Karachi

Early history

The 15th–18th century Chaukhandi tombs are located 29 km (18 mi) east of Karachi.

Late Palaeolithic and Mesolithic sites discovered by a team from Karachi University on the Mulri Hills constitute one of the most important archaeological discoveries made in Sindh during the last 50 years. The earliest inhabitants of the Karachi region are believed to have been hunter-gatherers, with ancient flint tools discovered at several sites. A sea port called Barbarikon by the Greeks was situated in Karachi.

The Karachi region is believed to have been known to the ancient Greeks. The region may be the site of Krokola, where Alexander the Great once camped to prepare a fleet for Babylonia, as well as Morontobara which may possibly be Karachi's Manora neighbourhood.

In 711 CE, Muhammad bin Qasim conquered the Sindh and Indus Valley. The Karachi region is believed to have been known to the Arabs as Debal, from where Muhammad Bin Qasim launched his forces into South Asia in 712 C.E.^[47]

Under Mirza Ghazi Beg, the Mughal administrator of Sindh, the development of coastal Sindh and the Indus delta was encouraged. Under his rule, fortifications in the region acted as a bulwark against Portuguese incursions into Sindh. The Ottoman admiral, Seydi Ali Reis, mentioned Debal and Manora Island in his book Mir'ât ül Memâlik in 1554.

Kolachi settlement

Karachi was founded in 1729 as the settlement of Kolachi under the rule of the ethnically Baloch Talpur Mirs of Sindh.^[22] The founders of the settlement are said to arrived from the nearby town of Karak Bandar after the harbour there silted in 1728 after heavy rains. The settlement was fortified, and defended with cannons imported by Sindhi sailors from Muscat, Oman. The name Karachee was used for the first time in a Dutch document from 1742, in which a merchant ship de Ridderkerk is shipwrecked near the original settlement.^[48][49] The city continued to be ruled by the Talpur Mirs until it was occupied by forces under the command of John Keane in February 1839.^[50]

British Raj

Some of Karachi's most recognized structures, such as Frere Hall, date from the British Raj.

Karachi features several examples of colonial-era Indo-Saracenic architecture.

The former State Bank of Pakistan building was built during the colonial era.

The British East India Company captured Karachi on 3 February 1839 after HMS Wellesley opened fire and quickly destroyed the local mud fort at Manora.^[51] The town was annexed to British India in 1843 after Sindh was captured by Major General Charles James Napier in the Battle of Miani, with the city declared capital of the new British province.

The city was recognized for its strategic importance, prompting the British to establish the Port of Karachi in 1854. Karachi rapidly became a transportation hub for British India owing to newly built port and rail infrastructure, as well as the increase in agricultural exports from the opening of productive tracts of newly irrigated land in Punjab and interior Sindh.^[52] The British also developed the Karachi Cantonment as a military garrison in order to aid the British war effort in the First Anglo-Afghan War.^[53]

During the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, the 21st Native Infantry, then stationed in Karachi, mutinied and declared allegiance to rebel forces in September 1857, though the British were able to quickly defeat the rebels and reassert control over the city. Following the Rebellion, British colonial administrators continued to develop the city. In 1864, the first telegraphic message was sent from South Asia to England from Karachi.^[54] Public building works were undertaken, including the construction of Frere Hall in 1865 and the later Empress Market. In 1878, the British Raj connected Karachi with the network of British India's vast railway system.

By 1899, Karachi had become the largest wheat-exporting port in the East.^[55] British development projects in Karachi resulted in an influx of economic migrants from several ethnicities and religions, including Anglo-British, Parsis, Marathis, and Goan Christians, among others. Karachi's newly arrived Jewish population established the city's first synagogue in 1893.^[56] Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, was born in Karachi's Wazir Mansion in 1876 to migrants from Gujarat. By the end of the 19th century, Karachi's population was estimated to be 105,000.^[57]

Under British rule, the city's municipal government was established. Known as the Father of Modern Karachi, mayor Seth Harchandrai Vishandas led the municipal government to improve sanitary conditions in the Old City, as well as major infrastructure works in the New Town after his election in 1911.^[2]

Post-independence

At the dawn of Pakistan's independence in 1947, Karachi was Sindh's largest city with a population of over 400,000.^[19] Despite communal violence across India and Pakistan, Karachi remained relatively peaceful compared to cities further north in Punjab.^[2] The city became the focus for the resettlement of Muslim Muhajirs migrating from India, leading to a dramatic expansion of the city's population. This migration lasted until the 1960s.^[58] This immigration ultimately transformed the city's demographics and economy.

Karachi was selected as the first capital of Pakistan and served as such until the capital was shifted to Rawalpindi in 1958.^[59] While foreign embassies shifted away from Karachi, the city is host to numerous consulates and honorary consulates.^[60] Between 1958 and 1970, Karachi's role as capital of Sindh was ceased due to the One Unit programme enacted by President Iskander Mirza.^[2]

Karachi of the 1960s was regarded as an economic role model around the world, with Seoul, South Korea borrowing from the city's second "Five-Year Plan."^[61][62] The 1970s saw major labour struggles in Karachi's industrial estates. The 1980s and 1990s saw an influx of thousands of Afghan refugees from the Soviet–Afghan War into Karachi; who were in turn followed in smaller numbers by refugees escaping from post-revolution Iran.^[63]

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Karachi was rocked by political and conflict, while crime rates drastically increased with the arrival of weaponry from the War in Afghanistan.^[43] Conflict between the MQM party, and ethnic Sindhis, Pashtuns, and Punjabis was sharp. The party and its vast network of supporters were targeted by Pakistani security forces as part of the controversial Operation Clean-up in 1992 – an effort to restore peace in the city that lasted until 1994.^[64] Anti-Hindu riots also broke out in Karachi in 1992 in retaliation for the demolition of the Babri Mosque in India by a group of Hindu nationalists earlier that year.^[65] Karachi had become widely known for its high rates of violent crime, but recorded crimes sharply decreased following a controversial crackdown operation against criminals, the MQM party, and Islamist militants initiated in 2013 by the Pakistan Rangers.^[44]

Climate

The Arabian Sea influences Karachi's climate, providing the city with more moderate temperatures compared to interior Sindh province.

Karachi has an arid climate (Köppen: BWh) dominated by a long "Summer Season" while moderated by oceanic influence from the Arabian Sea. The city has low annual average precipitation levels (approx. 250 mm (9.8 in) per annum), the bulk of which occurs during the July–August monsoon season. While the summers are hot and humid, cool sea breezes typically provide relief during hot summer months, though Karachi is prone to deadly heat waves,^[68] though a text-message based early warning system is now in place that helped prevent any fatalities during an unusually strong heatwave in October 2017.^[69] The winter climate is dry and lasts between December and February. It is dry and pleasant relative to the warm hot season, which starts in March and lasts until monsoons arrive in June. Proximity to the sea maintains humidity levels at near-constant levels year-round.

The city's highest monthly rainfall, 429.3 mm (16.90 in), occurred in July 1967.^[70] The city's highest rainfall in 24 hours occurred on 7 August 1953, when about 278.1 millimetres (10.95 in) of rain lashed the city, resulting in major flooding.^[71] Karachi's highest recorded temperature is 48 °C (118 °F) which was recorded on 9 May 1938,^[72] and the lowest is 0 °C (32 °F) recorded on 21 January 1934.^[70]

Cityscape

Central Karachi features several buildings dating from the colonial era.

The city first developed around the Karachi Harbour, and owes much of its growth to its role as a seaport at the end of the 18th century,^[75] contrasted with Pakistan's millennia-old cities such as Lahore, Multan, and Peshawar. Karachi's Mithadar neighbourhood represents the extent of Kolachi prior to British rule.

British Karachi was divided between the "New Town" and the "Old Town," with British investments focused primarily in the New Town.^[53] The Old Town was a largely unplanned neighbourhood which housed most of the city's indigenous residents, and had no access to sewerage systems, electricity, and water.^[53] The New Town was subdivided into residential, commercial, and military areas.^[53] Given the strategic value of the city, the British developed the Karachi Cantonment as a military garrison in the New Town to aid the British war effort in the First Anglo-Afghan War.^[53]

Karachi Skyline-View from Hill Park

The city's development was largely confined to the area north of the Chinna Creek prior to independence, although the seaside area of Clifton was also developed as a posh locale under the British, and its large bungalows and estates remain some of the city's most desirable properties. The aforementioned historic areas form the oldest portions of Karachi, and contain its most important monuments and government buildings, with the I. I. Chundrigar Road being home to most of Pakistan's banks, including the Habib Bank Plaza which was Pakistan's tallest building from 1963 until the early 2000s.^[2]

Much of Karachi's skyline is decentralized, with some growth in traditionally suburban areas.

Situated on a coastal plain northwest of Karachi's historic core lies the sprawling district of Orangi Town. North of the historic core is the largely middle-class district of Nazimabad, and upper-middle class North Nazimabad, which were developed in the 1950s. To the east of the historic core is the area known as Defence – an expansive upscale suburb developed and administered by the Pakistan Army. Karachi's coastal plains along the Arabian Sea south of Clifton were also developed much later as part of the greater Defence Housing Authority project.

Karachi's city limits also include several islands, including Baba and Bhit Islands, Oyster Rocks, and Manora, a former island which is now connected to the mainland by a thin 12 kilometre long shoal known as Sandspit. The city has been described as one divided into sections for those able to afford to live in planned localities with access to urban amenities, and those who live in unplanned communities with inadequate access to such services.^[76] Up to 60% of Karachi's residents live in such unplanned communities.^[76]

Finance and banking

Most of Pakistan's public and private banks are headquartered on Karachi's I. I. Chundrigar Road, which is known as "Pakistan's Wall Street",^[2] with a large percentage of the cashflow in the Pakistani economy taking place on I. I. Chundrigar Road. Most major foreign multinational corporations operating in Pakistan have their headquarters in Karachi. Karachi is also home to the Pakistan Stock Exchange, which was rated as Asia's best performing stock market in 2015 on the heels of Pakistan's upgrade to emerging-market status by MSCI.^[87]

Media and technology

Karachi has been the pioneer in cable networking in Pakistan with the most sophisticated of the cable networks of any city of Pakistan,^[88] and has seen an expansion of information and communications technology and electronic media. The city has become a software outsourcing hub for Pakistan. Several independent television and radio stations are based in Karachi, including Business Plus, AAJ News, Geo TV, KTN,^[89] Sindh TV,^[90] CNBC Pakistan, TV ONE, Express TV,^[91] ARY Digital, Indus Television Network, Samaa TV, Abb Tak, BoL TV, and Dawn News, as well as several local stations.

Industry

Mövenpick Hotel Karachi

Industry contributes a large portion of Karachi's economy, with the city home to several of Pakistan's largest companies dealing in textiles, cement, steel, heavy machinery, chemicals, and food products.^[92] The city is home to approximately 30 percent of Pakistan's manufacturing sector,^[38] and produces approximately 42 percent of Pakistan's value added in large scale manufacturing.^[93] At least 4500 industrial units form Karachi's formal industrial economy.^[94] Karachi's informal manufacturing sector employs far more people than the formal sector, though proxy data suggest that the capital employed and value added from such informal enterprises is far smaller than that offormal sector enterprises.^[95] An estimated 63% of the Karachi's workforce is employed in trade and manufacturing.^[78]

Karachi Export Processing Zone, SITE, Korangi, Northern Bypass Industrial Zone, Bin Qasim and North Karachi serve as large industrial estates in Karachi.^[96] The Karachi Expo Centre also complements Karachi's industrial economy by hosting regional and international exhibitions.^[97]

Revenue collection

As home to Pakistan's largest ports and a large portion of its manufacturing base, Karachi contributes a large share of Pakistan's collected tax revenue. As most of Pakistan's large multinational corporations are based in Karachi, income taxes are paid in the city even though income may be generated from other parts of the country.^[109] As home to the country's two largest ports, Pakistani customs officials collect the bulk of federal duty and tariffs at Karachi's ports, even if those imports are destined for one of Pakistan's other provinces.^[110] Approximately 25% of Pakistan's national revenue is generated in Karachi.^[36]

According to the Federal Board of Revenue's 2006–2007 year book, tax and customs units in Karachi were responsible for 46.75% of direct taxes, 33.65% of federal excise tax, and 23.38% of domestic sales tax.^[111] Karachi accounts for 75.14% of customs duty and 79% of sales tax on imports,^[111] and collects 53.38% of the total collections of the Federal Board of Revenue, of which 53.33% are customs duty and sales tax on imports.^[111][112]

Population

At the end of the 19th century, Karachi had an estimated population of 105,000.^[57] By the dawn of Pakistan's independence in 1947, the city had an estimated population of 400,000.^[19] The city's population grew dramatically with the arrival of hundreds of thousands of Muslim refugees from the newly independent Republic of India.^[23] Rapid economic growth following independence attracted further migrants from throughout Pakistan and South Asia.^[24] The 2017 census numerated Karachi's population to be 14,910,352, having grown 2.49% per year since the 1998 census, which had listed Karachi's population at approximately 9.3 million.^[113]

Lower than expected population figures from the census suggest that Karachi's poor infrastructure, law and order situation, and weakened economy relative to other parts of Pakistan made the city less attractive to in-migration than previously thought.^[113] The figure is disputed by all the major political parties in Sindh.^{[114][115][116]} Karachi's population grew by 59.8% since the 1998 census to 14.9 million, while Lahore city grew 75.3%^[117] – though Karachi's census district had not been altered by the provincial government since 1998, while Lahore's had been expanded by Punjab's government,^[117] leading to some of Karachi's growth to have occurred outside the city's census boundaries.^[113] Karachi's population had grown at a rate of 3.49% between the 1981 and 1998 census, leading many analysts to estimate Karachi's 2017 population to be approximately 18 million by extrapolating a continued annual growth rate of 3.49%. Some had expected that the city's population to be between 22 and 30 million,^[113] which would require an annual growth rate accelerating to between 4.6% and 6.33%.^[113]

Political parties in the province have suggested the city's population has been underestimated in a deliberate attempt to undermine the political power of the city and province.^[118] Senator Taj Haider from the PPP claimed he had official documents revealing the city's population to be 25.6 million in 2013,^[118] while the Sindh Bureau of Statistics, part of by the PPP-led provincial administration, estimated Karachi's 2016 population to be 19.1 million.^[119]

Template:Karachi historical population

Ethnicity

The oldest portions of modern Karachi reflect the ethnic composition of the first settlement, with Balochis and Sindhis continuing to make up a large portion of the Lyari neighbourhood,^[25] though many of the residents are relatively recent migrants. Following Partition, large numbers of Hindus migrant Pakistan for the newly-independent Dominion of India (later the Republic of India), while a larger percentage of Muslim migrant from India settled in Karachi. The city grew 150% during the ten period between 1941 and 1951 with the arrival of migrants from India,^[120] who made up 57% of Karachi's population in 1951.^[121] The city is now considered a melting pot of Pakistan, and is the country's most diverse city.^[25] In 2011, an estimated 2.5 million foreign migrants lived in the city, mostly from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka.^[122]

Much of Karachi's citizenry descend from Urdu-speaking migrants from North India who became known by the Arabic term for "Migrant" – Muhajir. The first Muhajirs of Karachi arrived in 1946 in the aftermath of the Great Calcutta Killings and subsequent 1946 Bihar riots.^[123] The city's wealthy Hindus opposed the resettlement of refugees near their homes, and so many refugees were accommodated in the older and more congested parts of Karachi.^[124] The city witnessed a large influx of Muhajirs following Partition, who were drawn to the port city and newly designated federal capital for its white-collar job opportunities.^[125] Muhajirs continued to migrate to Pakistan throughout the 1950s and early 1960s,^[126] with Karachi remaining the primary destination of Indian Muslim migrants throughout those decades.^[58] The Muhajir Urdu-speaking community in the 2017 census forms slightly less than 45% of the city's population.^[117] Muhajirs form the bulk of Karachi's middle class.^[25] Muhajirs are regarded as the city's most secular community, while other minorities such as Christians and Hindus increasingly regard themselves as part of the Muhajir community.^[25]

Karachi is home to a wide array of non-Urdu speaking Muslim peoples from what is now the Republic of India. The city has a sizable community of Gujarati, Marathi, Konkani-speaking refugees.^[25] Karachi is also home to a several-thousand member strong community of Malabari Muslims from Kerala in South India.^[127] These ethno-linguistic groups are being assimilated in the Urdu-speaking community.^[128]

During the period of rapid economic growth in the 1960s, large numbers Pashtuns from the NWFP migrated to Karachi with Afghan Pashtun refugees settling in Karachi during the 80's.^{[129][130][131][132][133]} By some estimates, Karachi is home to the world's largest urban Pashtun population,^[134] with more Pashtun citizens than the FATA.^{[2][134][134]} While generally considered to be one of Karachi's most conservative communities, Pashtuns in Karachi generally vote for the secular Awami National Party rather than religious parties.^[2] Pashtuns from Afghanistan are regarded as the most conservative community.^[2] Pashtuns from Pakistan's Swat Valley, in contrast, are generally seen as more liberal in social outlook.^[2] The Pashtun community forms the bulk of manual labourers and transporters.^[135]

Migrants from Punjab began settling in Karachi in large numbers in the 1960s, and now make up an estimated 14% of Karachi's population.^[2] The community forms the bulk of the city's police force,^[2] and also form a large portion of Karachi's entrepreneurial classes and direct a larger portion of Karachi's service-sector economy.^[2] The bulk of Karachi's Christian community, which makes up 2.5% of the city's population, is Punjabi.^[136]

Despite being the capital of Sindh province, only 6–8% of the city is Sindhi.^[2] Sindhis form much of the municipal and provincial bureaucracy.^[2] 4% of Karachi's population speaks Balochi as its mother tongue, though most Baloch speakers are of Sheedi heritage – a community that traces its roots to Africa.^[2]

Following the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and independence of Bangladesh, thousands of Urdu-speaking Biharis arrived in the city, preferring to remain Pakistani rather than live in the newly-independent country. Large numbers of Bengalis also migrated from Bangladesh to Karachi during periods of economic growth in the 1980s and 1990s. Karachi is now home to an estimated 2.5 to 3 million ethnic Bengalis living in Pakistan.^[31][32] Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, who speak a dialect of Bengali and are sometimes regarded as Bengalis, also live in the city. Karachi is home to an estimated 400,000 Rohingya residents.^[137][138] Large scale Rohingya migration to Karachi made Karachi one of the largest population centres of Rohingyas in the world outside of Myanmar.^[139]

Central Asian migrants from Uzbekistan and Kyrghyzstan have also settled in the city.^[140] Domestic workers from the Philippines are employed in Karachi's posh locales, while many of the city's teachers hail from Sri Lanka.^[140] Expatriates from China began migrating to Karachi in the 1940s, to work as dentists, chefs and shoemakers, while many of their decedents continue to live in Pakistan.^[140][141] The city is also home to a small number of British and American expatriates.^[142]

During World War II, about 3,000 Polish refugees from the Soviet Union, with some Polish families who chose to remain in the city after Partition.^[143][144] Post-Partition Karachi also once had a sizable refugee community from post-revolutionary Iran.^[140]

Religion

Abdullah Shah Ghazi, an 8th-century Sufi mystic, is considered to be the patron saint of Karachi.^[149]

St. Patrick's Cathedral serves as the seat of the Archdiocese of Karachi.

The Swaminarayan Temple is the largest Hindu temple in Karachi.

Karachi is one of Pakistan's most religiously diverse cities.^[19] Karachiites adhere to numerous sects and sub-sects of Islam, as well as Protestant Christianity, and community of Goan Catholics. The city also is home to large numbers of Hindus, and a small community of Zoroastrians.

Prior to Pakistan's independence in 1947, the population of the city was estimated to be 50% Muslim, 40% Hindu, with the remaining 10% primarily Christians (both British and native), with a small numbers of Jews. Following the independence of Pakistan, much of Karachi's Sindhi Hindu population left for India while Muslim refugees from India in turn settled in the city. The city continued to attract migrants from throughout Pakistan, who were overwhelmingly Muslim, and city's population nearly doubled again in the 1950s.^[120] As a result of continued migration, over 96.5% of the city currently is estimated to be Muslim.^[2]

Karachi is overwhelmingly Muslim,^[2] though the city is one of Pakistan's most secular cities.^[25][26][27] Approximately 65% of Karachi's Muslims are Sunnis, while 35% are Shi'ites.^{[150][151][152]} Sunnis primarily follow the Hanafi school of jurisprudence, with Sufism influencing religious practices by encouraging reverence for Sufi saints such as Abdullah Shah Ghazi and Mewa Shah. Shi'ites are predominantly Twelver, with a significant Ismaili minority which is further subdivided into Nizaris, Mustaalis, Dawoodi Bohras, and Sulaymanis.

Approximately 2.5% of Karachi's population is Christian.^{[145][146][147]} The city's Christian community is primarily composed of Punjabi Christians,^[136] who converted from Sikhism to Christianity during the British Raj.^[153] Karachi has a community of Goan Catholics who are typically better-educated and more affluent than their Punjabi co-religionists.^[154] The Goan community dates from 1820 and has a population estimated to be 12,000–15,000 strong.^[155]

While most of the city's Hindu population left en masse for India following Pakistan's independence, Karachi still has a large Hindu community with an estimated population of 250,000 based on 2013 data.^[156] Karachi's affluent and influential Parsis have lived in the region in the 12th century, though the modern community dates from the mid 19th century when they served as military contractors and commissariat agents to the British.^[157] Further waves of Parsi immigrants from Persia settled in the city in the late 19th century.^[158] The population of Parsis in Karachi and throughout South Asia is in continuous decline due to low birth-rates and migration to Western countries.^[159]

Language

Karachi has the largest number of Urdu speakers in Pakistan.^[88] As per the 1998 census, the linguistic breakdown of Karachi Division is:

The category of "others" includes Gujarati, Dawoodi Bohra, Memon, Marwari, Dari, Brahui, Makrani, Hazara, Khowar, Gilgiti, Burushaski, Balti, Arabic, Farsi and Bengali.^[162]

Road

Karachi is served by a road network estimated to be approximately 9,500 kilometres (5,900 miles) in length,^[163] serving approximately 3.1 million vehicles per day.^[164]

Karachi is served by three "Signal-Free Corridors" which are designed as urban express roads to permit traffic to transverse large distances without the need to stop at intersections and stop lights.^[164] The first opened in 2007 and connects Shah Faisal Town in eastern Karachi to the industrial-estates in SITE Town 10.5 kilometres (6.5 miles) away. The second corridor connects Surjani Town with Shahrah-e-Faisal over a 19 kilometre span, while the third stretch 28 kilometres (17 miles) and connects Karachi's urban centre to the Gulistan-e-Johar suburb. A fourth corridor is currently under construction that will link Karachi's centre to Karachi's Malir Town.

Karachi will be the terminus of the under construction M-9 motorway, which will connect Karachi to Hyderabad. The road is being constructed as part of a much larger motorway network under construction as part of the expansive China Pakistan Economic Corridor. From Hyderabad, motorways have been built, or are being constructed, to provide high-speed road access to the northern Pakistani cities of Peshawar and Mansehra 1,100 kilometres (680 miles) to the north of Karachi.

Karachi is also the terminus of the N-5 National Highway which connects the city to the historic medieval capital of Sindh, Thatta. It offers further connections to northern Pakistan and the Afghan border near Torkham, as well as the N-25 National Highway which connects the port city to the Afghan border near Quetta.

Within the city of Karachi, the Lyari Expressway is a controlled-access highway along the Lyari River in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. As of 8 February 2018 Lyari Expressway's north-bound and south-bound sections are both complete and open for traffic.^[165] This toll highway is designed to relieve congestion in the city of Karachi. To the north of Karachi lies the Karachi Northern Bypass (M10), which starts near the junction of the M9. It then continues north for a few kilometres before turning west, where it intersects the N25.

Rail

Karachi's Cantonment railway station is one of the city's primary transport hubs.

Karachi is linked by rail to the rest of the country by Pakistan Railways. The Karachi City Station and Karachi Cantonment Railway Station are the city's two major railway stations.^[2] The city has an international rail link, the Thar Express which links Karachi Cantonment Station with Bhagat Ki Kothi station in Jodhpur, India.^[166]

The railway system also handles freight linking Karachi port to destinations up-country in northern Pakistan.^[167] The city is the terminus for the Main Line-1 Railway which connects Karachi to Peshawar. Pakistan's rail network, including the Main Line-1 Railway is being upgraded as part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, allowing trains to depart Karachi and travel on Pakistani railways at an average speed of 160 kilometres per hour (99 miles per hour) versus the average 60 to 105 kilometres per hour (37 to 65 miles per hour) speed currently possible on existing track.^[168]

Public transport

The Karachi Circular Railway route.

Karachi's public transport infrastructure is inadequate and constrained by low levels of investment.^[169] Karachi is not currently served by any municipal public transit, and is instead serviced primarily by the private and informal sector.^[170]

Metrobus

The Pakistani Government is developing the Karachi Metrobus project, which is a multi-line 112.9 kilometres (70.2 miles) bus rapid transit system currently under construction.^[171] The Metrobus project was inaugurated by then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on 25 February 2016. Sharif stated that the "project will be more beautiful than Lahore Metro Bus."^[172] The projects initial launch date was February 2017, but due to the slow pace of work, it is not yet operational.

Karachi's Jinnah International Airport is the largest and busiest airport in Pakistan.

Air

Karachi's Jinnah International Airport is the busiest airport of Pakistan with a total of 6.2 million passengers in 2015.^[174] The current terminal structure was built in 1992, and is divided into international and domestic sections. Karachi's airport serves as a hub for the flag carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), as well as for Air Indus, Shaheen Air, and airblue. The airport offers non-stop flights to destinations throughout East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Persian Gulf States, Europe and North America.^[175][176]

The Port of Karachi is one of South Asia's largest and busiest deep-water seaports.

Sea

The largest shipping ports in Pakistan are the Port of Karachi and the nearby Port Qasim, the former being the oldest port of Pakistan. Port Qasim is located 35 kilometres (22 miles) east of the Port of Karachi on the Indus River estuary. These ports handle 95% of Pakistan's trade cargo to and from foreign ports. These seaports have modern facilities which include bulk handling, containers and oil terminals.^[177]

Historical background

In response to a cholera epidemic in 1846, the Karachi Conservancy Board was organized by British administrators.^[178][179] The board became the Karachi Municipal Commission in 1852, and the Karachi Municipal Committee the following year.^[178] The City of Karachi Municipal Act of 1933 transformed the city administration into the Karachi Municipal Corporation with a mayor, a deputy mayor and 57 councillors.^[178] In 1976, the body became the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation.^[178]

During the 1900s, Karachi saw its major beautification project under the mayoralty of Harchandrai Vishandas. New roads, parks, residential, and recreational areas were developed as part of this project. In 1948, the Federal Capital Territory of Pakistan was created, comprising approximately 2,103 km² (812 sq mi) of Karachi and surrounding areas, but this was merged into the province of West Pakistan in 1961.^[180] In 1996, the metropolitan area was divided into five districts, each with its own municipal corporation.^[178]

Union councils (2001–11)

In 2001, five districts of Karachi were merged to form the city district of Karachi, with a three-tier structure. The two most local tiers are composed of 18 towns, and 178 union councils.^[181] Each tier focused on elected councils with some common members to provide "vertical linkage" within the federation.^[182]

Naimatullah Khan was the first Nazim of Karachi during the Union Council period, while Shafiq-Ur-Rehman Paracha was the first district co-ordination officer of Karachi. Syed Mustafa Kamal was elected City Nazim of Karachi to succeed Naimatullah Khan in 2005 elections, and Nasreen Jalil was elected as the City Naib Nazim.

Each Union Council had thirteen members elected from specified electorates: four men and two women elected directly by the general population; two men and two women elected by peasants and workers; one member for minority communities; two members are elected jointly as the Union Mayor (Nazim) and Deputy Union Mayor (Naib Nazim).^[183] Each council included up to three council secretaries and a number of other civil servants. The Union Council system was dismantled in 2011.

District municipal corporations

In 2011, city district government of Karachi was reverted its original constituent units known as District Municipal Corporations (DMC). The five original DMCs are: Karachi East, Karachi West, Karachi Central, Karachi South and Malir. In November 2013, a sixth DMC, "Korangi" was carved out from District East.^{[184][185][186][187][188]}

The current city administrator is Muhammad Hussain Syed^[189] and Municipal Commissioner of Karachi is Matanat Ali Khan.^[190] The position of Commissioner of Karachi was created and Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqui was appointed as the Commissioner of Karachi.^[191] There are six military cantonments, which are administered by the Pakistani Army, and are some of Karachi's most upscale neighbourhoods.

Karachi South Lyari Town Saddar Town Karachi East Jamshed Town Gulshan Town Karachi Central Liaquatabad Town North Nazimabad Town Gulberg Town New Karachi Town Karachi West Kemari Town SITE Town Baldia Town Orangi Town

Malir Malir Town Bin Qasim Town Gadap Town Korangi Korangi Town Landhi Town Shah Faisal Town Cantonments A. Karachi Cantonment B. Clifton Cantonment C. Korangi Creek Cantonment D. Faisal Cantonment E. Malir Cantonment F. Manora Cantonment

Water

76% of Karachi households have access to piped water as of 2015,^[192] with private water tankers supplying much of the water required in informal settlements.^[78] 18% of residents in a 2015 survey rated their water supply as "bad," or "very bad," while 44% expressed concern at the stability of water supply.^[192] By 2015, an estimated 30,000 people were dying due to water-borne diseases annually.^[193]

The K-IV water project is under development at a cost of $876 million, that will provide 650 million gallons daily of potable water to the city, with the first phase expected to supply 260 million gallons by June 2018.^[194][195]

Sanitation

98% of Karachi's households are connected to the city's underground public sewerage system,^[192] largely operated by the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board. Households in Orangi Town self-organized in order to set-up their own sewerage system under the Orangi Pilot Project,^[196] a community service organization founded in 1980. 90% of Orangi streets are now connected to a sewer system built by local residents under the Orangi Pilot Project.^[196] Residents of individual streets bear the cost of sewerage pipes, and provide volunteer labour to lay the pipe.^[196] Residents also maintain the sewer pipes,^[196] while the city municipal administration has built several primary and secondary pipes for the network.^[196] As a result of OPP, 96% of Orangi residents have access to a latrine.^[196]

72% reported in 2015 that Karachi's drainage system overflows or backs up,^[192] – the highest percentage of all major Pakistani cities.^[192] Parts of the city's drainage system overflows on average 2–7 times per month, flooding some city streets.^[192]

Karachi has the highest percentage of residents in Pakistan who report that their streets are never cleaned – 42% of residents in Karachi report their streets are never cleaned, compared to 10% of residents in Lahore.^[192] Only 17% of Karachi residents reporting daily street cleaning, compared to 45% in Lahore.^[192] 69% of Karachi residents rely on private garbage collection services,^[192] with only 15% relying on municipal garbage collection services.^[192] 57% of Karachi residents in a 2015 survey reported that the state of their neighbourhood's cleanliness was either "bad" or "very bad".^[192] compared to 35% in Lahore,^[192] and 16% in Multan.^[192]

Primary and secondary

Karachi's primary education system is divided into five levels: primary (grades one through five); middle (grades six through eight); high (grades nine and ten, leading to the Secondary School Certificate); intermediate (grades eleven and twelve, leading to a Higher Secondary School Certificate); and university programs leading to graduate and advanced degrees. Karachi has both public and private educational institutions. Most educational institutions are gender-based, from primary to university level.

Several of Karachi's schools, such as St Patrick's High School, and St Paul's English High School, are operated by Christian churches, and among Pakistan's most prestigious schools.

Higher

The D. J. Sindh Government Science College is one of Karachi's second oldest university, and dates from 1887.

Karachi is home to several major public universities. Karachi's first public university's date from the British colonial era. The Sindh Madressatul Islam founded in 1885, was granted university status in 2012. Establishment of the Sindh Madressatul Islam was followed by the establishment of the D. J. Sindh Government Science College in 1887, and the institution was granted university status in 2014. The Nadirshaw Edulji Dinshaw University of Engineering and Technology (NED), was founded in 1921, and is Pakistan's oldest institution of higher learning. The Dow University of Health Sciences was established in 1945, and is now one of Pakistan's top medical research institutions.

The University of Karachi, founded in 1951, is Pakistan's largest university with a student population of 24,000. The Institute of Business Administration (IBA), founded in 1955, is the oldest business school outside of North America and Europe, and was set up with technical support from the Wharton School and the University of Southern California. The Dawood University of Engineering and Technology, which opened in 1962, offers degree programmes in petroleum, gas, chemical, and industrial engineering. The Pakistan Navy Engineering College (PNEC), operated by the Pakistan Navy, is associated with the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) in Islamabad.

Karachi is also home to numerous private universities. The Aga Khan University, founded in 1983, is Karachi's oldest private educational institution, and is one of Pakistan's most prestigious medical schools. The Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture was founded in 1989, and offers degree programmes in arts and architectural fields. Hamdard University is the largest private university in Pakistan with faculties including Eastern Medicine, Medical, Engineering, Pharmacy, and Law. The National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (NUCES-FAST), one of Pakistan's top universities in computer education, operates two campuses in Karachi. Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology (SSUET) offers degree programmes in biomedical, electronics, telecom and computer engineering. Karachi Institute of Economics & Technology (KIET) has two campuses in Karachi. The Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST), founded in 1995 by former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, operates a campus in Karachi.

• Iqra University
• Habib University
  

  Habib University is a liberal arts college in Karachi.
• Dow University
• Jinnah Medical and Dental College
• Jinnah Sindh Medical University
• Pakistan Air Force – Karachi Institute of Economics and Technology
• United Medical and Dental College
• Liaquat National Medical College
• Institute of Cost & Management Accountants of Pakistan (ICMAP)

Museums and galleries

The National Museum of Pakistan is located in Karachi.

Built as a home for a wealthy Hindu businessman, the Mohatta Palace is now a museum open to the public.

Karachi is home to several of Pakistan's most important museums. The National Museum of Pakistan and Mohatta Palace display artwork, while the city also has several private art galleries.^[207] The city is also home to the Pakistan Airforce Museum and Pakistan Maritime Museum are also located in the city. Wazir Mansion, the birthplace of Pakistan's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah has also been preserved as a museum open to the public.

Theatre and cinema

Karachi is home to some of Pakistan's important cultural institutions. The National Academy of Performing Arts,^[208] located in the former Hindu Gymkhana, offers diploma courses in performing arts that includes classical music and contemporary theatre. Karachi is home to groups such as Thespianz Theater, a professional youth-based, non-profit performing arts group, which works on theatre and arts activities in Pakistan.^[209][210]

Though Lahore is considered to be home of Pakistan's film industry, Karachi is home to Kara Film Festival annually showcases independent Pakistani and international films and documentaries.^[211]

Music

The All Pakistan Music Conference, linked to the 45-year-old similar institution in Lahore, has been holding its annual music festival since its inception in 2004.^[212] The National Arts Council (Koocha-e-Saqafat) has musical performances and mushaira.

Tourist attractions

Vast stretches of beach are found along the coast west of Karachi, such as at Hawke's Bay.

Karachi is a tourist destination for domestic and international tourists. Tourist attractions near Karachi city include:

Museums: Museums located in Karachi include the National Museum of Pakistan, Pakistan Air Force Museum, and Pakistan Maritime Museum.

Parks: Parks located in Karachi include Bagh Ibne Qasim, Boat Basin Park, Mazar-e-Quaid, Karachi Zoo, Hill Park, Safari Park, Bagh-e-Jinnah, PAF Museum Park and Maritime Museum Park.

Crime

Sometimes stated to be amongst the world's most dangerous cities,^[213] the extent of violent crime in Karachi is not as significant in magnitude as compared to other cities.^[214] According to the Numbeo Crime Index 2014, Karachi was the 6th most dangerous city in the world. By the middle of 2016, Karachi's rank had dropped to 31 following the launch of anti-crime operations.^[215] By 2018, Karachi's ranking has dropped to 50.^[216]

The city's large population results in high numbers of homicides with a moderate homicide rate.^[214] Karachi's homicide rates are lower than many Latin American cities,^[214] and in 2015 was 12.5 per 100,000^[217] – lower than the homicide rate of several American cities such as New Orleans and St. Louis.^[218] The homicide rates in some Latin American cities such as Caracas, Venezuela and Acapulco, Mexico are in excess of 100 per 100,000 residents,^[218] many times greater than Karachi's homicide rate. In 2016, the number of murders in Karachi had dropped to 471, which had dropped further to 381 in 2017.^[219]

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Karachi was rocked by political conflict while crime rates drastically increased with the arrival of weaponry from the War in Afghanistan.^[43] Several of Karachi's criminal mafias became powerful during a period in the 1990s described as "the rule of the mafias."^[220] Major mafias active in the city included land mafia, water tanker mafia, transport mafia and a sand and gravel mafia.^{[221][220][222][223]} Karachi's highest death rates occurred in the mid 1990s when Karachi was much smaller. In 1995, 1,742 killings were recorded,^[224] when the city had over 5 million fewer residents.^[225]

Ethnic conflict

Insufficient affordable housing infrastructure to absorb growth has resulted in the city's diverse migrant populations being largely confined to ethnically homogenous neighbourhoods.^[78] The 1970s saw major labour struggles in Karachi's industrial estates. Violence originated in the city's university campuses, and spread into the city.^[232] Conflict was especially sharp between MQM party and ethnic Sindhis, Pashtuns, and Punjabis. The party and its vast network of supporters were targeted by Pakistani security forces as part of the controversial Operation Clean-up in 1992, as part of an effort to restore peace in the city that lasted until 1994.^[64]

Poor infrastructure

Urban planning and service delivery have not kept pace with Karachi's growth, resulting in the city's low ranking on livability rankings.^[78] The city has no cohesive transportation policy, and no official public transit system, though up to 1,000 new cars are added daily to the city's congested streets.^[78]

Unable to provide housing to large numbers of refugees shortly after independence, Karachi's authorities first issued "slips" to refugees beginning in 1950 – which allowed refugees to settle on any vacant land.^[196] Such informal settlements are known as katchi abadis, and now approximately half the city's residents live in these unplanned communities.^[78]