karachi declared allegiance to revolters, joining their cause on September 10, 1857. However, the British were rapidly able to reassert their control over Karachi and defeat the uprising. Karachi was known as Khurachee Scinde (i.e. Karachi, Sindh) during the early British colonial rule.

In 1864, the first telegraphic message was sent from India to England when a direct telegraph connection was laid down between Karachi and London. In 1878, the city was connected to the rest of British India by railway line. Public building projects such as the Frere Hall (1865) and the Empress Market (1890) were undertaken. In 1876, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, was born in the city, which by now had become a bustling city with railway, churches, mosques, courthouses, markets, paved streets and a magnificent harbour. By 1899 Karachi had become the largest wheat exporting port in the east (Feldman 1970:57). The population of the city had also risen to about 105,000 inhabitants by the end of the 19th century and was a cosmopolitan mix of Hindus and Muslims, European traders, Jews, Parsis, Iranians, Lebanese, and Goan merchants. By the turn of the century, the city faced street congestion, which led to India’s first tramway system being laid down in 1900.


Frere Hall - a prime example of colonial architecture built during the British RajBy 1914, Karachi had become from the Bombay Presidency and Karachi was made the capital of the new province. By the time the new country of Pakistan was formed in 1947, Karachi had become a bustling metropolitan city with beautiful classical and colonial European styled buildings lining the city’s thoroughfares. Karachi was chosen as the capital city of Pakistan and accommodated a huge influx of migrants and refugees to the newly formed country. The demographics of the city also changed drastically. However, it still maintained a great cultural diversity as its new inhabitants arrived from all parts of the subcontinent. In 1958, the capital of Pakistan was shifted from Karachi to Rawalpindi and then to Islamabad in 1960. This marked the start of a long period of decline in the city, owing to a lack of governmental attention and development. The 1980s and 1990s saw an influx of refugees from the Afghan war into Karachi. Political tensions between the Mohajir groups (descendants of migrants from the partition era) and other groups also erupted and the city was wracked with political and sectarian violence. Most of these tensions have now simmered down.

Karachi continues to be an important financial and industrial centre for the country and handles most of the overseas trade of Pakistan and the central Asian countries. It accounts for a large portion of the GDP of Pakistan and a large chunk of the country's white collar workers. Karachi's population has continued to grow and is estimated to have passed the 20 million mark, although official figures still show a population of around 14.5 million. The current economic boom in Pakistan has also resulted in a new period of resurgence in the economy of Karachi.


[edit] Geography and climate
Main article: Climate of Karachi

Satellite view of KarachiKarachi is located in the south of Sindh, on the coast of the Arabian Sea. The city covers an area of approximately 3,530 square kilometres, comprised largely of flat or rolling plains, with hills on the western and northern boundaries of the urban sprawl. Two rivers pass through the city: the River Malir which flows from the east towards the south and centre, and the River Lyari, which flows from north to the south west. The Karachi Harbour is a sheltered bay to the south-west of the city, protected from storms by the Sandspit Beach, the Manora Island and the Oyster Rocks. The Arabian Sea beach lines the southern coastline of Karachi. Dense mangroves and creeks of the Indus delta can be found towards the south east side of the city. Towards the west and the north is Cape Monze, an area marked with projecting sea cliffs and rocky sandstone promontories. Some excellent beaches can also be found in this area.

Located on the coast, Karachi tends to have a relatively mild climate with low levels of average precipitation (approximately 10 inches per annum), the bulk of which occurs during the July-August monsoon season. Winters are mild and the summers are hot, however the proximity to the sea maintains humidity levels at a near-constant high and cool sea breezes relieve the heat of the summer months. Due to high temperatures during the summer (ranging from 30 to 44 degrees Celsius from April to August), the winter months (November to February) are generally considered the best times to visit Karachi. July, December and January have pleasing and cloudy weather when most of the social events, ranging from weddings to charity fundraisers, frequently take place. Tourists and expatriates visit Karachi in these months.

Karachi temperatures Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Avg. high (in °C) 25 26 29 35 35-40 35-40 33 31 31 38-42 31 27
Avg. low (in °C) 13 14 19 23 26 28 27 26 25 30 18 14


[edit] Government
Main article: Mayors of Karachi

Location of Karachi in the Province of Sindh, PakistanThe City of Karachi Municipal Act was promulgated in 1933. Initially the Municipal Corporation comprised the mayor, the deputy mayor and 57 councillors. The Karachi Municipal Corporation was changed to a Metropolitan Corporation in 1976. The administrative area of Karachi was a second-level subdivision known as Karachi Division, which was subdivided into five districts: Karachi Central, Karachi East, Karachi South, Karachi West and Malir. In 2000, the government of Pakistan designed a new devolution ;' financial resources and responsibilities. This plan abolished the earlier second-level division and merged the five districts of Karachi into a Karachi District. When the devolution plan was implemented in 2001, this district officially became a City District, with the City District Government of Karachi handling its government. Karachi now has a three-tier federated system, formed by:

The City District Government (CDG)
Town Municipal Administrations
Union Council Administrations
The City-District of Karachi is divided into eighteen towns governed by elected municipal administrations responsible for infrastructure and spatial planning, development facilitation, and municipal services (water, sanitation, solid waste, repairing roads, parks, street lights, and traffic engineering), with some functions being retained by the CDG.

The towns are sub-divided into 178 localities governed by elected union councils (UC's), which are the core element of the local government system. Each UC is a body of thirteen directly elected members including a Nazim (mayor) and a Naib Nazim (deputy mayor). The UC Nazim heads the union administration and is responsible for facilitating the CDG to plan and execute municipal services, as well as for informing higher authorities about public concerns and complaints.

In the local body elections of 2005, Syed Mustafa Kamal was elected City Nazim of Karachi to succeed Naimatullah Khan & Nasreen Jalil was elected as the City Naib Nazim. Mustafa Kamal was the provincial minister for information technology in Sindh before assuming office as the city's mayor. His predecessor, Naimatullah Khan was chosen as one of the best mayors in Asia.[3] Mustafa Kamal is advancing the development trail left by Naimatullah Khan, and has been actively involved in maintaining care of the city's municipal systems.[4]

Baldia Town
Bin Qasim Town
Gadap Town
Gulberg Town
Gulshan Town
Jamshed Town
Kemari Town
Korangi Town
Landhi Town
Liaquatabad Town
Lyari Town
Malir Town
New Karachi Town
Orangi Town
Saddar Town
Shah Faisal Town
SITE Town
North Nazimabad Town


Note: Defence Housing Society Karachi is located in Karachi but is not a town of Karachi nor part of any town of Karachi. It is administered by the Defence Housing Authority, Karachi of Pakistan Army.

[edit] Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Karachi
Year Urban Population

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1856 56,875
1872 56,753
1881 73,560
1891 105,199
1901 136,297
1911 186,771
1921 244,162
1931 300,799
1941 435,887
1951 1,068,459
1961 1,912,598
1972 3,426,310
1981 5,208,132
1998 9,269,265
2007[1] 12,315,843

Trend of population growth (in millions) in KarachiThe population and demographic distribution in Karachi has undergone numerous changes over the past 150 years. Non-governmental and international sources estimate Karachi's current population at about 20 million[5] — a huge increase over its population in 1947 (400,000). The city's population is currently growing at about 5% per year (mainly on account of rural-urban internal migration), including an estimated 45,000 migrant workers coming to the city every month from different parts of Pakistan.[6] Karachi is one of the largest megacities in the world.

Before Pakistan's independence, Karachi had large communities of Muhajirs, Punjabis, Parsis, Jews, Hindus, Christians, Balochis, Gujaratis, and Sindhis. After independence, Muslim refugees settled in Karachi. Likewise, a large number of Hindus left the city for India. Predominantly Urdu speaking, known as Muhajirs formed the dominant ethnic group in Karachi. Muhajirs originated from different parts of India and brought with them their local cultures and cuisines, thus further adding to the already diverse mix of people that earlier inhabited Karachi. Currently, these older groups of people and continuing migration from different parts of Pakistan have contributed to a rich and diverse mix of people that live in Karachi. This has given the city a very metropolitan character, and has earned it the title as the "Melting Pot of Pakistan".

The new government of the Pakistan Muslim League allotted most of the property left over by the departing Hindus and other groups to the Indian immigrants which had taken an active part in the creation of Pakistan, in order to help them settle into the new country. However, the large number of Muhajirs also formed the dominant political majority in the city, which gave them substantial political clout, to the chagrin of the earlier provincial Sindhi and Balochi inhabitants. Also, the vagaries of mass migration of populations between the two newly independent countries gave rise to ethnic tensions which have surfaced in Karachi from time to time.

Since 1979, due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and continued upheavals in their country, a steady stream of Afghan refugees have also taken up permanent residence in and around Karachi. These refugees now number more than one million and themselves consist of a number of ethnic groups: Pakhtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras, Uzbeks, and Turkmen. There are also hundreds of thousands of Arabs, Iranians, Filipinos, Arakani refugees (from Rakhine State in Myanmar), Bosnian, Albanian, Polish, Lebanese, Armenian, Goan, Bengali and African immigrants who are also settled in Karachi. Most refugee minorities of the city live in poor neighbourhoods.


[edit] Economy
Main article: Economy of Karachi

Clifton
A part of Karachi's financial district
Port of Karachi and harbour with some of the city residential areas visible.
Sunset view of Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) Building.Karachi is the financial capital of Pakistan; it accounts for the lion's share of GDP and revenue. It generates over 60% of the total national revenue (federal and provincial taxes, customs and surcharges)[7]. On the Gross regional product (GRP) front, Sindh's share almost comprises 28% of the total GDP [8]. Karachi produces about 42 percent of value added in large scale manufacturing. Recently in February 2007, World Bank has termed Karachi the most business-friendly city in Pakistan.[9]

The city’s economy is large and diverse, Most of Pakistan's public and private banks have their head offices in Karachi. Nearly all of them are located at Ibrahim Ismail Chundrigar Road (usually shortened to I.I. Chundrigar Road (Pakistan's Wall Street). During the 1960s, Karachi was seen as an economic role model around the world, and there was much praise for the way its economy was progressing. Many countries sought to emulate Pakistan's economic planning strategy and one of them, South Korea, copied the city's second "Five-Year Plan" and World Financial centre in Seoul is designed and modeled after Karachi.

Karachi possesses a versatile industry. The economy of the city concentrates on Cement plants, corn mills and shipbuilding, in addition, automobile, steel, textiles, chemicals, refined oil, shoes, machines and food are produced in the city. The city gains 60 per cent of the tax receipts of the country and 70 per cent of the taxes of the province Sindh. The Per-head income of the city is about four to five times higher than in the state average. Karachi is also a location of a nuclear power station & many large banks.

Besides being the banking and finance capital of the country, Karachi also hosts the offices of almost every major foreign multinational corporation as well as corporations based in Pakistan. It is home to the largest stock exchange in Pakistan: the Karachi Stock Exchange, which was considered by many economists to be one of the prime reasons for Pakistan's 8% GDP growth across 2005.

The Port of Karachi and nearby Port Qasim are the two main seaports of Pakistan, and Jinnah International Airport is the largest & the busiest airport in Pakistan.

The recent trends involving ICTs (Information & Communications Technology), electronic media and call centres have become a significant part of Karachi's business hierarchy. Call centres for foreign companies have been targeted as a significant area of growth, with the government making efforts to reduce taxes by as much as 80% in order to gain foreign investments in the IT sector.[citation needed]. Karachi is also the software outsourcing hub of Pakistan.

Many of Pakistan’s independent television and radio channels are headquartered in Karachi. Geo, ARY, Hum, AAJ TV, CNBC Pakistan and Dawn News are the most popular ones; some of the local stations include KTN, Metro One and Sindh TV.

Karachi has a huge industrial base, with several large industrial zones such as SITE, Korangi, Northern Bypass Industrial Zone, Bin Qasim and North Karachi located on the fringes of the main city.[citation needed] The primary areas are textiles, pharmaceuticals, steel, and automobiles. In addition, Karachi has a vibrant cottage industry and there is a rapidly flourishing Free Zone with an annual growth rate of nearly 6.5%.

Karachi has an Expo centre which hosts many regional and international exhibitions.[citation needed]Toyota, Honda, BMW, Mercedes, Nissan and Suzuki Motor Company are located in Karachi. Among others, Millat Tractors, Adam Motor Company, HinoPak and Ghandhara Nissan Buses and Trucks manufacturing plants are also located in Karachi. The automobile manufacturing sector is one of the fastest growing industries in Pakistan, and a large vendor industry associated with it is also located principally in Karachi.[citation needed]


[edit] Development

Emaar's Crescent Bay in PakistanThere are many development projects proposed, approved and under construction in Karachi city. Among projects of note, Emaar Properties is proposing to invest $43bn (£22.8bn) in Karachi to develop Bundal Island, which is a 12,000 acre (49 km²) island just off the coast of Karachi. The Karachi Port Trust is envisioning another Rs. 20 billion project, the Port Tower Complex, which will be 1,947 feet (593 m) high, the height indicating the Independence of Pakistan (14 August 1947), and is slated for completion within six years.[10][11] It is expected to comprise a hotel, a shopping centre, and an exhibition centre. The main feature of the venture is supposed to be a revolving restaurant, which will also contain a viewing gallery offering a panoramic view of the coastline and the city. The tower is planned to be located at the Clifton shoreline.

Some other mega projects that are proposed or under construction include: MCB Tower (completed), Port tower complex (proposed), Crescent Bay, Karachi (under construction), Karachi Waterfront (approved), Karachi Creek Marina (under construction), Sugarland City (approved), Dolmen Towers (under construction), I.T Tower (approved), Bundal Island (under construction), Buddo Island (approved), Square One Towers (under construction), Sign Tower (approved), Karachi Mass Transit System, Enshaa Towers (approved), Karachi FPCCI Tower (proposed) and, IT Tower (approved), Dolmen Mall (Hyderi) (under construction), City Centre (proposed), Malir Expressway (proposed), Northern Bypass Industrial Area (under construction).


[edit] Culture
See also Cinema in Karachi

Mohatta PalaceKarachi is home to some of Pakistan's important cultural institutions. The National Academy of Performing Arts, [12] located in the newly renovated Hindu Gymkhana offers a two year diploma course in performing arts that include classical music and contemporary theatre. The All Pakistan Musical Conference, linked to the 45-year old similar institution in Lahore, has been holding its Annual Music Festival since its inception in 2004. The Festival is now a well-established feature of the city life of Karachi that is awaited anxiously and attended by more than 3000 citizens of Karachi as well as people from other cities.[citation needed]

The National Arts Council (Koocha-e-Saqafat) also has musical performances and Mushaira (poetry recitations). Karachi has a few museums including the Mohatta Palace Museum that regularly has exhibitions as well as the National Museum of Pakistan. The Kara Film Festival organized annually showcases independent Pakistani and international films and documentaries.

The everyday lifestyle of Karachi differs substantially from that of other Pakistani towns. The culture of Karachi is characterized by the blending of Middle Eastern, South Asian and Western influences, as well as the status of the city as a major international business centre. As a whole, there is considerable diversity in culture, and this diversity has produced unique cultural amalgam of its own type. Karachi also hosts the largest middle class stratum of the country.





[edit] Education
Main articles: List of educational institutions in Karachi and List of universities in Karachi
The Narayan Jagannath High School at Karachi was the first government school established in Sindh. It was opened in October 1855. Karachi has well known educational institutes of international standards. Most universities of Karachi are considered to be amongst the premier educational institutions of Pakistan.

Karachi is also host to the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), one of the most sought after business schools of Pakistan. IBA, founded in 1955, is the oldest business school outside North America. Pakistan's Prime Minister, Mr. Shaukat Aziz, is an MBA from this institute.

Other universities include the Virtual University of Karachi (introduced by the Science and Technology Ministry), Szabist (Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology -- it started off in Karachi and is now in selective cities in Pakistan and Dubai), Agha Khan University (among the best Medical universities in Pakistan), Iqra University and Institute of Business and Technology (BIZTEK).


[edit] Sports

Karachi Karsaz Golf Club
National Stadium at night, Karachi, December 13, 2005.Cricket is the most popular sport of the city, and is usually played in many small grounds around the city. Gully cricket, is played in the narrow by-lanes of the city. Night time cricket which can be seen at weekends when people play brightly lit night matches on less traversed city streets. The major venue for cricket matches is the National Stadium but matches are also hosted at the UBL Sports Complex, The A.O. Cricket Stadium, the KCCA Cricket Ground, the Karachi Gymkhana Field and the DHA Cricket Stadium.

The other popular sports are hockey, boxing, football, golf, table tennis, snooker, squash, and horse racing. Other sports like Badminton, volleyball and basketball are also famous in school and colleges.


The city also has facilities for hockey (the Hockey Stadium of Pakistan, UBL Hockey Ground), boxing (KPT Sports Complex), squash (Jehangir Khan Squash Complex) and football (People's Football Stadium and the Polo Grounds). In 2005, the city hosted the SAFF Cup Football Tournament at the People's Football Stadium. Marinas and Boating Clubs also add to the diverse sporting activities in Karachi.

Karachi has a number of sporting clubs such as the Karachi Gymkhana, the Sindh Club, the Karachi Club, Kashmir club, Aga Khan sports club, the Muslim Gymkhana, the Creek Club and the DHA Club that provide sporting facilities to their members, including tennis, badminton and squash courts, swimming pools, jogging tracks, gymnasiums, billiards and much more. There are two world class golf clubs, at DHA and Karsaz.


[edit] Sites of interest

DHA Marina Club, Karachi
Tooba Mosque
Empress Market, Saddar, Karachi
A Karachi flyover
Aga Khan University Hospital
Downtown
Fountain near Karachi beachMajor attractions
Mazar-e-Quaid - tomb of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan
Mohatta Palace and museum
Lady Lloyd pier at Bin Qasim park
Karachi Port Authority's Water Jet fountain
Agha Khan University hospital - for its modernist Islamic architecture
Masjid e Tooba - largest single-domed mosque in the world[citation needed]
Beaches and Waterfront
Clifton Beach
Beach Park
Jehangir Kothari Parade
Hawke's Bay Beach - breeding ground for endangered turtles
Paradise Point - rock promontory in the sea with a natural arch
Sandspit Beach
French Beach
Museums
Pakistan Air Force Museum
Karachi Expo Centre
PIA Planetarium
Karachi Stock Exchange Building
National Museum of Pakistan
Koocha-e-Saqafat (National Arts Council)
Pakistan Maritime Museum
WWF Wetland center at Sandspit
Colonial Buildings
Merewether Tower
Frere Hall
Saint Patrick's Cathedral, Karachi
Sindh High Court
National Academy of Performing Arts
Empress Market
Radio Pakistan Building
Islands
Clifton Oyster Rocks
Bhit Shah Island
Buddo Island
Bundal Island
Churma Island
Manora Island
Clubs
Karachi Boat Club
Creek Club
Marina Club
Arabian sea country club
DHA Golf club
Sindh club
Karachi club
Amusement Parks
Aladdin Amusement Park
Sindbad Amusement Park
Safari Park
Hill park
Famous Avenues
Zamzama Avenue (famous for its designer outlets & clubs)
Beach Avenue
Karsaz Road (Karachi's pride)
II Chundrigar Road (Karachi's Wall Street)
Shahrah-e-Faisal
Tariq Road (Shopping street)
Food
Burns Road[13]
Boat Basin
Clifton Beach recently suffered a recent oil spill disaster, the beach has been cleaned and has floodlights installed for night time visitors. The government has embarked on the beautification of Karachi's coastline by building a Beach park in Clifton that will eventually be connected to the Jehangir Kothari parade and Bagh Ibn- Qasim.[citation needed]


[edit] Shopping

Sunday textile market on the sidewalks of KarachiKarachi is dotted with many shopping areas, large and small, attracting large crowds of shoppers in the evenings. Saddar, Gulf Shopping Mall, Bahadurabad, Tariq Road, Zamzama, Zaib-un-nissa Street (Elphinestone Street) Hyderi and Waterpump (Anarkali Bazar) are the most famous shopping areas in the city. One can find all sorts of clothing, garments, and fabrics in Karachi's bazaars, as well as a number of other items. The Saddar area in downtown Karachi is also home to countless large and small markets dealing from everyday household items to clothing and fabrics to electronics. Empress Market in Saddar is a large Victorian-era market, home to wholesalers of spices and other items. Saddar is also home to the Rainbow Centre, one of the largest hubs of pirated CDs in the world. Some other notable shopping areas include Paposh Market and Hydari.

Some of the major shopping malls in Karachi are:

Millennium Mall (Located in Gulshan-e-Iqbal)
Park Towers (Located in Clifton)
Dmart (Sea View)
Dolmen Mall (Located on Tariq Road)
Jumeirah Mall (Located on Tariq Road)
Naheed Super Market (Located near Tariq Road)
The Forum (Located in Clifton)
Some of the main bazaars in Karachi:

Tariq Road Bazaar
Zamzama Boulevard (Located in the Clifton/DHA area, various local/western stores including Costa Coffee, Copper Kettle, Dejavu, Roasters, Arizona Grill, Okra etc.)
Gulf Area Market (many traditional vendors and more upscale boutiques and designer shoes)
Zainab Market
Liaqat Abad Bazar
Sadar Bazar
Hyderi Bazaar (North Nazimabad)
Anarkali Bazar (Water Pump)

[edit] Transportation

Jinnah Terminal of the Quaid-e-Azam International Airport, Karachi
Many trucks and buses of Karachi use this style of artworkThe Jinnah International Airport is located in Karachi. It is the largest and busiest airport of the country. It handles 10 million passengers a year. The airport also receives the largest number of foreign airlines, a total of 27 airlines fly to Jinnah International predominantly from the Middle East and South East Asia. All of Pakistan's airlines use Karachi as their Primary hub including Pakistan International Airlines, Aero Asia International, Airblue and Shaheen Air.

The city's old airport terminals are now used for Hajj flights, cargo facilities, and ceremonial visits from heads of state. U.S. Coalition forces used the old terminals for their logistic supply operations as well. The city also has two other airstrips used primarily by the armed forces.

Karachi has the largest shipping ports in Pakistan at the Port of Karachi and Port Qasim. These seaports have modern facilities and not only handle trade for Pakistan, but also serve as ports for Afghanistan and the land-locked Central Asian countries. Plans have been announced for new passenger facilities at Karachi Port.

Karachi is linked by rail to the rest of the country by the Pakistan Railways. The Karachi City Station and Karachi Cantonment Station are the city's two major railway stations. The railway system handles a large amount of freight to and from the Karachi port apart from providing passenger services to people travelling up country. Plans are underway to extend the intra-city railway system to play a part in the city's mass transit through Karachi Circular Railway system. Currently, primarily motorists and minibuses handle commuter traffic, but there are plans to construct a light-rail based mass transit system in the city to decongest the roads and provide quick service to commuters.


[edit] Real Estate
Karachi is located in semi-arid coastal desert area with very limited agriculture land along the two small seasonal rivers, Lyari River and Malir River that pass through the city. Before independence, the area around Karachi had sparse Balochi nomadic and fishing population and most of the land was state owned. At the time of independence, Karachi was chosen as the first capital of Pakistan and the land area came under tight state control. According to the data prepared by the Master Plan and Environmental Control Unit of the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) in 1988, nearly 400,000 acres (1600 km²) of the 425,529 acres (1722 km²) that make up Karachi's metropolitan area is in some form of public ownership. Government of Sindh owns 137,687 acres (557 km²), KDA 124,676 acres (504.5 km²), Karachi Port Trust (KPT) 25,259 acres (102 km²), Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) 24,189 acres (98 km²), Army Cantonment Board 18,596 acres (75 km²), Pakistan Steel Mills 19,461 acres (79 km²), Defence Housing Society 16,567 acres (67 km²), Port Qasim 12,961 acres (52 km²), Government of Pakistan 4,051 acres (16 km²) and Pakistan Railways 3,119 acres (13 km²). In late 1990s the undeveloped land belonging to KDA was transferred to the Malir Development Authority (MDA) and Lyari Development Authority (LDA).[14] The Defence Housing Authority has purchased 12,000 acres (49 km²) of land from the Sindh government along the Super Highway and will build Phase II of Defence Housing Society.[15]


[edit] Challenges
As one of the most rapidly growing cities in the world, Karachi faces challenges that are central to many developing metropolises including overcrowding, traffic, pollution, poverty and street crimes.

Due to high increase in car sales, Karachi faces a very severe problem of excessive traffic. [citation needed]It is estimated that about 4 million vehicles travel on the road in the evening and morning session, resulting in a high number of traffic accidents.[citation needed] The number of cars is more than the existing road infrastructure was designed for.[citation needed] This makes driving a considerable danger and causes loss of time due to traffic congestion. A number of projects are underway in Karachi to battle these problems, including construction of flyovers and underpasses at various choke points.[citation needed] A number of flyovers and underpasses have been opened for traffic since the last year or so, which has released the traffic jam to an extent but a number of projects are still under construction.[citation needed]

The traffic and pollution is a major challenge for Karachi as it is for almost all the major cities in the world. The level of air pollution in Karachi is estimated to be 20 times higher than World Health Organization standards.[16] A number of new parks have been developed and new trees are being planted in the city to improve the environment and reduce the pollution.

The 2000s economic boom of Karachi which brought higher living standards and new job opportunities, has also somewhat fired back at the city in certain ways, setting the standards at a new high in some fields and thus complicating job opportunities for some of the less skilled lower-income workers, who thrive on cottage industries - not all of which operate under legal or permissible practices.[citation needed] Another very notable change brought by the economic boom was the rapid monetary surge in landowning, making it very difficult for people who didn't already own land plots to purchase them in the city.[citation needed]

However, criminal negligence plagues the rapidly expanding infrastructure. There were floods reported in the city during the monsoon of 2007. The Northern Bypass bridge collapsed on 1st September 2007 after being inaugurated only one month back by President Pervez Musharraf.

Despite several efforts, the crime rate is rising and car and cell phone snatching has become an everyday scene. Due to its negligible cultural activities, traffic congestions and high crime rate, Karachi has been ranked fourth among the least livable cities in a survey by The Economist.[17]


[edit] City Partnership
Karachi is a sister city with:

Dubai, UAE
İzmir, Turkey
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Port Louis, Mauritius
Shanghai, China
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Milan, Italy
New York, USA