Pakistan …no, it’s not Zindabad. Coined by a
bright Karachite, the sad rhyme doing the SMS round these days is: Pakistan… Zinda
bhaagh!
No,
I do not think it’s funny. I love my country, I care for my city… and my symbol
for Karachi is the sun – which rises everyday with the message of hope and
life; Karachi is a red, hard ball which bounces back to sanity after every
disaster.
The
red of blood, the destruction of bomb blasts, and the chaos of fear is wiped
off with a speed that only those living here know. A bomb blast in a masjid in
Sind Madarsa or Old Numaish, or a blast outside PACC, Sheraton hotel or the
American Embassy – scares a Pakistani living in the U.S, England, Saudi Arabia or the Gulf. But here,
not long after, not far away, in other areas of the city, the hotels, clubs,
gyms and shops are doing business as usual.
That’s
why people say Karachi
and Karachites have become insensitive and human sufferings have no value. But
I feel it’s the inherent strength of the city that it’s able to absorb, and
endure almost anything – be it bomb blasts, sniper killings, demonstrations and
strikes, or corruption and sky-high inflation. It’s simple economics – no
rocket science. The city has no choice, but to bounce back as quickly as
possible – in its own interest. A
one-day shutdown in Karachi
costs the country more than a billion rupees. And a poor country like Pakistan cannot
afford this loss too often. Not to mention the millions of daily wage workers
for whom life has to go despite fear of life, otherwise their children go to
bed hungry.
And
of course, Karachites are getting immune to this disturbed, agitated state of
the city. Life in Karachi has been scary and tough since a long while now.
People have learned to brave the worst and cope with the daily dose of bad
news. Nothing, almost nothing, no news – however bad or ugly can cripple the
city for long.
It
doesn’t stop here. If you’re living in Karachi,
there’s more to put up with…
Overflowing
gutters; angry mobs demonstrating in front of dry taps; frequent power
failures; garbage heaps in every lane; broken and dug-up roads; perennial
traffic jams; lead-filled air and noise pollution; double parkings; buses
racing on busy highways uncaring of the consequences of speeding; car-snatching
at gun-point; polluted beaches and sea; inflated utility bills; illegal
hoardings; land scams; corruption in government and private organizations;
insincere politicians and leaders; sectarian intolerance and violence; revenge
killings; youngsters experimenting with guns and drugs; families curled up on
cold nights on hospital footpaths; over crowded and unhygienic hospital wards
and corridors; children lisping scripted lines begging food, cash, medicines; dirty,
hungry kids picking food from garbage bins – heart-breaking sights of poverty
in a city which generates 75% of the country’s income. This is Karachi – the over populated city of 15
million plus.
But
this is not all. This is only one side of the picture.
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