Karachi[a] is the capital city of theprovince ofSindh, Pakistan. It is thelargest city inPakistan and 12thlargest in the world, with a population of over 20 million.[12][18] It is situated at thesouthern tip of the country along theArabian Sea coast and formerly served as thecountry's capital from 1947 to 1959. Ranked as abeta-global city,[19][20] it is Pakistan's premier industrial andfinancial centre,[21] with an estimated GDP of over $200 billion (PPP) as of 2021[update].[16][17] Karachi is a major metropolitan area and is considered Pakistan's most cosmopolitan city, and among the country's most linguistically, ethnically, and religiously diverse regions,[22] as well as one of the country's most progressive and socially liberal cities.[23][24]
The region has been inhabited for millennia,[25] but the city was formally founded as the fortified village ofKolachi as recently as 1729.[26][27] The settlement greatly increased in importance with the arrival of theEast India Company in the mid-19th century. British administrators embarked on substantial projects to transform the city into a major seaport, and connect it with theextensive railway network of theIndian subcontinent.[27] At the time of Pakistan's independence in 1947, the city was the largest in Sindh with an estimated population of 400,000 people, and a slimHindu majority.[22][28] Following thepartition of India, the city experienced a dramatic shift in population and demography with the arrival of hundreds of thousands ofMuslim immigrants from India,[29] coupled with an exodus of nearly all of its Hindu residents.[28] The city experienced rapid economic growth following Pakistan's independence, attracting migrants from throughout the country and other regions in South Asia.[30] According to the2023 Census of Pakistan, Karachi's total population was 20.3 million.[31] Karachi is one of the world's fastest-growing cities,[32] and has significant communities representing almost everyethnic group in Pakistan. Karachi holds more than two millionBengali immigrants, a millionAfghan refugees, and up to400,000 Rohingyas fromMyanmar.[33][34][35]
Karachi is now Pakistan's premier industrial and financial centre. The city has a formal economy estimated to be worth $190 billion as of 2021[update], which is the largest in the country.[36][37] Karachi collects 35% ofPakistan's tax revenue,[38] and generates approximately 25% ofPakistan's entire GDP.[39][40] Approximately 30% of Pakistani industrial output is from Karachi,[41] while Karachi's ports handle approximately 95% ofPakistan's foreign trade.[42] Approximately 90% of the multinational corporations and 100% of the banks operating in Pakistan are headquartered in Karachi.[42] It also serves as a transport hub, and contains Pakistan's two largest seaports, thePort of Karachi andPort Qasim, as well as Pakistan's busiest airport,Jinnah International Airport.[43] Karachi is also considered to be Pakistan's fashion capital,[44][45] and has hosted the annualKarachi Fashion Week since 2009.[46][47]
Known as the "City of Lights" in the 1960s and 1970s for its vibrant nightlife,[48] Karachi was beset by sharp ethnic, sectarian, and political conflict in the 1980s with the large-scale arrival of weaponry during theSoviet–Afghan War.[49] The city had become well known for its high rates of violent crime, but recorded crimes sharply decreased following a crackdown operation against criminals, theMQM political party, andIslamist militants, initiated in 2013 by thePakistan Rangers.[50] As a result of the operation, Karachi dropped from being ranked the world's 6th-most dangerous city for crime in 2014, to 128th by 2022.[51]
Etymology
Modern Karachi was reputedly founded in 1729 as the settlement ofKolachi-jo-Goth during the rule ofKalhora dynasty.[26] The new settlement is said to have been named in honour ofMai Kolachi, whose son is said to have slain a man-eating crocodile in the village after his elder brothers had already been killed by it.[26] The nameKarachee, a shortened and corrupted version of the original nameKolachi-jo-Goth, was used for the first time in aDutch report from 1742 about a shipwreck near the settlement.[52][53]
The region around Karachi has been the site of human habitation for millennia.Upper Paleolithic andMesolithic sites have been excavated in theMulri Hills along Karachi's northern outskirts. These earliest inhabitants are believed to have beenhunter-gatherers, with ancientflint tools discovered at several sites.
The expansive Karachi region is believed to have been known to theancient Greeks, and may have been the site ofBarbarikon, an ancient seaport which was located at the nearby mouth of theIndus River.[54][55][56][57] Karachi may also have been referred to asRamya in ancient Greek texts.[58]
The ancient site ofKrokola, a natural harbour west of the Indus whereAlexander the Great sailed his fleet forAchaemenid Assyria, may have been located near the mouth of Karachi'sMalir River,[59][60][61] though some believe it was located nearGizri.[62][63] No other natural harbour exists near the mouth of the Indus that could accommodate a large fleet.[64]Nearchus, who commanded Alexander's naval fleet, also mentioned a hilly island by the name ofMorontobara and an adjacent flat island namedBibakta, which colonial historians identified as Karachi'sManora Point andKiamari (orClifton), respectively, based on Greek descriptions.[65][66][67] Both areas were island until well into the colonial era, when silting in led to them being connected to the mainland.[68]
In 711 CE,Muhammad bin Qasim conquered theSindh and Indus Valley and the port ofDebal, from where he launched his forces further into the Indus Valley in 712.[69] Some have identified the port with Karachi, though some argue the location was somewhere between Karachi and the nearby city ofThatta.[70][71]
UnderMirza Ghazi Beg, theMughal administrator of Sindh, the development of coastal Sindh and theIndus River Delta was encouraged. Under his rule, fortifications in the region acted as a bulwark againstPortuguese incursions intoSindh. In 1553–54,OttomanadmiralSeydi Ali Reis, mentioned a small port along the Sindh coast by the name ofKaurashi which may have been Karachi.[72][73][74] TheChaukhandi tombs in Karachi's modern suburbs were built around this time between the 15th and 18th centuries.
Kolachi settlement and the first port
TheManora Fort, built-in 1797 to defend Karachi, was captured by the British on 3February 1839 and upgraded 1888–1889.
The first port was established by theKalhoras near Karachi in the mid-18th century, known as Kharak Bander.[75]19th century Karachi historianSeth Naomal Hotchand recorded that a small settlement of 20–25 huts existed along the Karachi Harbour that was known asDibro, which was situated along a pool of water known asKolachi-jo-Kun.[76] In 1725, a band ofBaloch settlers fromMakran andKalat had settled in the hamlet after fleeing droughts and tribal feuds.[77]
A new settlement was built in 1729 at the site ofDibro, which came to be known asKolachi-jo-Goth ("The village ofKolachi").[26] The new settlement is said to have been named in honour ofMai Kolachi, a resident of the old settlement whose son is said to have slain a man-eating crocodile.[26] Kolachi was about 40 hectares in size, with some smaller fishing villages scattered in its vicinity.[78] The founders of the new fortified settlement were SindhiBaniyas,[77] and are said to have arrived from the nearby town of Kharak Bandar after the harbour there silted in 1728 after heavy rains.[79] Kolachi was fortified, and defended with cannons imported from Muscat,Oman. Under the Talpurs, theRah-i-Bandar road was built to connect the city's port to the caravan terminals.[80] This road would eventually be further developed by the British into Bandar Road, which was renamedMuhammad Ali Jinnah Road.[81][82]
The nameKarachee was used for the first time in aDutch document from 1742, in which a merchant shipde Ridderkerk is shipwrecked near the settlement.[52][53] In 1770s, Karachi came under the control of theKhan of Kalat, which attracted a second wave of Balochi settlers.[77] In 1795, Karachi was annexed by theTalpurs, triggering a third wave of Balochi settlers who arrived from central Sindh and southern Punjab.[77] The Talpurs built theManora Fort in 1797,[83][84] which was used to protect Karachi's Harbour fromal-Qasimi pirates.[85]
In 1799 or 1800, the founder of the Talpur dynasty, Mir Fateh Ali Khan, allowed theEast India Company under Nathan Crow to establish a trading post in Karachi.[86] He was allowed to build a house for himself in Karachi at that time, but by 1802 was ordered to leave the city.[87] The city continued to be ruled by the Talpurs until it was occupied by forces under the command ofJohn Keane in February 1839.[88]
TheBritish East India Company captured Karachi on 3February 1839 afterHMS Wellesley opened fire and quickly destroyedManora Fort, which guarded Karachi Harbour atManora Point.[89] Karachi's population at the time was an estimated 8,000 to 14,000,[90] and was confined to the walled city inMithadar, with suburbs in what is now theSerai Quarter.[91] British troops, known as the "Company Bahadur" established a camp to the east of the captured city, which became the precursor to the modernKarachi Cantonment. The British further developed theKarachi Cantonment as a military garrison to aid the British war effort in theFirst Anglo-Afghan War.[92]
ThePortuguese Goan community started migrating to Karachi in the 1820s as traders. The majority of the estimated 100,000 who came toPakistan are primarily concentrated in Karachi.[93]
Sindh's capital was shifted fromHyderabad to Karachi in 1840 when Karachi was annexed to theBritish Empire after Major GeneralCharles James Napier captured the rest of Sindh following his victory against theTalpurs at theBattle of Hyderabad. Following the 1843 annexation, the entire province was amalgamated into theBombay Presidency for the next 93 years, and Karachi remain the divisional headquarter. A few years later in 1846, Karachi suffered a largecholera outbreak, which led to the establishment of the Karachi Cholera Board (predecessor to the city's civic government).[94]
The city grew under the administration of its new Commissioner,Henry Bartle Edward Frere, who was appointed in the 1850s. Karachi was recognized for its strategic importance, prompting the British to establish thePort 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 inPunjab andSindh.[95] By 1856, the value of goods traded through Karachi reached £855,103, leading to the establishment of merchant offices and warehouses.[96] The population in 1856 is estimated to have been 57,000.[97] During theSepoy 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's infrastructure, but continued to neglect localities likeLyari, which was home to the city's original population of Sindhi fishermen and Balochi nomads.[98] At the outbreak of theAmerican Civil War, Karachi's port became an important cotton-exporting port,[97] withIndus Steam Flotilla andOrient Inland Steam Navigation Company established to transport cotton from rest of Sindh to Karachi's port, and onwards to textile mills in England.[99] With increased economic opportunities, economic migrants from several ethnicities and religions, including Anglo-British,Parsis,Marathis, andGoan Christians, among others, established themselves in Karachi,[97] with many setting-up businesses in the new commercial district ofSaddar.Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, was born in Karachi'sWazir Mansion in 1876 to such migrants fromGujarat. Public building works were undertaken at this time inGothic andIndo-Saracenic styles, including the construction ofFrere Hall in 1865 and the laterEmpress Market in 1889.
With the completion of theSuez Canal in 1869, Karachi's position as a major port increased even further.[97] In 1878, the British Raj connected Karachi with the network ofBritish India's vast railway system. In 1887,Karachi Port underwent radical improvements with connection to the railways, along with expansion and dredging of the port, and construction of a breakwater.[97]Karachi's first synagogue was established in 1893.[100] By 1899, Karachi had become the largest wheat-exporting port in the East.[101] In 1901, Karachi's population was 117,000 with a further 109,000 included in theMunicipal area.[97]
Under the British, thecity's municipal government was established. Known as theFather of Modern Karachi, mayorSeth 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][failed verification] In 1914, Karachi had become the largest wheat-exporting port of the entire British Empire,[102] after large irrigation works inSindh were initiated to increase wheat and cotton yields.[97] By 1924, theDrigh Road Aerodrome was established,[97] now theFaisal Air Force Base.
Karachi's increasing importance as a cosmopolitan transportation hub leads to the influence of non-Sindhis in Sindh's administration. Half the city was born outside of Karachi by as early as 1921.[103] Native Sindhis were upset by this influence,[97] and so on 1 April 1936, Sindh was established as a province separate from the Bombay Presidency with Karachi was once again made capital of Sindh. In 1941, the population of the city had risen to 387,000.[97]
At the dawn of independence following the success of thePakistan Movement in 1947, On 15 August 1947 Capital of Sindh shifted from Karachi to Hyderabad and Karachi was made the national capital of Pakistan.
Karachi was Sindh's largest city with a population of over 400,000.[22] The city had a slight Hindu majority, with around 51% of the population being Hindu. Partition resulted in the exodus of much of the city's Hindu population, though Karachi, like most of Sindh, remained relatively peaceful compared to cities in Punjab.[104] Riots erupted on 6January 1948, after which most of Sindh's Hindu population fled to India,[104] with assistance of the Indian government.[105]
Karachi became the focus for the resettlement of middle-class MuslimMuhajir refugees who fled India, with 470,000 refugees in Karachi by May 1948,[106] leading to a drastic alteration of thecity's demography. In 1941,Muslims were 42% of Karachi's population, but by 1951 made up 96% of the city's population.[103] The city's population had tripled between 1941 and 1951.[103]Urdu replacedSindhi as Karachi's most widely spoken language; Sindhi was the mother tongue of 51% of Karachi in 1941, but only 8.5% in 1951, while Urdu grew to become the mother tongue of 51% of Karachi's population.[103] 100,000 Muhajir refugees arrived annually in Karachi until 1952. Muhajirs kept arriving from different parts ofIndia until 2000.[103]
Karachi was selected as the first capital of Pakistan, and was administered as a federal district separate from Sindh beginning in 1948,[106] the capital of Sindh shifted again from Hyderabad to Karachi until the national capital was shifted toRawalpindi in 1958.[107] While foreign embassies shifted away from Karachi,the city is host to numerousconsulates and honorary consulates.[108] Between 1958 and 1970, Karachi's role as capital of Sindh was ceased due to theOne Unit programme enacted by PresidentIskander Mirza.[2][failed verification]
Karachi of the 1960s was regarded as an economic role model around the world, withSeoul, South Korea, borrowing from the city's second "Five-Year Plan".[109][110] Several examples ofModernist architect were built in Karachi during this period, including theMazar-e-Quaid mausoleum, the distinctMasjid-e-Tooba, and theHabib Bank Plaza (the tallest building in all of South Asia at the time). The city's population by 1961 had grown 369% compared to 1941.[103] By the mid-1960s, Karachi began to attract large numbers ofPashtun,Punjabis andKashmiris from northern Pakistan.[103]
The 1970s saw a construction boom funded by remittances and investments from theGulf States, and the appearance of apartment buildings in the city.[111] Real-estate prices soared during this period, leading to a worsening housing crisis.[112] The period also sawlabour unrest in Karachi's industrial estates beginning in 1970 that were violently repressed by the government of PresidentZulfikar Ali Bhutto from 1972 onwards.[113] To appease conservative forces, Bhutto banned alcohol in Pakistan, and cracked-down of Karachi's discotheques and cabarets - leading to the closure of Karachi's once-lively nightlife.[114] The city's art scene was further repressed during the rule of dictatorGeneral Zia-ul-Haq.[114] Zia's Islamization policies lead the Westernized upper-middle classes of Karachi to largely withdraw from the public sphere, and instead form their own social venues that became inaccessible to the poor.[114] This decade also saw an influx of more than one millionBihari immigrants into Karachi from the newly made countryBangladesh which separated from Pakistan in 1971.
The 1980s and 1990s saw an influx of almost one millionAfghan refugees into Karachi fleeing theSoviet–Afghan War.[103] This was followed by refugees escaping from post-revolutionIran.[115] At this time, Karachi was also rocked by political conflict, while crime rates drastically increased with the arrival of weaponry from theWar in Afghanistan.[49] Conflict between theMQM party, and ethnicSindhis,Pashtuns,Punjabis andBalochis was sharp.[116] The party and its vast network of supporters were targeted by Pakistani security forces as part of the controversialOperation Clean-up in 1992 – an effort to restore peace in the city that lasted until 1994.[117] Anti-Hindu riots also broke out in Karachi in 1992 in retaliation for the demolition of theBabri Mosque in India by a group of Hindu nationalists earlier that year.[118]
The 2010s saw another influx of hundreds of thousands of Pashtun refugees fleeingconflict in North-West Pakistan and the2010 Pakistan floods.[103] By this point Karachi had become widely known for its high rates of violent crime, usually in relation to criminal activity, gang-warfare, sectarian violence, and extrajudicial killings.[98] Recorded crimes sharply decreased following a controversial crackdown operation against criminals, the MQM party, and Islamist militants initiated in 2013 by thePakistan Rangers.[50] As a result of the operation, Karachi went from being ranked the world's 6th most dangerous city for crime in 2014, to 128th by 2022.[119]
Karachi is located on the coastline of Sindh province in southern Pakistan, along theKarachi Harbour, a natural harbour on theArabian Sea. Karachi is built on a coastal plain with scattered rocky outcroppings, hills and marshlands.Mangrove forests grow in the brackish waters around the Karachi Harbour (see:Chinna Creek), and farther southeast towards the expansiveIndus River Delta. West of Karachi city is theCape Monze, locally known asRas Muari, which is an area characterised by sea cliffs, rocky sandstone promontories and beaches.
Karachi lies very close to a major fault line, where theIndian tectonic plate meets theArabian tectonic plate.[122] However, Karachi lies near the western edge of the Indian Plate, on the Indo Gangetic Plain. Within the city of Karachi are two small ranges: theKhasa Hills andMulri Hills, which lie in the northwest and act as a barrier betweenNorth Nazimabad andOrangi.[123] Karachi's hills are barren and are part of the largerKirthar Range, and have a maximum elevation of 528 metres (1,732 feet).[124]
Between the hills are wide coastal plains interspersed with dry river beds and water channels. Karachi has developed around theMalir River andLyari Rivers, with the Lyari shore being the site of the settlement forKolachi. To the east of Karachi lies theIndus River flood plains.[125]
TheArabian Sea influences Karachi's climate, providing the city with more moderate temperatures compared to other areas ofSindh province.
Karachi has a tropicalsemi arid climate (Köppen:BSh), formerly adesert climate, dominated by a long "Summer Season" while moderated by oceanic influence from theArabian Sea. The city has annual average precipitation levels (approx. 296 mm (12 in) per annum), the bulk of which occurs during the late June–Septembermonsoon season. Summers are hot and humid, and Karachi is prone to deadly heatwaves. Over the past 20 years, rainfall has become more abundant. Tropical storms and thunderstorms, as well as flooding are becoming more common, especially during the summer monsoon.[126] On the other hand, cool sea breezes typically provide relief during hot summer months. A text message-based early warning system alerts people to take precautionary measures and helps prevent fatalities during an unusually strong heatwave or thunderstorm.[127] The winter climate is dry and lasts between December and February. It is dry and pleasant in winter relative to the warm hot season that follows, which starts in March and lasts until October. Proximity to the sea maintains humidity levels at near-constant levels year-round. Thus, the climate is similar to a humid tropical climate, except for the low precipitation and occasional temperatures well over 100 F (38 C) due to the influence of the Thar Desert nearby, close to the border with India.
The city's highest annual rainfall was about 750–850 mm, recorded in the late 1970s. The city's highest monthly rainfall, 19 in (480 mm), occurred in July 1967.[128][129] The city's highest rainfall in 24 hours occurred on 7August 1953, when about 278.1 millimetres (10.95 in) of rain lashed the city, resulting in major flooding.[130]
Karachi's highest recorded temperature is 48.0 °C (118.4 °F) which was recorded on 22 and 23 April 2017,[131] and the lowest is 0 °C (32 °F) recorded on 21 January 1934.[129]
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,[137] contrasted with Pakistan's millennia-old cities such asLahore,Multan, andPeshawar. Karachi'sMithadar neighbourhood represents the extent ofKolachi prior to British rule.
British Karachi was divided between the "New Town" and the "Old Town", with British investments focused primarily on the New Town.[92] 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.[92] The New Town was subdivided into residential, commercial, and military areas.[92] Given the strategic value of the city, the British developed theKarachi Cantonment as a military garrison in the New Town to aid the British war effort in theFirst Anglo-Afghan War.[92]The city's development was largely confined to the area north of theChinna Creek prior to independence, although the seaside area ofClifton 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 theI. 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]Situated on a coastal plain northwest of Karachi's historic core lies the sprawling district ofOrangi. North of the historic core is the largely middle-class district ofNazimabad, and upper-middle-classNorth Nazimabad, which were developed in the 1950s. To the east of the historic core is the area known asDefence, an expansive upscale suburb developed and administered by thePakistan Army. Karachi's coastal plains along theArabian 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, includingBaba and Bhit Islands, Oyster Rocks, andManora, a former island which is now connected to the mainland by a thin 12-kilometre longshoal known asSandspit.[124]Gulistan-e-Johar,Gulshan-e-Iqbal,Federal B. Area,Malir,Landhi andKorangi areas were all developed after 1970. 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.[138] 35% of Karachi's residents live in unplanned communities.[138]
Clifton is considered as one of the richest neighbourhoods in Pakistan.
Being the largest city, Karachi is also Pakistan's financial and commercial capital.[139] Since Pakistan's independence, Karachi has been the centre of the nation's economy, and remain's Pakistan's largest urban economy despite the economic stagnation caused by sociopolitical unrest during the late 1980s and 1990s. The city forms the centre of an economic corridor stretching from Karachi to nearbyHyderabad, andThatta.[140]
As of 2021[update], Karachi had an estimated GDP (PPP) of $190 billion with a yearly growth rate of 5.5%.[141][37] Karachi contributes 90% of Sindh's GDP[142][143][144][145] and accounts for approximately 25% of the total GDP of Pakistan.[39][40] The city has a largeinformal economy which is not typically reflected in GDP estimates.[146] The informal economy may constitute up to 36% of Pakistan's total economy, versus 22% of India's economy, and 13% of the Chinese economy.[147] The informal sector employs up to 70% of the city's workforce.[148] In 2018 The Global Metro Monitor Report ranked Karachi's economy as the best performing metropolitan economy in Pakistan.[149]
I. I. Chundrigar Road is considered to be the "downtown" of karachiUnder construction high rises in DHA Karachi
Today along with Pakistan's continued economic expansion Karachi is now ranked third in the world for consumer expenditure growth with its market anticipated to increase by 6.6% in real terms in 2018[150] It is also ranked among the top cities in the world by an anticipated increase of a number of households (1.3 million households) with annual income above $20,000 measured at PPP exchange rates by 2025.[151] The Global FDI Intelligence Report 2017/2018 published byFinancial Times ranks Karachi amongst the top 10 Asia pacific cities of the future for FDI strategy.[152] According to Anatol Lieven the economic growth of Karachi is a result of the influx ofMuhajirs to Karachi during late 1940s and early 50s.[153]
Finance and banking
Most of Pakistan's public and private banks are headquartered on Karachi'sI. I. Chundrigar Road, which is known as "Pakistan's Wall Street",[2] with a large percentage of the cash flow in the Pakistani economy taking place on I. I. Chundrigar Road. Most major foreignmultinational corporations operating in Pakistan have their headquarters in Karachi. Karachi is also home to thePakistan 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 byMSCI.[154]
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.[159] The city is home to approximately 30 percent of Pakistan's manufacturing sector,[41] and produces approximately 42 percent of Pakistan'svalue added in large scale manufacturing.[160] At least 4500 industrial units form Karachi's formal industrial economy.[161] 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 of formal sector enterprises.[162] An estimated 63% of the Karachi's workforce is employed in trade and manufacturing.[140]
Karachi Export Processing Zone, SITE,Korangi, Northern Bypass Industrial Zone,Bin Qasim and North Karachi serve as large industrial estates in Karachi.[163] TheKarachi Expo Centre also complements Karachi's industrial economy by hosting regional and international exhibitions.[164]
The former State Bank of Pakistan building was built during the colonial era.
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.[176] 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.[177] Approximately 25% of Pakistan's national revenue isgenerated in Karachi.[39]
According to theFederal 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.[178] Karachi accounts for 75.14% of customs duty and 79% of sales tax on imports,[178] 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.[178][179]
Karachi is dominated by theUrdu-speakingMuhajirs.[180] It is the most linguistically, ethnically, and religiously diverse city in Pakistan.[22] The city is amelting pot of ethnolinguistic groups from throughout Pakistan, as well as migrants from other parts of Asia. The2017 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.[181] According to the2023 Census of Pakistan, Karachi's total population was 20.3 million.[31] Karachi is one of the world's fastest-growing cities,[32]The city's inhabitants are referred to by thedemonymKarachiite in English, andKarāchīwālā in Urdu.
At the end of the 19th century, Karachi had an estimated population of 105,000.[citation needed] By the dawn ofPakistan's independence in 1947, the city had an estimated population of 400,000.[22] The city's population grew dramatically with the arrival of hundreds of thousands ofMuslim refugees from the newly independentRepublic of India.[190] Rapid economic growth following independence attracted further migrants from throughout Pakistan and South Asia.[30] The2017 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.[181]
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.[181] The figure is disputed by all the major political parties inSindh.[191][192][193] Karachi's population grew by 59.8% since the 1998 census to 14.9 million, whileLahore city grew 75.3%[194] – 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,[194] leading to some of Karachi's growth to have occurred outside the city's census boundaries.[181] 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,[181] which would require an annual growth rate accelerating to between 4.6% and 6.33%.[181]
Source:[195][196][197][198] † Large population rise between 1941 and 1951 due to large-scale migration after independence in 1947.
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.[199] SenatorTaj Haider from thePPP claimed he had official documents revealing the city's population to be 25.6 million in 2013,[199] while the Sindh Bureau of Statistics, part of by the PPP-led provincial administration, estimated Karachi's 2016 population to be 19.1 million.[200]
District population density per km2
According to 2023 Census, with 55,396.01 residents per square kilometreKarachi Central is the most densely populated district of the seven districts of Karachi as well as the entirety of Pakistan.
The oldest portions of modern Karachi reflect the ethnic composition of the first settlement, with Sindhis and Balochis continuing to make up a large portion of the Lyari neighbourhood, though many of the residents are relatively recent migrants.[citation needed] Following Partition, large numbers of Hindus left Pakistan for the newly independentDominion of India (later the Republic of India), while a larger percentage of Muslim migrant and refugees from India settled in Karachi. The city grew 150% during the ten-year period between 1941 and 1951 with the new arrivals from India,[203] who made up 57% of Karachi's population in 1951.[204] The city is now considered a melting pot of Pakistan and is the country's most diverse city.[2]
Karachi is home to large numbers of descendants of refugees and migrants fromHyderabad, in southern India, who built a small replica of Hyderabad's famousCharminar monument in Karachi'sBahadurabad area.
Much of Karachi's citizenry descend from Urdu-speaking migrants and refugees 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 theDirect Action Day and subsequent1946 Bihar riots.[206] 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.[207] 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.[208] Muhajirs continued to migrate to Pakistan throughout the 1950s and early 1960s,[209] with Karachi remaining the primary destination of Indian Muslim migrants throughout those decades.[209] The Muhajir Urdu-speaking community in the 2017 census forms slightly less than 45% of the city's population.[194]
During the period of rapid economic growth in the 1960s, large numbersPashtuns from theNWFP migrated to Karachi with Afghan Pashtun refugees settling in Karachi during the 80's.,[212][213][214][215][216] Pashtuns from Afghanistan are regarded as the most conservative community.[2][failed verification][2][failed verification] The Pashtun community forms the bulk of manual labourers and transporters.
TheSindhis makeup around 11-12 percent of Karachi's population, Sindhis form much of the municipal and provincial bureaucracy.[2][failed verification], Being the Provincial capital ofSindh Province, Karachi attracts many Sindhis from other parts ofSindh. In recent years Karachi has seen massiveSindhi migration to the city due to being economic and commercial hub as well as Capital of the province. Karachi also have a sizeable population ofHindus of about 1.12% most of the Hindus areSindhi while other communities of hindus such asGujarati,Marwari andRajasthani Hindus also co-exist.
Migrants from Punjab began settling in Karachi in large numbers in the 1960s, and now make up an estimated 8% of Karachi's population.[2][failed verification] The bulk of Karachi's Christian community, which makes up 2.5% of the city's population, is Punjabi.
4% of Karachi's population speaks Balochi as its mother tongue, though most Baloch speakers are ofSheedi heritage – a community that traces its roots to Africa.
Following theIndo-Pakistani War of 1971 and independence ofBangladesh, thousands of Urdu-speakingBiharis arrived in the city, preferring to remain Pakistani rather than live in the newly independent country. Large numbers ofBengalis 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 3million ethnicBengalis living in Pakistan.[33][34]Rohingya refugees fromMyanmar, who speak a dialect of Bengali and are sometimes regarded as Bengalis, also live in the city. Karachi is home to an estimated400,000 Rohingya residents.[217][218] Large scaleRohingya migration to Karachi made Karachi one of the largest population centres ofRohingyas in the world outside of Myanmar.[219]
Central Asian migrants fromUzbekistan andKyrgyzstan have also settled in the city.[220] Domestic workers from thePhilippines are employed in Karachi's posh locales, while many of the city's teachers hail fromSri Lanka.[220] Many Sri Lankans moved to Karachi due to the 2022Economic Crisis in Sri Lanka. Expatriates from China began migrating to Karachi in the 1940s, to work as dentists, chefs and shoemakers, while many of their descendants continue to live in Pakistan.[220][221] Chinese also reached Karachi after 2015 in large number due to theCPEC project. The city is also home to a small number of British and American expatriates.[222]
DuringWorld War II, about 3,000 Polish refugees from theSoviet Union, with some Polish families who chose to remain in the city after Partition.[223][224] Post-Partition Karachi also once had a sizable refugee community from post-revolutionaryIran.[220]
Karachi is a religiously homogeneous city with more than 96 per cent of its population adhering to Islam.[226]Karachiites adhere to numerous sects and sub-sects ofIslam, as well asProtestant Christianity, and community ofGoan Catholics. The city also is home to large numbers ofHindus, and a small community ofZoroastrians andParsi's. According to Nichola Khan Karachi is also the world's largest Muslim city.[227] Prior to Pakistan's independence in 1947, the religious demographics of the city was estimated to be 51.1% Hindu, 42.3% Muslim, with the remaining 7% primarily Christians (both British and native), Sikhs, Jains, with a small number of Jews.[228] Following the independence of Pakistan, the vast majority of Karachi'sSindhi Hindu population left for India while Muslim refugees from India, in turn, settled in the city. This mass migration dramatically changed the religious demographics of the city.
Approximately 2.2% of Karachi's population is Christian.[246][247][248] The city's Christian community is primarily composed ofPunjabi Christians and a community ofGoan Catholics who are typically better-educated and more affluent than their Punjabi co-religionists.[249] They established the poshCincinnatus Town inGarden East as a Goan enclave. The Goan community dates from 1820 and has a population estimated to be 12,000–15,000 strong.[250] Karachi is served by its own archdiocese, theRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Karachi.
While most of the city's Hindu population leften masse for India following Pakistan's independence, Karachi still has a large Hindu community with a population of 211,138 as per 2023 Census.[251] The Hindu community is split into a more affluentSindhi Hindu and smallPunjabi Hindu group that forms part of Karachi's educated middle class, while poorer Hindus ofRajasthani andMarwari descent form the other part and typically serve as menial and day laborers. Wealthier Hindus live primarily inClifton andSaddar, while poorer ones live and have temples inNarayanpura andLyari. There is a small community ofTamil Hindus in Karachi, with about 100 families inMadrasi Para.[252] Many streets in central Karachi still retain Hindu names, especially inMithadar,Aram Bagh (formerly Ram Bagh), and Ramswami. Many Mandirs exist inSaddar which are over 100 years old.
Zoroastrianism
Karachi's affluent and influentialParsis 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.[253] Further waves of Parsi immigrants fromPersia settled in the city in the late 19th century.[254] The population of Parsis in Karachi and throughout South Asia is in continuous decline due to low birth-rates and migration to Western countries.[255]
In 2023, according to the2023 census, approximately 1,435Parsis are left in Karachi.[256]
Karachi is served by a road network estimated to be approximately 15,500 kilometres (9,600 miles) in length,[257] serving approximately 5 million vehicles per day.
Karachi is served by 6 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 stoplights. The 16 km (10 mi) Karsaz Road connectsPAF Museum in central Karachi toSITE Industrial Area. The Rashid Minhas Road connectsSurjani Town withShah Faisal Town over a 20 km span. The 19 km (12 mi) University Road connects Karachi's urban centre to theGulistan-e-Johar suburb. The 18 km (11 mi)Shahrah-e-Faisal connects Karachi'sSadar area to theJinnah International Airport. The 18 km (11 mi) Shahrah-e-Pakistan connects city centre toFederal B. Area. The 18 km (11 mi) Sher Shah Suri Road connects the city centre toNazimabad.
TheLyari Expressway is a 16 kmcontrolled-access highway along theLyari River. This toll highway is designed to relieve congestion within the city. To the north of Karachi lies the 39 kmKarachi Northern Bypass (M10), which bypasses the city to connect the M-9 Motorway to theN25 National Highway. A 39 km (24 mi) Malir Expressway is under construction along theMalir River. It will link Karachi'sDHA to Karachi'sMalir Town and terminate at Kathore on the M-9 motorway.
Karachi is the terminus of theM-9 motorway, which connects Karachi toHyderabad. The M-9 motorway is part of a larger countrywide motorways network, many of which were built through theChina Pakistan Economic Corridor Project. From Hyderabad, motorways provide high-speed road access to all major Pakistani cities, includingPeshawar,Islamabad,Lahore,Multan andFaisalabad.
Karachi is also the terminus of theN-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 nearTorkham. The N-25 National Highway connects Karachi toQuetta, the capital of Balochistan. The N-10 National Highway connects Karachi to the emerging port city ofGwadar.
The railway system also handles freight linking Karachi port to destinations up-country in northern Pakistan.[259] The city is the terminus for theMain Line-1 Railway which connects Karachi to Peshawar. Pakistan's rail network, including the Main Line-1 Railway is being upgraded as part of theChina Pakistan Economic Corridor, allowing trains to depart Karachi and travel on Pakistani railways at an average speed of 160 km/h (100 mph) versus the current average speed of 80 km/h (50 mph).[260]
The Pakistani Government is developing theKarachi Metrobus project, which is a 6-line 150-kilometre (93+1⁄4-mile)bus rapid transit system.[261] The Metrobus project was inaugurated by then-Prime MinisterNawaz Sharif on 25 February 2016. Sharif said the "project will be more beautiful than Lahore Metro Bus".[262] Orange and Green Lines are operational while Red-Line is underconstruction.
People's Bus Service
Peoples Bus Service (Red)Peoples Bus Service (Pink)
In 2022, the provincial government launchedPeoples Bus Service with a fleet of 100+ buses running on 12 different routes on nominal fare. The buses are air-conditioned, haveWi-Fi, have priority seating for the disabled and elderly, and are wheelchair accessible.
Red buses are for the general public. Pink buses are forwomen only. White buses are environment friendly electric buses having designated charging points.
KCR was included inCPEC byShehbaz Sharif and construction started in 2022. Existing 43 km KCR track and stations would be completely rebuilt intoautomatedrapid transit system withelectric trains. The route would not be changed however many underpasses and bridges would be built along the route to eliminate 22-level crossings. New KCR would be similar toLahore'sOrange Train. New KCR would have joint stations withKarachi Metrobus at points of intersection. Project would be operational by 2025.
Atramway service was started in 1884 in Karachi but was closed in 1975.[267][268] However, the revival of tramway service is proposed by Karachi Administrator Iftikhar Ali. Turkey has offered assistance in the revival and launching modern tramway service in Karachi.[269]
Air
Karachi'sJinnah International Airport is the busiest airport of Pakistan with a total of 7.2 million passengers in 2018. The current terminal structure was built in 1992, and is divided into international and domestic sections. Karachi's airport serves as ahub for theflag carrier,Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), as well as forAir Indus,Serene Air andairblue. The airport offers non-stop flights to destinations throughout East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, theGulf States, Europe and North America.[270][271]
Sea
The largest shipping ports in Pakistan are thePort of Karachi and the nearbyPort Qasim, the former being the oldest port of Pakistan. Port Qasim is located 35 kilometres (22 miles) east of the Port of Karachi on theIndus 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.[272] The ports are part of the MaritimeSilk Road.[273]
Karachi has a fragmented system of civic government. The urban area is divided into six District Municipal Corporations:Karachi East,Karachi West,Karachi Central,Karachi South,Malir,Korangi. Each district is further divided into between 22 and 42 Union Committees. Each Union Committee is represented by seven elected representatives, four of whom can be general candidates of any background; the other three seats are reserved for women, religious minorities, and a union representative or peasant farmer.
Karachi's urban area also includes sixcantonments, which are administered directly by thePakistani military, and include some of Karachi's most desirable real-estate.
During the 1900s, Karachi saw its major beautification project under the mayoralty ofHarchandrai Vishandas. New roads, parks, residential, and recreational areas were developed as part of this project. In 1948, theFederal 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 ofWest Pakistan in 1959.[278] In 1960, Karachi and Lasbela District merged to create Karachi-Bela Division. In 1972,Lasbela District transferred toKalat Division andKarachi metropolitan area was divided into three (03) districtsEast,West andSouth. In 1996, again theKarachi metropolitan area was divided into More two (02) districtsCentral andMalir, each with its own municipal corporation.[276]
Union councils (2001–11)
Given the honorary title "Father of Service",Naimatullah Khan Advocate (2001–2005) was one of the most successful and respected mayors Karachi ever had.
In 2001, during the rule ofGeneral Pervez Musharraf, 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 18towns, and 178union councils.[279] Each tier focused on elected councils with some common members to provide "vertical linkage" within the federation.[280]
Naimatullah Khan was the first Nazim of Karachi during the Union Council period, while Shafiq-Ur-Rehman Paracha was the first district coordination officer of Karachi.Syed Mustafa Kamal was elected City Nazim of Karachi to succeed Naimatullah Khan in 2005 elections, andNasreen 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).[281] 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 (2011–present)
In July 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 andMalir. In November 2013, a sixth DMC,Korangi District was carved out from District East.[282][283][284][285][286] In August 2020, Sindh cabinet approves formation of the seventh district in Karachi (Keamari District), Keamari District was formed by splitting District West.[287][288][289][290]
The committees for each district devise and enforce land-use and zoning regulations within their district. Each committee also manages water supply, sewage, and roads (except for 28 main arteries, which are managed by theKarachi Metropolitan Corporation).[94] Street lighting, traffic planning, markets regulations, and signage are also under the control of the DMCs. Each DMC also maintains its own municipal record archive, and devises its own local budget.[94]
Municipal Administration of Karachi is also run by theKarachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), which is responsible for the development and maintenance of main arteries, bridges, drains, several hospitals, beaches, solid waste management, as well as some parks, and the city's firefighting services.[291] Between 2016 and 2020 the mayor of Karachi wasWaseem Akhtar (2016-2020), with Arshad Hassan serving as Deputy Mayor; both served as part of the KMC. The Administrator of Karachi is Syed Saif-ur-Rehman as of 2022.[292] In 2023,Murtaza Wahab ofPPP was elected themayor of Karachi.[7][293]
TheKarachi Development Authority (KDA), along with theLyari Development Authority (LDA) andMalir Development Authority (MDA), is responsible for the development of most undeveloped land around Karachi. KDA came into existence in 1957 with the task of managing land around Karachi, while the LDA and MDA were formed in 1993 and 1994, respectively. KDA under the control of Karachi's local government and mayor in 2001, while the LDA and MDA were abolished. KDA was later placed under the direct control of theGovernment of Sindh in 2011. The LDA and MDA were also revived by thePakistan Peoples Party government at the time, allegedly to patronize their electoral allies and voting banks.[275] City-planning in Karachi, therefore, is not locally directed but is instead controlled at the provincial level.
Each District Municipal Corporation regulate land-use in developed areas, while the Sindh Building Control Authority ensures that building construction is in accordance with building & town planning regulations. Cantonment areas, and theDefence Housing Authority are administered and planned by the military.
Municipal services
Water
Municipal water supplies are managed by the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KW&SB), which supplies 640 million gallons daily (MGD) to the city (excluding the city's steel mills andPort Qasim), of which 440 MGD are filtered/treated.[94] Most of the supply comes from theIndus River, and 90 MGD from theHub Dam.[94] Karachi's water supply is transported to the city through a complex network of canals, conduits, and siphons, with the aid of pumping and filtration stations.[94] 80% of Karachi households have access to piped water as of 2022[update],[295] with private water tankers supplying much of the water required in informal settlements.[140] 15% of residents in a 2022 survey rated their water supply as "bad" or "very bad", while 40% expressed concern at the stability of water supply.[295] By 2022, an estimated 35,000 people were dying due to water-borne diseases annually.[296]
TheK-IV water project is under development at a cost of $876 million. It would connectKeenjhar Lake to Karachi hence eradicating water scarcity in eastern and northern parts of the city. It is expected to supply 650 million gallons daily of potable water to the city, the first phase 260 million gallons upon completion.[297][298]
Desalination plants are also planned to be built on Arabian Sea coast on western side of Karachi in near future. These would resolve water scarcity issues in western parts of the city including SITE Area, Shershah and Orangi Town.
Sanitation
98% of Karachi's households are connected to the city's underground public sewerage system,[295] largely operated by the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KW&SB). The KW&SB operates 150 pumping stations, 25 bulk reservoirs, over 10,000 kilometres of pipes, and 250,000 manholes.[94] The city generates approximately 472 million gallons daily (MGD) of sewage, of which 417 MGD are discharged without treatment.[94] KW&SB has the optimum capacity to treat up to 150 MGD of sewage, but uses only about 50 MGD of this capacity.[94] Three treatment plants are available, inSITE Town (Gutter Baghicha),Mehmoodabad, and Mauripur.[94] 75% reported in 2022 that Karachi's drainage system overflows or backs up,[295] the highest percentage of all major Pakistani cities.[295] Parts of the city's drainage system overflow on average 2–7 times per month, flooding some city streets.[295]
Households inOrangi self-organized to set-up their own sewerage system under theOrangi Pilot Project,[299] 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.[299] Residents of individual streets bear the cost of sewerage pipes, and provide volunteer labour to lay the pipe.[299] Residents also maintain the sewer pipes,[299] while the city municipal administration has built several primary and secondary pipes for the network.[299] As a result of OPP, 96% of Orangi residents have access to a latrine.[299]
TheSindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) is responsible for the collection and disposal of solid waste, not only in Karachi but throughout the whole province. 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 inLahore.[295] Only 17% of Karachi residents reporting daily street cleaning, compared to 45%in Lahore.[295] 69% of Karachi residents rely on private garbage collection services,[295] with only 15% relying on municipal garbage collection services.[295] 53% of Karachi residents in a 2022 survey reported that the state of their neighbourhood's cleanliness was either "bad" or "very bad".[295] compared to 35% inLahore,[295] and 16% inMultan.[295]
Electricity
The one and only electricity providing company in Karachi isK-Electric. It was government owned but was privatised in 2019. Government still has some shares. HoweverHUBCO is an Independent Power Producer (IPP) that owns few major powerplants.
Karachi mostly gets electricity from oil, gas and coal powerplants established either on western coastline orPort Qasim Industrial Zone. Most recently built coal powerplants were the 1320MW Port Qasim Powerplant and the 1320MW Hub Coal Powerplant. 3 Nuclear Powerplants on western coastline namelyKANUPP (K-1, K-2, K-3) also feed Karachi.Jhimpir, a nearby town has Wind Powerplants of more than 1000MW. This capacity is going to increase in future expansions. Solar Parks are envisioned to be established on western coastline having a starting generation of 1000MW.
75% of Karachi receives uninterrupted power supply almost throughout the year. 25% areas including industrial areas suffer with up to 6 hours ofpower outages everyday due to energy generation deficit. Power outages increase further in Peak-summer andMonsoon season (May to August). Manyslums and unregulated areas are not yet electrified hence they indulge in electricity theft which is locally called Kunda-System.
Police, Ambulance, Firefighting
Police is under the control of provincial government and city government has no authority over it. Ambulance is run by private hospitals or NGOs, the most famous of which are Edhi, Chhipa and JDC. Firefighting is under control of local government and has enough firefighters and vehicles to work quickly during fire. Less than 1% of all firefighters in Pakistan are women.[300]
According to 2023 Census of Pakistan,Central is the most literate district among all the districts of Karachi and Sindh. Following is the literacy rate of 10 years and above population of the seven districts of Karachi:
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 theSecondary School Certificate);intermediate (grades eleven and twelve, leading to a Higher Secondary School Certificate); and university programs leading tograduate andadvanced degrees. Karachi has both public and private educational institutions. Most educational institutions are gender-based from primary to intermediate. Universities are mostly co-education.
TheD. J. Sindh Government Science College is one of Karachi's oldest universities and dates from 1887.Karachi University is the city's largest by number of students, number of departments & occupied land area.
Karachi is also home to numerous private universities. TheAga Khan University, founded in 1983, is Karachi's oldest private educational institution, and is one of Pakistan's most prestigious medical schools. TheIndus 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. TheNational University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (NUCES-FAST), one of Pakistan's top universities in computer education, operates two campuses in Karachi.Bahria University (BU) founded in 2000, is one of the major general institutions of Pakistan with their campuses in Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore offers degree programs in Management Sciences, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Psychology.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. TheShaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST), founded in 1995 by former Prime MinisterBenazir Bhutto, operates a campus in Karachi. Other names include:
Karachi municipal authorities in 2017 launched a new early warning system that alerted city residents to a forecasted heatwave. Previous heatwaves had routinely claimed lives in the city, but implementation of the warning system was credited for no reported heat-related fatalities.[127] During the 2020-2021COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines were available in all major hospitals.[citation needed]
Karachi is home to Pakistan and South Asia's largest shopping mall,Lucky One Mall which hosts more than two hundred stores.[313] According to TripAdvisor the city is also home to Pakistan's favorite shopping mall,Dolmen Mall,Clifton which was also featured onCNN.[314][315] In 2023, another mega mall/entertainment complex named 'Mall of Karachi' situated at the bottom of Pakistan's tallest skyscraperBahria Icon Tower will be opened.[316][317]
Karachi is home to some of Pakistan's important cultural institutions. TheNational Academy of Performing Arts,[320] located in the formerHindu Gymkhana, offers diploma courses in performing arts including 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.[321][322]
ThoughLahore was considered to be home of Pakistan's film industry, Karachi is home to Urdu cinema andKara Film Festival annually showcases independent Pakistani and international films and documentaries.[323]
Bambino Cinema, Capri Cinema, Cinepax Cinema, Cinegold Plex Cinema (Bahria Town), Mega Multiplex Cinema (Millennium Mall), Nueplex Cinema (Askari-4), Atrium Mall Cinema (Sadar) are some of the most popular cinemas in Karachi.
Music
TheAll Pakistan Music Conference, linked to the 45-year-old similar institution inLahore, has been holding its annual music festival since its inception in 2004.[324] The National Arts Council (Koocha-e-Saqafat) has musical performances andmushaira.
Social issues
Crime and Lawlessness
Sometimes stated to be amongst the world's most dangerous cities,[325] the extent of violent crime in Karachi is not as significant in magnitude as compared to other cities.[326] 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.[327] By 2018, Karachi's ranking has dropped to 50.[328] In 2021, Karachi's ranking fell to 115. In 2022, the ranking fell further to 128th place, ranking Karachi safer than regional cities such asDhaka (56th place), Delhi (90th place), andBangalore (122nd place).[329]
The city's large population results in high numbers of homicides with a moderate homicide rate.[326] Karachi's homicide rates are lower than many Latin American cities,[326] and in 2015 was 12.5 per 100,000[330] – lower than the homicide rate of several American cities such asNew Orleans andSt. Louis.[331] The homicide rates in some Latin American cities such asCaracas,Venezuela andAcapulco, Mexico are in excess of 100 per 100,000 residents,[331] 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.[332]
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Karachi was rocked by political conflict while crime rates drastically increased with the arrival of weaponry from theWar in Afghanistan.[49] Several of Karachi's criminal mafias became powerful during a period in the 1990s described as "the rule of the mafias."[333] Major mafias active in the city included land mafia, water tanker mafia, transport mafia and a sand and gravel mafia.[334][333][335][336] Karachi's highest death rates occurred in the mid-1990s. In 1995, 1,742 killings were recorded, with a maximum of 15 killings in a single day.[337][338]
Karachi Operation by Pakistan Rangers
Karachi had become widely known for its high rates of violent crime, but rates sharply decreased following a controversial crackdown operation against criminals, the MQM political party, and Islamist militants initiated in 2013 by thePakistan Rangers.[50] In 2015, 1,040 Karachiites were killed in either acts ofterror or other crime – an almost 50% decrease from the 2,023 killed in 2014,[339] and an almost 70% decrease from the 3,251 recorded killed in 2013 – the highest ever recorded number in Karachi history.[340] Violent crime like target killings, kidnappings for ransom or extortion, burning or torturing to death, drugs and weapons smuggling decreased sharply after 2015. Street crime still remains high like snatching of cash, phones, motorcycles and cars on gunpoint.[341]
With 650homicides in 2015, Karachi's homicide rate decreased by 75% compared to 2013.[342] In 2017, the number of homicides had dropped further to 381.[332] Extortion crimes decreased by 80% between 2013 and 2015, while kidnappings decreased by 90% during the same period.[342] By 2016, the city registered a total of 21 cases of kidnap for ransom.[343] Terrorist incidents dropped by 98% between 2012 and 2017, according to Pakistan's Interior Ministry.[344] As a result of the Karachi's improved security environment, real-estate prices in Karachi rose sharply after 2015,[345] with a rise in business for upmarket restaurants and cafés.[346]
Ethnic and Linguistic conflict
Insufficient affordable housing infrastructure to absorb growth has resulted in the city's diverse migrant populations being largely confined to ethnically homogeneous neighbourhoods.[140] The 1970s saw majorlabour struggles in Karachi's industrial estates. Violence originated in the city's university campuses, and spread into the city.[347] Conflict was especially sharp betweenMQM party and ethnicSindhis,Pashtuns, andPunjabis. The party and its vast network of supporters were targeted by Pakistani security forces as part of the controversialOperation Clean-up in 1992, as part of an effort to restore peace in the city that lasted until 1994. The ethnic conflicts kept going between linguistic groups until the late 2010s and are no more extreme.
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.[140] The city has no cohesive transportation policy and inadequate transport, though up to 1,000 new vehicles are added daily to the city's congested streets.[140] Roads and streets are broken at many places but are not repaired in timely manner.
Pollution
As a large metropolitan area, Karachi has many sources of pollution. Alongside air, water and noise pollution, waste management is a challenge due to solid trash not disposed to dedicated dumping sites.[348]
Karachi is the largest city in Pakistan and the12th largest city in the world is facing a significant air pollution problem.[349] The air quality of Karachi has been deteriorating over the years, with pollution levels often exceeding safe limits set by theWorld Health Organization (WHO).[350]
A 2025 analysis byClimate TRACE of the urban areas with the most people exposed to unhealthy levels of air pollution identified Karachi as the largest.[351]
Karachi from above
Water pollution
Lastly there is water pollution in Lyari and Malir rivers as gutters directly open into these rivers. These rivers than directly go into Arabian sea untreated. So sewerage and industrial wastewater is directly being thrown into Indian Ocean hence polluting it and destroying marine life under the sea. 3 waste water treatment plants exist but are all dysfunctional.[352]
Karachi's sewage system is overwhelmed and in disrepair, and sewage commonly gets into the city's water lines. Thousands of hospitalisations each year are attributed to sewage contamination in Karachi's drinking water, and there are annualcholera outbreaks in the city. As of 2011, half of all middle-class children in Karachi haveintestinal parasites attributed to poor water quality.[353]: 787
Urban flooding in monsoon season
Size of Drainage system and storm water drains (locally known as Naalahs) in the city is not enough to handle the heavy rainfalls of monsoon. The drainage system and storm water drains are also filled with solid trash. When water finds no path, it enters streets, roads, underpasses and even houses during rainfall in July and August of every year. Major Naalahs like Orangi Naalah, Gujjar Naalah, Mehmoodabad Naalah are cleaned every year by government but are polluted by people the next day.[354]
Flooding hinders connectivity of different areas of the city specially Landhi and Korangi. Floods have caused drown or electric shocks related deaths as well.[355]
Karachi has a collection of buildings and structures of variedarchitectural styles. The downtown districts ofSaddar andClifton contain early 20th-century architecture, ranging in style from theneo-classicalKPT building to theSindh High Court Building. Karachi acquired its first neo-Gothic or Indo-Gothic buildings whenFrere Hall,Empress Market andSt. Patrick's Cathedral were completed. TheMock Tudor architectural style was introduced in theKarachi Gymkhana and theBoat Club.Neo-Renaissance architecture was popular in the 19th century and was the architectural style for St. Joseph's Convent (1870) and theSind Club (1883).[356] The classical style made a comeback in the late 19th century, as seen inLady Dufferin Hospital (1898)[357] and theCantt. Railway Station. WhileItalianate buildings remained popular, an eclectic blend termedIndo-Saracenic or Anglo-Mughal began to emerge in some locations.[358]The local mercantile community began acquiring impressive structures. Zaibunnisa Street in theSaddar area (known as Elphinstone Street in British days) is an example where the mercantile groups adopted theItalianate andIndo-Saracenic style to demonstrate their familiarity with Western culture and their own. TheHindu Gymkhana (1925) andMohatta Palace are examples of Mughal revival buildings.[359] The Sindh Wildlife Conservation Building, located in Saddar, served as a Freemasonic Lodge until it was taken over by the government. There are talks of it being taken away from this custody and being renovated and the Lodge being preserved with its original woodwork and ornate wooden staircase.[360]
Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture is one of the prime examples of Architectural conservation and restoration where an entireNusserwanjee building fromKharadar area of Karachi has been relocated to Clifton for adaptive reuse in an art school. The procedure involved the careful removal of each piece of timber and stone, stacked temporarily, loaded on the trucks for transportation to the Clifton site, unloaded and re-arranged according to a given layout, stone by stone, piece by piece, and completed within three months.[361]
Architecturally distinctive, even eccentric, buildings have sprung up throughout Karachi. Notable example of contemporary architecture include thePakistan State Oil Headquarters building. The city has examples of modernIslamic architecture, including theAga Khan University hospital,Grand Jamia Mosque,Masjid e Tooba, Faran Mosque,Baitul Mukarram Mosque, Quaid's Mausoleum, and theTextile Institute of Pakistan. One of the unique cultural elements of Karachi is that the residences, which are two- or three-storytownhouses, are built with the front yard protected by a high brick wall.I. I. Chundrigar Road features a range of tall buildings. The most prominent examples include theHabib Bank Plaza, UBL Tower, PRC Towers, PNSC Building andMCB Tower.[362] Newer skyscrapers are being built in Clifton. At least 50 150m+ buildings were underconstruction in 2022.
Cricket's history in Pakistan predates the creation of the country in 1947. The first ever international cricket match in Karachi was held on 22 November 1935 betweenSindh and Australian cricket teams. The match was seen by 5,000 Karachiites.[363] Karachi is also the place that innovatedtape ball, a safer and more affordable alternative to cricket.[364]
The inaugural first-class match at the National Stadium was played between Pakistan and India on 26 February 1955 and since then Pakistani national cricket team has won 20 of the 41Test matches played at the National Stadium.[365] The firstOne Day International at the National Stadium was against the West Indies on 21 November 1980, with the match going to the last ball.
The national team has been less successful in such limited-overs matches at the ground, including a five-year stint between 1996 and 2001, when they failed to win any matches. The city has been host to a number of domestic cricket teams including Karachi,[366] Karachi Blues,[367] Karachi Greens,[368] and Karachi Whites.[369] The National Stadium hosted two group matches (Pakistan v. South Africa on 29 February and Pakistan v. England on 3March), and a quarter-final match (South Africa v. West Indies on 11 March) during the1996 Cricket World Cup.[370]
Rafi Cricket Stadium under construction in Bahria Town would soon become the largest cricket stadium in Pakistan with a capacity of 50,000+ spectators.[371]
Football
Pakistan national football team in a friendly againstCSKA Moscow from the Soviet Union at the KMC Stadium on 28 February 1969
Lyari, a neighbourhood in Karachi, holds an important place in Pakistan'sfootball landscape due to its historical and cultural ties to the sport. Dating back several decades, Lyari has been a consistent source of football talent, contributing significantly to the national sports scene.[372][373] One notable aspect is the nickname "Little Brazil" often associated with Lyari.[374][375]
When it comes to sports Karachi has a distinction, because some sources cite that it was in 1877 at Karachi in (British) India, where the first attempt was made to form a set of rules of badminton[381] and likely place is said to be Frere Hall.
Karachi has hosted seven editions of the National Games of Pakistan, most recently in 2007.[382]
^abAbbas, Qaswar."Karachi: World's most dangerous city".India Today.Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved24 October 2016.Karachi, Pakistan's largest city, with a population of approx. 3.0crore (Mumbai has 2crore people) is the country's most educated, liberal and secular metropolis.
^ab"Pakistani journalists face threats from Islamists". Deutsche Welle.Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved24 October 2016.This all happened in the heart of Karachi – a relatively liberal city with a population of more than 15 million.
^abTalbot, Ian; Singh, Gurharpal (2009),The Partition of India, Cambridge University Press, pp. 120–121,ISBN978-0-521-67256-6,archived from the original on 11 March 2023, retrieved20 April 2023,Like Dacca, Karachi was a Hindu-majority city surrounded by a predominantly Muslim-populated hinterland. In 1941 Muslims formed 42 per cent of the population while caste and scheduled-caste Hindus together comprised 50.9 per cent. ... Between 1947 and 1953 Karachi's population increased from 400,000 to 1.3 million. The former Hindu-majority city became dominated by refugees who accounted for just under 60 per cent of the population in 1951 while the Hindu presence slumped to 0.5 per cent.
^ab"Chronology for Biharis in Bangladesh". Center for International Development and Conflict Management, University of Maryland. 10 January 2007. Archived fromthe original on 2 June 2010. Retrieved6 May 2010.
^Craig, Time."Pakistan cracks down on Afghan immigrants, fearing an influx as U.S. leaves Afghanistan".The Washington Post.Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved24 October 2016.Qaim Ali Shah, the chief minister of Sindh province in southern Pakistan, said at a news conference in February that there were already more than 1million illegal Afghan immigrants living in Karachi, a rapidly growing city of 22 million people.
^ab"Karachi, Pakistan".Lloyd's City Risk Index 2015–2025. Centre for Risk Studies at the University of Cambridge Judge Business School. Archived fromthe original on 24 November 2016. Retrieved23 November 2016.
^abThe Dutch East India Company (VOC) and Diewel-Sind (Pakistan) in the 17th and 18th centuries, Floor, W. Institute of Central & West Asian Studies, University of Karachi, 1993–1994, p. 49.
^Askari, Sabiah, ed. (2015).Studies on Karachi: Papers Presented at the Karachi Conference 2013. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 325.ISBN978-1-4438-8450-1.
^[Herbert Feldman [1970]:Karachi Through a Hundred Years: The Centenary History of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry 1860–1960. 2. ed. Karachi: Oxford University Press (1960).]
^Party, Government and Freedom in the Muslim World: Three Articles Reprinted from the Encyclopaedia of Islam, 2d Ed., V. 3, Parts 49–50. Brill Archive. 1968. p. 37.
^Planning Commission, The Second Five Year Plan: 1960–65, Karachi: Govt. Printing Press, 1960, p. 393
^Minahan, James (2002).Encyclopedia of the Stateless Nations: Ethnic and National Groups Around the World. Vol. 3. Greenwood. pp. 1277–78.ISBN978-0-313-32111-5.
^ab"Climate data – Karachi". Pakistan Meteorological Department, Government of Pakistan. Archived fromthe original on 22 April 2010. Retrieved24 August 2010.
^"Karachi Extremes". Pakistan: Pakistan Meteorological Department.Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved1 November 2020.
^"Karachi Climate Normals 1991–2020".World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived fromthe original on 10 September 2024. Retrieved17 September 2023.
^Gayer, Laurent (2014).Karachi: Ordered Disorder and the Struggle for the City. Oxford University Press. p. 33.
^abAskari, Sabiah, ed. (2015).Studies on Karachi: Papers Presented at the Karachi Conference 2013. Cambridge University Scholars.ISBN978-1-4438-8450-1.
^"Annexures"(PDF). City District Government Karachi. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 16 September 2013. Retrieved10 February 2014.
^Sayeed, Asad; Husain, Khurram; Raza, Syed Salim."INFORMALITY IN KARACHI'S LAND, MANUFACTURING, AND TRANSPORT SECTORS"(PDF). United States Institute for Peace. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 3 September 2016. Retrieved2 November 2016.Informal manufacturing is more prevalent than formal manufacturing in terms of the number of people employed, land area covered by informal enterprises, and a number of enterprises. Output data are unavailable, but proxy data suggest that informal manufacturing is far smaller in terms of capital employed and value-added.
^note: Revenue collected from Karachi includes revenue from some other areas since the Large Tax Unit (LTU) Karachi and Regional Tax Offices (RTOs) Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur & Quetta cover the entire province of Sindh and Balochistan[dead link]
^"Population size and growth of major cities". Population Census Organization, Government of Pakistan. Archived fromthe original on 22 December 2010. Retrieved24 August 2010. Note: The 1998 census showed a population of about nine million but this did not include workers living in Karachi but registered as living elsewhere in Pakistan by theNational Database and Registration Authority as well as large numbers ofAfghan refugees, Bangladeshis, Indians, Nepalis and others (incl. Filipinos, Iranians, Iraqis, Burmese).
^"Sindh at a Glance – 2016"(PDF).Sindh Bureau of Statistics. Government of Sindh. p. 3. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 1 December 2017. Retrieved1 December 2017.
^Blood, Peter R. (1986).Pakistan: A Country Study. DIANE Publishing. p. 96.ISBN978-0-7881-3631-3.
^Hinnells, John (2005).The Zoroastrian Diaspora: Religion and Migration. Oxford University Press. p. 193.ISBN978-0-19-151350-3.
^Gayer, Laurent (2014).Karachi: Ordered Disorder and the Struggle for City. HarperCollins Publishers India.ISBN978-93-5116-086-1.
^BHAVNANI, NANDITA (2014). "3".THE MAKING OF EXILE: SINDHI HINDUS AND THE PARTITION OF INDIA. Westland. p. 434.ISBN978-93-84030-33-9.
^Bhavnani, Nandita (2014).The Making of Exile: Sindhi Hindus and the Partition of India. Westland. pp. 39–40.ISBN978-93-84030-33-9.In June 1947, it was initially proposed to settle the muhajirs on a large plot of land in Bunder Road Extension, a well-heeled suburb of Karachi. This was, however, a residential area dominated by affluent Sindhi Hindus, who became nervous about such a large number of discontented lower-class Muslim refugees living in such close proximity to them. Given their influence, the Hindus were able to sway the government into transferring the proposed resettlement site to Lyari, a more congested and lower middle-class area.
^Tan, Tai Yong;Kudaisya, Gyanesh (2000).The Aftermath of Partition in South Asia. Routledge. pp. 234–235.ISBN978-0-415-17297-4.In 1947, as the new Federal Government of Pakistan struggled to establish itself in Karachi, a large number of Muslim refugees from northern India came and settled down in the city... Karachi became the preferred destination of northern Indian Urdu-speaking Muslims who hoped to find white-collar employment opportunities in the cosmopolitan commercial and port city.
^abKhalidi, Omar (Autumn 1998). "From Torrent to Trickle: Indian Muslim Migration to Pakistan, 1947–97".Islamic Studies.37 (3):339–352.JSTOR20837002.
^Rehman, Zia Ur (23 February 2015)."Identity issue haunts Karachi's Rohingya population".Dawn.Archived from the original on 8 November 2016. Retrieved26 December 2016.Their large-scale migration had made Karachi one of the largest Rohingya population centres outside Myanmar but afterwards the situation started turning against them.
^Peter van der Veer:Handbook of Religion and the Asian City – Aspiration and Urbanization in the Twenty-First Century, California University Press, 2015,ISBN9780520961081, p. 388
^Khan, Nichola (2016).Cityscapes of Violence in Karachi: Publics and Counterpublics. Oxford University Press.ISBN978-0-19-086978-6.... With a population of over 23 million Karachi is also the world's largest Muslim city, the world's seventh-largest conurbation ...
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^"Census of India, 1872. Census of the Bombay Presidency, taken on the 21. February 1872". 1872. p. 238.JSTORsaoa.crl.25057642.{{cite web}}:Missing or empty|url= (help)
^"Census of India, 1881. Operations and results in the Presidency of Bombay, including Sind". 1881. p. 91.JSTORsaoa.crl.25057678.{{cite web}}:Missing or empty|url= (help)
^Baines, Jervoise Athelstane; India Census Commissioner (1891). "Census of India, 1891. General tables for British provinces and feudatory states". p. 48.JSTORsaoa.crl.25318666.{{cite web}}:Missing or empty|url= (help)
^India Census Commissioner (1901). "Census of India 1901. Vols. 9-11, Bombay". p. 38.JSTORsaoa.crl.25366895.{{cite web}}:Missing or empty|url= (help)
^Edward Albert Gait, Sir; India Census Commissioner (1911). "Census of India, 1911. Volume 1., Pt. 2, Tables". Calcutta, Supt. Govt. Print., India, 1913. p. 23.JSTORsaoa.crl.25393779.{{cite web}}:Missing or empty|url= (help)
^India Census Commissioner (1911). "Census of India 1911. Volume 7, Bombay. Pt. 2, Imperial tables". p. 46.JSTORsaoa.crl.25393770.{{cite web}}:Missing or empty|url= (help)
^India Census Commissioner (1921). "Census of India 1921. Volume 8, Bombay Presidency. Pt. 2, Tables: imperial and provincial". p. 46.JSTORsaoa.crl.25394131.{{cite web}}:Missing or empty|url= (help)
^India Census Commissioner (1931). "Census of India 1931. Volume 8, Bombay. Pt. 2, Statistical tables". p. 42.JSTORsaoa.crl.25797128.{{cite web}}:Missing or empty|url= (help)
^Curtis, Lisa; Mullick, Haider (4 May 2009). "Reviving Pakistan's Pluralist Traditions to Fight Extremism". The Heritage Foundation. Retrieved 31 July 2011
^a b c "Religions: Islam 95%, other (includes Christian and Hindu, 2% Ahmadiyyah ) 5%". CIA. The World Factbook on Pakistan. 2010. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
^Barbosa, Alexandre Moniz (5 September 2001)."A Dash of Goa in Pakistan".The Times of India.Archived from the original on 19 February 2019. Retrieved17 November 2016.The city, however, has roughly between 12,000 and 15,000 'Goans', a number that has remained fairly constant for the past 190 years, since the first wave of migrating Goans in dhows washed up on its shores in 1820 and made it their home.
^Adnan, Imran (1 April 2019)."OLMT project to face further delay".The Express Tribune.Archived from the original on 12 July 2019. Retrieved2 April 2019.As per the direction of the apex court, he said, the civil works of the project will be completed by end of July 2019. But the project will not enter into commercial operations by August or November 2019.
^"Manufacturing of orange trains starts, says Kh Hassan". The News. 26 May 2016.Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved24 January 2017.Latest technology will be employed for fabricating these trains and the rolling-stock will be fully computerised, automatic and driverless.
^Khan, Taimur (9 September 2013)."Cooking in Karachi".Archived from the original on 16 December 2016. Retrieved6 December 2016.
^abcJaffrelot, Christophe (2015).The Pakistan Paradox: Instability and Resilience. Oxford University Press. p. 672.ISBN978-0-19-061330-3.
^"Pakistan is winning its war on terror".The Spectator. 31 December 2016.Archived from the original on 2 January 2017. Retrieved3 January 2017.Just three years ago, according to the Numbeo international crime index, Karachi was the sixth most dangerous city in the world. Today it stands at number 31 – and falling.
^"In 2015, Karachi the most violent region of Pakistan".The News (Pakistan). 2 January 2016.Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved6 December 2016.With 1,040 deaths – down from 2,023 in 2014 – recorded in Karachi this past year, the metropolis saw...
^ab"Karachi property prices soar after Pakistan crime crackdown".Reuters. 29 February 2016.Archived from the original on 22 October 2016. Retrieved22 October 2016.Recorded murders in Karachi fell to 650 last year, a 75 percent drop from 2013, while registered extortion was down 80 percent and kidnapping by nearly 90 percent, according to the CPLC, which collates official police data.
^"Karachi property prices soar after Pakistan crime crackdown".Reuters. 29 February 2016.Archived from the original on 22 October 2016. Retrieved22 October 2016.Karachi property prices jumped 23 percent last year to a record high, outpacing other large cities and the national average of 10 percent, data from property website Zameen.com showed.
^"Postal Code Karachi".Karachi Postal Code List.Hostrings, Inc. (which owns "Hostrings.com"). 8 December 2023.Archived from the original on 8 December 2023. Retrieved8 December 2023.
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