The rain that hit us today later in the day was massive – at least to the extent that I witnessed in the surroundings of Hasan Square, Gulshan and Johar. With the memories of the last rain lash still fresh, people were seen running around in anticipation of the second such wave but the speed of the nature was far more than those of the mortals on the ground. Within minutes, everything went back to a deep chaos.
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Gear up guys and girls! Its time for……..
“Where In Karachi”

In a spate of fires in recent weeks, our fire department has been taxed to the limit trying to put all of them out. In a tribute to the brave and courageous men who make up the fire department, this time’s WIK is dedicated to a fire station.

Can you Guess where this station is?

Ever since 70’s every gov promised to turn Karachi into Paris. While they copied half-hearted fancy ideas from West e.g Sky scrappers (for 2%) , Bundos & Bundals (for 2%), Depress-ways, Under/Over & Nowhere passes (for 15-20%) what they forgot to copy was the real requirements: water, power, transport infrastructure, education & health (an issue for above 95%) so the end result is a Desi version of Paris.

I remember listening to the stories of making of Pakistan from my grandmother and believed in them (as both my grandmother and grandfather had worked with Quaid-e-Azam and Liaqut Ali Khan and later had been in government as well).

Among the many stories of struggle and war was this story of what was believed to keep Karachi safe. I Had doubts, as both of my grandparents were very educated and did not believed in craps of “mazars and manats”. However the saints and the heroes were respected but the attitude of people towards their mausoleum was strictly condemned.

This particular story that I’m talking about is concerning the protection of Karachi.

Later when I grew up, I once found this book in my (Late) grandfather’s library which narrated how the unexploded bombs were found on the shore of Clifton during the India- Pakistan war of 1965. Indian fighter pilots when asked were reported to say that they saw some people in white dresses (like souls) who catched the bombs they threw, hence none of the bombs hit the ground and never exploded.

I do not remember the name of the book, nor the author, neither is the text written above the exact as read. It has been ages and I do not remember any reference to quote.

Times and again my mom used to tell me this story too.

On 26th June, I read this article in The Daily Times, which refreshed the old memories of the story, “The saints will save us” What’s the truth behind it, is a long discussion. This topic has been controversial and will always be, I don’t want to get into it. Just that “How long will the saints save us?”.

The HMIB Foundation has announced relief campaign to collect donations for the people of Balochistan which have been displaced by the tropical storm this week.

Donations can be made in the form of Cash, Packaged food, medicines, tents, clothing and maybe dropped at their collections centre located at the following address:

83, Muslimabad (near Kashmir Road).
Tel: (021) 111 947 111

Please extend a helping hand. These people need our support.

Due to the recent weather condition in the city, the deadlines for paying the utility bills has been stretched to June 30th. Seems like the government is really considerate about Karachittes. Though I read in a newspaper that the Nazim went to some rain affected place for a “dora” which the residents called a “Picnic tour”.

With all those CDGK “trucks” and tractors moving accross the city, it reminded me (God Forbid) of the situtaion in the earth quake areas. Huge trees bowing down, billboards (according to Mullah’s Azab-e-Ellahi due to semi-nude models displayed in advertisements accross the city), some broken walls of houses, electric poles not in place, the telephone lines disturbed, no water, no electricity only rain.

And some bunch of stupid people, despite of the storm news made sure to go to the beach and enjoy risking their lives so that the families have some thing to morn on and blame the government not to hold tides :-P

And then, as I last published, the fearing news of water catastrophe that Karachiites will (Khudana khwasta) be facing.

I came across this advertisement while on a visit to a clinic in Rehri Goth on Monday. I was quite surprised to see this since I’ve never come across such social public awareness messages in such simplified messaging. The question that gets me is what is it doing in Rehri Goth when it should be plastered around the city?

The seasons are discriminated only in the sky. All that tells you of springs coming is the feel of the air, or the baskets of flowers brought in from the suburbs by peddlers; it’s a spring cried in the marketplaces. During the summer the sun bakes the houses bone-dry, sprinkles our walls with grayish dust and you have no option but to survive those days of fire indoors, behind closed shutters. In autumn, on the other hand, we have deluges of mud. Only winter brings really pleasant weather.
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With all this rain water pouring from up above, there’s a bad news for Karachiites.

KESC has refused to cooperate with the Water & Sewerage Board and hence Karachi is expected to face intense water scarcity.

Heard this on Radio while coming to work. So one after another, first it was KESC’s ankhmacholi, then came the storm news, then rain and wind storm and now it’s water.

Good luck!

It been some time since this digital LCD LED Billboard developed by WaveTec was placed on the Metropole building. It is surely a technological jump from the TV screen billboards we have seen in the past, last I remember seeing a TV screen billboard was at Hasan Square, but since then no one has stepped up to bring digital technology into this outdoor advertisement business until now
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