Steel Town (Karachi)

Steel Town has been a melting pot of ethnicities including but not limited to Punjabis, Muhajirs, Kashmiris, Pakhtuns, Balochis, Brahuis, Memons, Bohras etc. and later influx of Sindhis villagers during the Pakistan Peoples Party regime and consequent destruction of Pakistan Steel Mills and the township through systematic corruption.

The suburb residents have always enjoyed calm and secure environment, distant from the hustle bustle of the urban center; With all the basic necessities and amenities, including a 100-bed hospital with OPD, secondary and high schools, officer's mess, guest hotel, cricket stadium, hockey and soccer stadiums, lakes, parks, protected forests, multiple markets, bi-weekly bazaars and briefly a discounted mart.

Steel Town, built along with Pakistan Steel Mills in collaboration by Soviet Russian steel industrialists in 1970s, to this day is spectacle of soviet era architecture. The town is brilliantly organized in blocks named closely to their aerial representation such as L block in the shape of L as seen from satellite. Upon entering and heading west approaching the 90deg bend along T park (Triangle Shape) bordered with coconut trees, comes the lighted up yet protected; The directors' houses and the chairman house surrounded by several 100 yards of trees and a trench-like drainage and spillway along the east of circular road, followed by the green belt and multi-story guest house and officer's mess to the west side. Behind which, protected and further to the west along the boundary are the age old City Cliff School (upscale) and Mashal School (economic) alongiwth some T blocks (3 story / 18 unit apartments) designated for Russian employees.

Continuing along the circular road comes the classic Russian Market, a semi circle shaped center market with all kinds of shops from stationary, garments, to dispensaries, grocery and fast food. The only place for kids to enjoy a dip during rains (depression area), as the entire town was secured by central drainage system that was built to last and water never stood. Moving along comes the Bank designated area, L and T blocks to the west all the way to border, including Beaconhouse School System utilizing a T block building. As the circular road turns eastwards, the street going straight leads to Madr-e-Millat Girls College (named after sister of Founder of Pakistan) and Pakistan Steel Cadet College (Boys only). Attached to the rear of which is Grand Mosque connecting the college to P block apartments, bhangi paara (cleaner's community), and water tank.

Tracing back to circular road heading eastwards is surrounded on each side by designated mid to senior officers' bungalows. To the left, behind bungalows, is an entrance to hockey and soccer grounds, basketball courts, an abandoned swimming pool and the cricket stadium surrounded by a stone mound. Further behind the stadium is a small lake, traditionally a favorite spot for Russians to go fishing on weekends. Further behind used to be a famous mound and an open ground used by parents to teach driving to their kids. Even further north were bushes, wild animals like boars and hidden lakes ventured by few and later cleaned away for development.

Quaid-e-Azam Park is located in Steel Town, it is a worth visiting beautiful park. On holidays people of localities as well as from all over Karachi city arrange picnics to visit this place and enjoy leisure time.

Steel Town Police Station, Utility Stores, the residency of the Chairman of Pakistan Steel Mills and a public Library are located near Quaid-e-Azam Park.

• Karachi Website.