Travelling through the city during peak hours can be very time consuming. There are frequent road blocks and traffic jams. You can avoid these by taking side roads. If you have limited time, you can also visit some of the city’s historic sites such as the Quaid-e-Azam’s Mausoleum.
Quaid-e-Azam’s Mausoleum
Quaid-e-Azam’s mausoleum is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Karachi. It was designed in the modernist style of the 1960s and completed in 1971. It is the final resting place of the founder of modern Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The mausoleum is the city’s symbol and one of the most popular attractions.
The tomb is surrounded by a landscape of gardens and terraces. There are fifteen fountains in the garden. The mausoleum is four metres high and stands on a plinth of 75 square meters. The mausoleum is illuminated by channeled spot-lights and has beautiful fountains.
The mausoleum contains the graves of several important figures in Pakistan’s history. Among them are the first prime minister, Liaqat Ali Khan, the wife of the Quaid-e-Azam, Begum Ra’ana Liaquat Ali Khan, and Mr Noorul Ameen.
The Quaid-e-Azam’s mausoleum is located in Jamshed Town, a neighborhood of Karachi. It is one of the city’s most prominent landmarks and features a stunning four-tiered crystal chandelier. The mausoleum was built to honour Mohammad Ali Jinnah, an Indian-Muslim politician, leader of the All India Muslim League, and the founder of Pakistan.
Located in the heart of the city, Mazar e-Quaid’s mazar has a dazzling and symmetrical design. It is easily accessible from anywhere in the city. It is also accessible by public transport. There are several stops along the major highways. Many tourists also use ride hailing apps to get around.
Saddar
Saddar, also known as Saddar Bazaar, is the primary commercial district in Karachi. It has a high concentration of colonial era architecture. This area was originally developed by the British as a market area. Today, it remains one of the most popular tourist destinations in the city.
Saddar Town includes most of the city’s oldest settlements. It was called Kharadar and Mithadar during the pre-colonial period. The name derives from the Sindhi words “khara” (salty) and “mitha” (sweet). These names refer to the two major gates of the Walled City of Karachi, the one that opened onto the Arabian Sea, and the other one that opened towards the Lyari River. The other two oldest settlements in Karachi are Jamshed Town and Lyari Town.
Saddar is also known for its many religious and cultural institutions. The city has two important Catholic cathedrals, the Saddar Cathedral and St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and many other religious buildings. In fact, many religious groups call Saddar their home. One of the oldest churches in Sindh, St. Patrick’s Cathedral is located nearby. You can also take part in special festivals and bazaars in Saddar, including Eid.
Saddar is located in the center of Karachi. Its central part is subdivided into 11 union councils under the Local Government Ordinance 2001. It was reorganized in 2015 as part of the Karachi South District.
Street markets
There is no comprehensive analysis of the street economy of Karachi. However, it is estimated that approximately 150,000 hawkers and 2,000 shops were removed in the Saddar area alone. That’s an economic loss of about 2,190 million rupees per year. It is not possible to determine the number of shops and hawkers in other areas of the city, but estimates suggest that the number is higher than this.
One of the most popular markets in Karachi is Tariq Road, which has a diverse selection of food and shopping. Here you’ll find street vendors, Chinese and Arabic restaurants, and more. You’ll find everything from clothes to household items to jewelry in this area. You’ll also find a number of popular shopping landmarks in this part of Karachi.
The city also has several other markets, including the famous farmers market. Founded by a group of local farmers, this market promotes a healthy lifestyle through the sale of organic products. The market features stalls selling dairy products, eggs, fruit, vegetables, and oils. Many of the vendors also sell baked goods and spreads made with organic ingredients.
Many of these informal markets have been established for decades. Many of them had paid rent and utilities to the Karachi Municipal Corporation. This led to an increase in revenue for the vendors and created problems with traffic and congestion. But this has not stopped the informal street economy in Karachi.
MQM
The political landscape in Karachi is complicated by the political history of the city. Until the twentieth century, the city was dominated by Hindus, but during the partition of India, hundreds of thousands of Urdu-speaking Muslim refugees poured into the city. These migrants, or mohajirs, were not incorporated into the city’s patronage system. This led to the formation of the M.Q.M. in 1978, which aims to bring together the mohajirs and other Urdu speakers.
After the 1971 Pakistani Civil War, the MQM was a major political party that had a strong presence in Karachi. The party spent over a decade in government. But recent developments have left the party under pressure. The leader of the party is under investigation for alleged money-laundering, and he is said to be ill. Although the party may still have some muscle, the military is trying to convince the MQM to move away from its violent past.
Despite the party’s strained relationship with the government, the MQM still holds sway among the Urdu-speaking population. In fact, the party’s successful campaign for mayor of Karachi reflects the trust of the locals in the party. The MQM is the largest political party in the city.
Nadeem Farooq Paracha, a senior journalist and author of several books on MQM political culture, has argued that the problem of the MQM is rooted in its leadership’s contrasting ambitions. According to Paracha, the MQM leadership is riven with division over the issue of integrating with the non-Mohajir community and retaining its identity-based politics.
Police
The Sindh Police is the law enforcement agency in the province of Sindh. It was established in 1843 under a proclamation by Sir Charles Napier, who had conquered Sindh and defeated the Talpur rulers at the Battle of Miyani near Hyderabad on 20 March 1843. The police force is responsible for law enforcement and public safety in the province. It is also responsible for investigating and resolving criminal matters.
Police chief AIG Javed Alam Odho recently addressed the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He heard the concerns of traders and promised full cooperation to ensure the safety of businesspeople. However, when a prominent industrialist, Zubair Motiwala, asked him what the police force was doing in the city, the AIG replied by saying that people in the city are their own enemies.
Currently, there are approximately 17,000 policemen in Karachi. Of these, 7,000-8,000 of them work on VIP duty. In other words, one police officer serves every 522 residents. However, in cases where more than one police officer is required, the ratio increases to one policeman for every three hundred and twenty-two people.
The Karachi Police Force has announced that it plans to recruit 11,000 more police officers. It will also form vigilance teams in the different districts of the city to combat criminal activities. These teams will be armed with radios and specialized weapons to tackle street crimes. This will enable them to respond to situations quickly. They will also be able to chase down and fight muggers.
Pollution
As per the latest reports, transport is the major contributor to air pollution in Karachi. The government has set up regulatory bodies to regulate the emission of gasses from vehicles but the measures are not being implemented properly. Many vehicles are unfit for the road and are emitting hazardous gasses. Among these vehicles, two-stroke rickshaws and large trucks are the worst culprits.
To avoid a huge pollution problem, industries in Karachi are required to treat their waste water. But the problem lies in the fact that most industries were built decades ago and have little space to build treatment plants. According to Syed Sadiq Ahmed, the government has a plan to address this problem. Earlier, a large treatment plant was established in Korangi Industrial Area but has since stopped functioning. As a result, rubbish and solid waste are dumped in the sea and nullahs.
The pollution in Karachi has increased steadily over the last few years. In October, the level of PM2.5 in Karachi was 44.9 mg/m3. In November, the level had increased to 67.1 mg/m3, and in December, it reached 76.7 mg/m3. As a result, the air quality in Karachi is unhealthy and people are suffering from respiratory diseases.
Automobiles are the biggest contributor to air pollution in Karachi. People in the city use their vehicles all year round. This leads to high levels of nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide in the air. Industrial emissions also contribute to the pollution.
