I’ve been trying to deal with these mafias too for quite sometime, cuz a plot of ours has been taken over by them. From the inquiries i made, i learned that the federal govt was alteast serious about vacating these lands. Now i read this news, and think that maybe i just might get back the plot afterall.

A big land scam has been unearthed involving illegal occupation of 22,965 acres located in 18 towns and 8,162 square yards of the city survey, acquired through manipulation of the land record. The value of the land is estimated to the tune of over Rs81 billion, it is reliably learnt.

For those who will say, “so what.. they keep making inquiries and nothing happens..” i say, its atleast better now that its public.

This wasn’t the first time I came across such a billboard. More often than not, these images disturb me. Allow me to explain.
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Today, a little before 1 pm., our bus, on it way to Sakhi Hasan Chowrangi from the Five Star Signal, swooshed past a few geared up cyclists, probably racing towards a finish line. I did point my camera phone towards them but we were way out of their range by then. Any guesses who the organizers of the race were?
What was amazing to see was the excitement of the onlookers. Eyes peered out of car windows to take a better look and some even waved. Goes to show how less we witness such events in Karachi.
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Three fires reported in Karachi yesterday and the cause given for each? Short circuit.

Progressive Plaza – short circuit;
TNT flats – short circuit;
Car – short circuit.

One of the new five star hotels being added to Karachi, The Mercure Grand Hotel at Karachi Airport will start operations on April 1st 2007, with 120 rooms and 2 suites, with an all day dining restaurant, coffee shop, swimming pool with pool bar. The hotel will add more facilities in the second phase of its operations with an additional 55 superior rooms, all on ground level with balconies and direct garden access, multiple seminar and convention facilities as well as a complete fitness centre.

This is the first venture by Accor group in Pakistan, which currently manages over 750 hotels in 49 countres. The next hotel constructed would be Sofitel Karachi in Clifton which is planned to be opened in late 2009.

Also, Karachi Railways is looking to sell 3 plots in Karachi to investors in the gulf for building five star hotels in Karachi (out of eight plots country-wide).

Looks like we’re finally going to have some more names here, than just PC, Sheraton, Marriot and Crown Plaza.

I was raised in Karachi

When young I always asked my mother:
“Why can’t we give names to numbers and numbers to names?”
It took her twenty-five years to come up with a reply.
“Son, we name the streets and count the people.”
Three Unknown Men Killed on M.A.Jinnah Road
read the morning’s newspaper.

Relief

Every evening the bus is so full
It feels squeamish
And starts throwing up
When the terminus comes.
People with the nauseating smell
Of undigested food
Are spread over the pavement.

“In growing recognition of Pakistan’s financial hub as an investment destination, the Mayor of Karachi has been invited to attend an upcoming session of the World Economic Forum.”

I knew there was a reason im proud to call Karachi my city.

“Karachi had also been included in a list of the world’s 12 mega cities from a selection of 32 countries as a centre having potential for investment and business.”

Read the complete article here.

“Johnny Stores refers to a stall on Elphinstone Street (now Zeb-un-Nissa street) run by a man named Jankidas in the 1930s and 1940s. Commonly known as Janki, British soldiers changed this to “Johnny.” Johnny Stores used to sell toffees, sweets, chewing gum, pencils, pens, battery cells, and other odds and ends. It also sold nicely printed black-and-white postcards of Karachi that may have been photographed by someone else.”

http://www.harappa.com/post4/karachi0.html

Some time back our beach at seaview was blessed with beautiful benches placed on a tiled floor and was beautified with sculptures by our world renowned Artists Amin Gulgee and Anjum Ayaz, placed securely on huge cubical rocks heavy enough to be lifted by cranes. A few days back I visited seaview, I found these heavy rocks void of the beautiful sculptures taunting at the law and order situation of our city. It must have taken some time to chisel off the sculptures from their huge base, but sadly no one noticed it then or even after the crime was committed, the news never made it to any newspaper or TV channel. The sculptures along the beach which promoted our culture and vibrant art scene are almost gone, only a few remain there in place and If proper measures are not taken immediately they will all be gone soon.

Crochey, Krotchey Bay, Caranjee, Koratchey, Currachee, Kurrachee & Karáchí
, are only a few of its many appellations and ways of spelling, the last being the official one, according to the Imperial Gazetteer of India, but it does not appear to have been, by any means generally adopted up to the present time.
The penultimate of the above names, Kurrachee, is most frequently found in domestic, mercantile, and even in official correspondence, but in its use there are many anomalies.
For instance: there is a Chamber of Commerce of Kurrachee, the annual reports of which are stated on the title-page to have been printed at Karáchí; the Superintendent of the Scinde, Punjaub and Delhi at Karáchí, but dates his letter from Kurrachee; and the Government of India, in a Report on the Internal Trade of the Punjab, adopts the reformed spelling in writing of the district, but calls the Port of Sind Kurrachee.
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