Karachi

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Karachi

Coordinates: 24°51′N 67°01′E

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Karachi (Urdu: ‫آﺮاﭼﻰ‬, Sindhi: ‫ )ڪراﭼﻲ‬is the capital of the province of Sindh, and the most populated city in Pakistan, sometimes known as the City of Lights and the City of Quaid (‫)ﺷﮩﺮِ ﻗﺎﺋﺪ‬, after Muhammad Ali Jinnah the founder of Pakistan. It is located on the coast of the Arabian Sea / Indian Ocean, north-west of the Indus Delta. The city is the financial and commercial centre as well as the largest port of Pakistan.

Karachi ‫آﺮاﭼﻰ‬

Karachi is an ethnically very diverse city. Urdu speakers, Punjabis, Sindhis, Kashmiris, Seraikis, Pakhtuns, Balochs, Memons, Bohras, Ismailis, and Bengalis. District Malir is predominantly

General Information Country

Pakistan

Province

Sindh

Location

24°51′36″N, 67°00′36″E

Altitude

8 metres AMSL

Area

3,527 km²

Calling code

021

Time zone

PST (UTC+5)

No. of Towns

18

Population

9.339 M (1998)

Estimate

14.5 M [1] (2007)

density

4,115 persons/km² Government

City Mayor (Nazim)

Syed Mustafa Kamal

No. of Union Councils

178 Emblem

Website Karachi Government Website (http://www.karachicity.gov.pk)

Sindhi and Balochi. As of 2007 Karachi has an estimated population of more than 14.5 million making it amongst the most populous cities in the world [2]

Contents 1 History 2 Geography and climate

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3 Government 4 Demographics 5 Economy 6 Development 7 Culture 8 Education 9 Sports 10 Sites of interest 11 Shopping 12 Transportation 13 Land ownership 14 Problems 15 City Partnership 16 External links 17 See also 18 Notes 19 References

History The Baloch tribes from Balochistan and Makran established a small settlement of fishing community and called it Kolachi(it is Sindhi Tribe Name,still living many parts of Sindh). 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 an d economy. Karachi has faced major infrastructural and socio-economic challenges, but modern industries and businesses have developed in th e city, and the population expanded even after the capital was moved to Islamabad in August 1960. The 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.

An old image of Karachi from 1889

According to another legend, the present city started its life as a fishing settlement where a Sindhi(Balouch) fisherwoman by the name of Mai Kolachi took up residence and started a family(Still Grave found,but last years some peoples demolished those graves). 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. In 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.

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The British realized its importance as a military cantonment and a port for exporting the produce of the Indus basin

Saint Patrick's Cathedral

, and rapidly developed its harbour for shipping. The foundations of a city municipa l government were laid down and infrastructure development was undertaken. New businesses started opening up and the population of the town sta rted 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 decl ared 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 to a famous Ismaili Khoja family, which by now had become a bustling city with railway, churches, mosques, cou rthouses, 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 Hin dus and Muslims, European traders, Parsis, Iranians, Lebanese, and Goan merchants. By the turn of the century, the city faced street congestion, which led t o India’s first tramway system being laid down in 1900. By 1914, Karachi had become the largest grain exporting port of the British Empire. In 1924, an

Frere Hall - a prime example of colonial architecture built during the British Raj

aerodrome was built and Karachi became the main airport of entry into India. An airship mast was also built in Karachi in 1927 as part of the Imperial Airship Communications scheme, which was later abandoned. In 1936, Sindh was separated 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 (descendents 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 popul ation 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 and a lot of new opportuniti es have opened up in the city. The city government is also undertaking a massive upgrading of the city’s infrastructure, which promises to again put Karachi into the line-up of one of the world’s greatest metropolitan cities.

Geography and climate

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Karachi is located in the south of Pakistan, on the coast of the Arabian Sea. The city covers an area of approximately 3,530 square kilometers, 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 Sand spit 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 fund raisers, 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

32

34

34

33

31

31

33

31

27

Avg. low (in °C)

13

14

19

23

26

28

27

26

25

22

18

14

Government The City of Karachi Municipal Act was promulgated in 1933. Initially the Municipal Corporation comprised the mayor, the deputy mayor and 57 councilors. 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 plan in order to decentralize the political, administrative and 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 of 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 North Nazimabad Town Orangi Town Saddar Town Shah Faisal Town SITE 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.

Demographics

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The population and demographic distribution in Karachi has

Trend of Population Growth in 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

2006[1]

13,969,284

undergone numerous changes over the past 150 years. Non-governmental and internation al sources report that Karachi's current population is estimated to be 20 to 25 million— a huge increase over its population in 1947 (400,000). The city's population is cu rrently 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.[5] Karachi is the one of the largest megacities in the world. Before independence of Pakistan, Karachi had large communities of Muslims, Hindus, Jews, Balochis, Gujaratis, Kutchi, Tharis, Sindhis, Parsis, Goans, Jains, Lebanese, Iranians, and European merchants. After independence of Pakistan, Muslim refugees settled in Karachi. Likewise, a large number of Hindus left the city for India. Predominantly Urdu speaking, the migrant refugees 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 Muslim refugees 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. A large community of Zoroastrian-Persian Parsis have also lived in Karachi since pre-Independence days. The Parsis of Karachi have played important roles in the history and development of the city serving in key government positions, undertaking large philanthropic projects a nd conducting business in the city. Since independence however, most of them migrated to western nations and currently, the Parsi population of the city numbers about 15,000. There is also a large community of Goan Catholic Christians who settled in Karachi during the British era. 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 Bengalis, Arabs, Iranians, Arakani Muslim refugees (from Rakhine State in Myanmar) and African immigrants who are also settled in Karachi. Most refugee minorities of the city live in slum areas.

Economy

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Karachi is the financial capital of Pakistan; it accounts for the lion's share of GDP and generates

A view of the I. I. Chundrigar Road skyline

Karachi after hours

A part of Karachi's financial district

approximately 65% of the Provincial Revenue where as whole province Sindh generates almost 23% of the total National Revenue [2] (http://www.dawn.com/2004/12/02/ebr1.htm) . Most of Pakistan's public and private banks have their head offices in Karachi. Ne arly all of these are located on I.I Chundrigar Road (Pakistan's Wall Street). During the 1960s, Karachi was seen as an economic role model around the developing world, and there was much praise for the way its economy was progressing. Many countries sought to emulate Pakistan's economic planning stra tegy and one of them, South Korea, copied the city's second "Five-Year Plan,". 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 7% 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 airport in Pakistan. All ports, Steel Mill and Jinnah Intl. Airport are situated in the Malir district. The recent trends involving ICTs (Information & Communications Technology), electronic media and call centres have become a significant part of Karachi's business hierarchy. Call centers 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. 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 and AAJ TV are the most popular ones; some of the local stations include KTN, Sindh TV, and Kashish TV . Karachi has a huge industrial base, with several large industrial zones located on the fringes of the main city. 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.Toyota and Suzuki Motor Company are located in Karachi. Among others, Millat Tractors, Adam Motor Company, HinoPak 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.

Development

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Emaar's Crescent Bay in Pakistan

There are many development projects proposed, approved and under construction in Karachi city. Among the projects of note, Emaar Properties is proposing to invest $43bn (£22.8bn) in Karachi to develop Bundal Island, which is a 12,000 acre 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 high, the height indicating the Independence of Pakistan (14 August 1947), and is slated for completion within six y ears.[6][7] 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 Creek Marina (under construction), 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, Karachi Waterfront (approved), IT Tower (approved), Enshaa Towers (aproved), Dolmen City Towers (under construction)

Culture Karachi is home to some of Pakistan's important cultural institutions. The National Academy of Performing Arts, [8] 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

Mohatta Palace

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. 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 docum entaries. 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 t he largest middle class stratum of the country. See also Cinema in Karachi

Education

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The Karachi campus of the FAST Institute of Computer Science university

Karachi has well known educational institutes of international standards. Most unive rsities of Karachi are considered to be amongst the premier educational institutions of Pakistan.

Sports Popular sports in Karachi include cricket, hockey, boxing, football and horse racing. 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 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 2 005, 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, 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. Informal sporting activities are also popular, such as night time cricket which can be seen at weekends when people play brightly lit night matches on less traversed city streets. Karachi Karsaz Golf Club

National Stadium at night, Karachi, December 13, 2005.

Sites of interest

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General Mazar-e-Quaid (National Mausoleum of Pakistan - Muhammad Ali Jinnah the Tomb of the founder or Founding Father) Koocha-e-Saqafat (National Arts Council) Masjid e Tooba (Largest single-domed mosque in the world) Ibrahim Ismail Chundrigar Road (Karachi's Wall Street) Aga Khan University and the Aga Khan University Hospital Beaches and Waterfront Manora Beach Clifton Beach and the Jehangir Kothari Parade Seaview Hawke's Bay Beach (breeding ground for endangered turtles) Paradise Point (a rock promontory in the sea with a natural arch) Sandspit Beach French Beach Russian Beach Port Fountain Jet (600 ft high pressure water fountain) Zamzama Commercial Area (famous for its designer outlets and cafes) Abdullah Shah Ghazi Mausoleum (Ummayad general and Karachi's patron Sufi saint) Museums Pakistan Air Force Museum Karachi Stock Exchange Building (http://www.karachistock.info/blog)

DHA Marina Club, Karachi

A posh residential neighborhood in Karachi

Pakistan Maritime Museum National Museum of Pakistan The Mohatta Palace Museum of Karachi and regional history Karachi Expo Centre Colonial Buildings Merewether Tower Frere Hall Khaliq Deena Hall Jehangir Kothari Parade Governor's House St. Patrick's Cathedral Sindh High Court Former Victoria Museum (later used by the Supreme Court) Hindu Gymkhana (now National Academy of Performing Arts) Empress Market Sind Club

Empress Market, Saddar, Karachi

Islands Clifton Oyster Rocks Manora Island Bundal Island Bhit Shah Amusement Parks Bin Qasim Park (Old Clifton) Safari Park (University Road) Aladdin Park (Rashid Minhas Road) Sindbad Karachi Zoological Gardens (Gandhi Garden) Sea Views Park Aziz Bhatti Park Old Sabzi Mandi Park (University Road) Hill Park

Solving Karachis Trafic jams

Farm Houses Memon Farm House Resorts Dream World Resort Race Course Race Course of University Road Cinema

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Capri Cinema Nishat Cinema Prince Cinema Lyric Cinema Universe Cineplex (Clifton) Food Boat Basin has the most trendy restaurants in Karachi. Hyderabad Colony Burns Road[9] Many other places like Clifton, DHA, Shahrah-e-Faisal, North Nazimabad, Karimabad, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, etc. See also Food Street 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. There are other beaches near the city such as Sandspit, Hawke's Bay, the French Beach, Russian Beach and Paradise Point (a sandstone rock promontory with a natural arch) that are frequented by visitors every day.

Shopping

Sunday textile market on the sidewalks of Karachi

Karachi 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) and Hyderi 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. Ev ery Sunday, a weekly birds and animals market and a nursery is also held in Liaquatabad. Karachi also has a number of large modern shopping malls, among which the Park Towers, The Forum, Millennium Mall and Dolmen Mall are notable. More of these malls are currently being built, including the Atrium Mall, Jumeira Mall, IT Tower and the Dolmen City Mall.

Transportation The Muhammad Ali Jinnah International Airport is located in Karachi. The city's old airport terminals are now used for Hajj

Jinnah Terminal of the Quaid-e-Azam International Airport, Karachi

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.

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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. There are plans to extend the circular railway system to play a part in the city's mass transit. 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.It is one of the most advanced cit in karachi-faizan

Land ownership 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, Karachi Port Trust (KPT) 25,259 acres, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) 24,189 acres, Army Cantonment Board 18,596 acres, Pakistan Steel Mills 19,461 acres, Defence Housing Society 16,567 acres, Port Qasim 12,961 acres, Government of Pakistan 4,051 acres and Pakistan Railways 3,119 acres. In late 1990s the undeveloped land belonging to KDA was transferred to the Malir Development Authority (MDA) and Lyari Development Authority (LDA).[10] 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.[11]

Problems As one of the most rapidly growing cities in the world, Karachi faces problems that are central to many developing metropolises including overpopulation, overcrowding, traffic, pollution, poverty, terrorism and crime. Karachi faces a very severe problem of excessive traffic. According to official statistics, 550 people are killed annually in road traffic accidents. The number of cars is more than the existing road infrastructure was designed for. 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. The excess of traffic and lack of control on vehicle exhaust inevitably creates a home to numerous air pollutants. The level of air pollution in Karachi is estimated to be 20 times higher than World Health Organization standards.[12] Additionally, burning debris is common practice and the lack of discipline in general has also given way to soot and pollutants. To further worsen matters, recently many trees have been cleared in the city to expand the roads, with no arrangement for restoration. In response to many citizens' and naturalists' complaints concerning the further deterioration of air quality that the ongoing activity may cause, the city government has announced a tree-planting in the September of 2006 that would last for the upcoming three months. [13] The 2000s economic boom of Karachi 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 the less fortunate lower-class citizens, who thrive on cottage industries - not all of which operate under legal or permissible practices. 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; this has led to the construction of low-income slum ghettos many of which are home to various kinds of diseases due to the non-stabilized infrastracture in such communities. Recently Karachi has faced a slew of new problems. Water shortages are very common, and most of the city can only obtain water from private sources. Power is the second major problem. During the heat of the summer in 2006 power went out almost everyday, often for several hours. While the government promises improvement, a strategy aimed at achieveing these objectives is yet to reach full fruitition.

City Partnership Karachi has a city partnership with: Shanghai, China: Since 1984

External links Official Karachi City-District Government (http://www.karachicity.gov.pk)

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karachi

Community of Karachi (http://www.thekarachi.com) Karachi Stock Exchange (http://www.kse.com.pk) Jinnah International Airport (http://www.karachiairport.com.pk) (new website) Quaid-e-Azam International Airport (http://www.karachiairport.com) (old website) Karachi Port Trust (http://www.kpt.gov.pk) Unofficial Karachi Pictures on Skyscrapercity Forums (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=374401) Urdu E-Magazine having 100's of topics (http://www.ibtada.com/) Islamic Karachi - Ulama Audio and Video Library (http://www.NooreMadinah.net) WikiMapia has one or more wiki satellite maps of Karachi (http://wikimapia.org/#y=24860000&x=67010000&z=12&l=0&m=a) . Urban Pakistan: Projecting Pakistan's Image (http://www.urbanpk.com/) Historic Karachi (http://www.historickarachi.com) - An exploration of the history of the Karachi city with old Pakistan Science and Engineering Foundation (http://www.paksef.org) -Pakistan's Scientific Community Related articles/news Karachi among world 12 mega cities (http://www.dhartipakistan.com/2007/01/10/mega-city-karachi/) Forum ScitechWire Pakistan (http://www.paksef.blogspot.com) Pakistan's First Online Internet Magazine (http://wwww.spider.tm) Newsline Magazine (http://www.newsline.com.pk) Pakistan's Business Magazine (http://www.bluechipmag.com) Photographs Urban Resource Centre, Karachi (http://www.urckarachi.org/home.htm) - A discussion of Karachi's urban development Issues Karachi Photo Album (http://www.flickr.com/photos/creating2000) - Photographs of Karachi by Ali Adnan Qazalbash Ansar Burney Trust (http://www.ansarburney.org) - A human rights organization based in Karachi (Russian) Old Soviet map at Czech Technical University website (http://mapy.mk.cvut.cz/data/Centr._Asia/Topo%20maps_500k/G-42-V.jpg) The Kara Film Festival (http://www.karafilmfest.com/about.htm) Karachi and Pakistani News (http://www.karachi.com/) Online Community for Karachiites (http://www.thekarachi.com/) Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) (http://www.karachistock.info) Karachi Information Portal (http://www.karachi.ws/) Website for Karachiites (http://www.apnakarachi.com/) Website for Karachiites Students (http://www.evo-tech.edu.pk/)

See also List of mayors of Karachi List of people from Karachi List of educational institutions in Karachi List of universities in Karachi List of Karachi colleges List of hospitals in Karachi List of Postal Codes of Karachi

Karachi-related topics edit (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:KarachiTopics&action=edit) History Geography Localities

Government

History of Karachi, History of Sindh, Muhammad bin Qasim, British Raj, Indian rebellion of 1857, Pakistan movement, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Mohajir Indus River Delta, Manora Beach, Jehangir Kothari Parade, Clifton beach, Hawke's Bay Beach, Paradise Point, Sandspit Beach, French Beach, Russian Beach, Clifton Oyster Rocks, Manora Island, Bundle Island, Cape Monze Baldia Town, Bin Qasim Town, Gadap Town, Gulberg Town, Gulshan Town, Jamshed Town, Kiamari Town, Korangi Town, Landhi Town, Liaquatabad Town, Lyari Town, Malir Town, New Karachi Town, North Nazimabad Town, Orangi Town, Saddar Town, Shah Faisal Town, SITE Town, Defence Housing Society Mayors of Karachi, Karachi Division, The City District Government, Towns, Nazim

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Sites of Interest

Education

Economy Transport Sports and Culture

Other topics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karachi

Clifton beach, Mazar-e-Quaid, Masjid-e-Tooba, Port Fountain Jet, Zamzama Commercial Area, Abdullah Shah Ghazi Mausoleum, Pakistan Air Force Museum, Pakistan Maritime Museum, National Museum of Pakistan, Karachi Expo Centre, Merewether Tower, Frere Hall, Khaliq Deena Hall, Jehangir Kothari Parade, Governor's House, St Patrick's Cathedral, Former Victoria Museum, Empress Market, KMC Building, Bhit Shah, Karachi Zoo University of Karachi, NED University of Engineering and Technology, Usman Institute of Technology, Aga Khan University, Institute of Business Administration, National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences, Dow University of Health Sciences, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology, SSUET, Bahria University Economy of Karachi, Bank AL Habib, Muslim Commercial Bank, MCB Tower, Habib Bank Plaza, I. I. Chundrigar Road, Karachi Stock Exchange, Karachi Port Trust, Port Qasim, television and radio channels Karachi City Station, I. I. Chundrigar Road, Jinnah International Airport, Abdur Rab Nishtar Road, Muhammad Ali Jinnah Road National Academy of Performing Arts, Hyderabad Colony, National Arts Council, Chand Raat of Karachi, National Stadium, UBL Sports Complex, A. O. Cricket Stadium, KCCA Cricket Ground, Karachi Gymkhana Field, DHA Cricket Stadium, Hockey Stadium of Pakistan, UBL Hockey Ground, KPT Sports Complex, Jehangir Khan Squash Complex, Peoples Football Stadium, Polo Grounds, Karachi Gymkhana, Sindh Club, Karachi Club, Muslim Gymkhana Famous people from Karachi, List of cities in Pakistan, List of cities by population, List of educational institutions in Karachi, List of universities in Karachi

Notes 1. ^ a b Stefan Helders, World Gazetteer. "Karachi" (http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gpro&lng=en&dat=32&geo=-172&srt=pnan&col=aohdq&pt=c&va=&geo=413520701) . Retrieved on 2006-04-17. 2. ^ Note that there is some dispute over the population of Karachi, with Karachiites claiming that the federal government understates the population to reduce the city's representation in the federal legislature. The City Government of Karachi on its website claims "Karachi is today a City of more than 15 million inhabitants". [1] (http://www.karachicity.gov.pk/msg-nazim.asp) . Most independent estimates say that Karachi's population was around the 13 million mark in 1998 when the official census showed it as 9 million. Some legitimate reasons for the discrepancy might be because workers living in Karachi may have their registered address in another part of the country as they may not have a permenent home in Karachi. Although the city would consider such a person a resident of Karachi, using Karachi's infrastructure and contributing to its economy, the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) would not count this person as a resident of Karachi. Another reason is that Afghan refugees were not counted in the 1998 census, and all official estimates simply extrapolate the numbers from the 98 census. 3. ^ World Mayor project, CityMayors.com. "Comments in support of Naimatullah Khan" (http://www.worldmayor.com/voting05/comments_karachi.html) . Retrieved on 2006-04-17. 4. ^ Mustafa Kamal info, Dawn.com. "Mustafa Kamal announces city reinforcement projects" (http://www.dawn.com/2006/01/20/local2.htm) . Retrieved on 2006-10-10. 5. ^ Letters to the editor, Dawn Newspaper. "Karachi turning into a ghetto" (http://www.dawn.com/2006/01/16/letted.htm) . Retrieved on 2006-04-20. 6. ^ Official website, Karachi Port Trust. "K.P.T. Projects" (http://www.kpt.gov.pk/Projects/Proj.html) . Retrieved on 2006-04-17. 7. ^ Article, 12 October 2004, Dawn Newspaper. "KPT to build Rs20bn tower complex" (http://www.dawn.com/2004/10/12/local4.htm) . Retrieved on 2006-04-20. 8. ^ Official website, National Academy of Performing Arts. "Welcome to National Academy of Performing Arts" (http://www.napa.org.pk) . Retrieved on 2006-04-17. 9. ^ Karachi News: Online Edition, Daily Jang. "Hyderabad Colony maintains reputation for culinary delights (http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/oct2005-daily/20-10-2005/metro/k1.htm) . Retrieved on 2006-04-18. 10. ^ Urban Resource Centre, Karachi. "Land as an Issue" (http://web.archive.org/web/20040725034412/www.urckarachi.org/land.htm) . Retrieved on 2006-04-18. 11. ^ Site Edition, Daily Times. "12,000-acre DHA II to be city’s new kid on the block" (http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\04\28\story_28-4-2006_pg12_1 ) . Retrieved on 2006-05-06. 12. ^ "Pakistan: Environmental Issues" (http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/pakenv.html#AIR_POLLUTION) 13. ^ "Tree-planting campaign in the city" (http://www.dawn.com/2006/09/local15.htm)

References This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

Provincial and Territorial Capitals of Pakistan Sindh: Karachi | Punjab: Lahore | NWFP: Peshawar | Balochistan: Quetta Northern Areas: Gilgit | Federally Administered Tribal Areas: Peshawar | Azad Kashmir: Muzaffarabad Federal Capital: Islamabad

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Categories: Articles with unsourced statements | Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica | Karachi District | Cities and towns in Sindh | Coastal cities | Port cities | Coastal cities and towns in Pakistan | Metropolitan areas of Pakistan | Former national capitals | Country's largest city by population This page was last modified 17:45, 21 January 2007. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a US-registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.

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