But, the drains appear to be square in shape and therefore, will allow maximum of silt to collect. That will cause lot of space to be filled up pretty fast. And that’s bad news for the people of defence, Karachi.

Secondly, some of the drains appear to be above road level. Well, how will water go down the drain when they are up and above the roads from which they are supposed to carry water?

Thirdly, it is not very clear how DHA plans to cope with the situation when rains finally decide to pour down during this week. Drains are at best incomplete though DHA management looks happy go lucky.

DHA has avoided such technical questions on the ground that they are working very hard and that people must stop talking and help them instead.

God help us all!

British left too many structures in our city. The main reason is that they loved Karachi for its wide sea and no-nonsense attitude towards life. Already, they’d converted it into a large shipping base for their goods to arrive. Unfortunately, we’ve not been able to preserve
lot of those wonderful buildings. And to top it all, corrupt politicians and land mafia has been very busy these days chopping good old buildings.

It is very clear that a nation which needs to understand its past needs to preserve the artifacts and structures from that past. If those are not preserved, there is no way of educating young people about the shared heritage. As a result, today lot of Karachi wallas are simply unaware of their rich heritage. They, at best, know something about KMC head office or maybe Quaid’s house at Kharadar.

Discuss below the ways in which common citizens may help preserve these beautiful and enduring heritage.

For all its dreaded atmosphere, I have come to love them for various reasons. One being its roof-top, airy compartment, suitable for sleeping as well as seeing around the city with no side effects. These roof-tops are good for photographers like myself, who wish to see his city in a various shades.

Have you ever enjoyed such a ride. If so, let us know here at KMB.

Gift 7: Pakola Ice Cream Soda
Gift 6: W-11 The Bus
Gift 5: Shopping in Saddar
Gift 4: Mohatta Palace
Gift 3: Nihari
Gift 2: Habib Bank Plaza
Gift 1: Abdul Sattar Edhi

Which one did you enjoy the most? My favorite is Nihari. I actually had some nihari after reading about it.

( Image credit : edhi foundation )

Edhi is a well known name to the world of service and humanity. Edhi is for Karachi what Mother Teresa is to Calcutta. But more than that Edhi is an angel on earth not only for Karachi & Pakistan but to the whole world. From Karachi to all over Pakistan. From Azad Kashmir to Tsunami & from Lebanon to Katrina this one man with a primary-school education has almost single-handedly created one of the largest and most successful health and welfare networks in Asia. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, as of 1997, Edhi Foundation operates the world’s largest volunteer ambulance service.

Edhi is our No.1 & the best gift to the world. He has done more then a Nobel Prize would mean. For more than half a century, Abdul Sattar Edhi, has been living proof that a determined individual can mobilize others to alleviate misery and, in so doing, knit together the social fabric of a nation. He is truly a role model to follow and a great hero of our time. Our curriculum books definitely need a chapter on him at least. He is the best thing probably that happened to Pakistan in last 59 years of our history.

Born in 1928 in Bantwa, Gujarat, India, Edhi’s family belonged to the industrious Memon community. From a young age his mother taught Edhi to be kind towards others and to help the poor. In 1947 the family migrated to Pakistan and settled in Karachi. That was a time of great emotional trauma and social and political upheaval. Edhi became involved in social work and began working with welfare organizations and soon started his own dispensary, providing medical aid to the poor. He bought his first ambulance, an old van which he called the “poor man’s van” and went around the city providing medical help and burying unclaimed bodies. His van became his advertisement and soon he came to be known for his work with the poor. As a consequence, donations started pouring in and his operations expanded, employing additional nurses and staff.

The lion’s share of the Edhi Foundation’s $10-million budget comes from private donations from individual Pakistanis inside and outside the country. Some donors have been very generous. One family donated two villas in the wealthy Karachi suburb of Clifton for use as a residence and school for around 250 girls. A Pakistani expatriate in the UK donated office buildings worth ¬£1.4 million ($2.5 million) that became the British headquarters of the foundation, which organizes local charity services both for expatriates and in support of the foundation’s work in Pakistan. In addition to money and property, contributors donate clothes, appliances, furniture-even goat and chicken meat, sometimes by the ton. The organization uses a portion of these gifts to feed and clothe residents of the homes; the rest is given away to other hospitals, prisons and disaster victims.

( Image credit : EF )

Whether he is counseling a battered wife, rescuing an accident victim, feeding a poor child, sheltering a homeless family or washing an unidentified and unclaimed corpse before burial, Edhi and Bilquis, his wife of 38 years, help thousands of Pakistanis each day. Contactpakistan summarizes Edhi well: “Edhi is a mobile institution ready to respond … anxious to comfort and console the anguished souls. Endurance, perseverance, patience, struggle, sympathy and compassion along with sacrifice of his personal comforts, are the important elements on which rests the philosophy of Abdul Sattar Edhi.“

“In the spirit of all the holiday gift giving that will be taking place over the next couple of months, all the Metroblogging cities are giving 7 gifts to the world throughout the week of NOV 26th – DEC 2. This is Karachi’s 1st Gift to the World.”

Credits :-
www.contactpakistan.com
www.islamicity.com
www.jazbah.org
www.en.wikipedia.org

There is something really strange about this building. Everytime I pass through, I can’t help myself looking up to the roof of the building. Its fascinating, the architecture that resembles stack of coins. Even after loosing its status of the tallest building in Pakistan, the gravity is still there. It is still more attractive than MCB Tower, specially when they decorate it with colorful lights on the occasions of Eid, 14th August, and other holidays.

Habib Bank Plaza truly symbolizes the economic strength of Karachi.

“In the spirit of all the holiday gift giving that will be taking place over the next couple of months, all the Metroblogging cities are giving 7 gifts to the world throughout the week of NOV 26th – DEC 2. This is Karachi’s 2nd Gift to the World.”

The texture, spiciness, and tenderness of this dish makes it a all-round favourite of everyone who’s ever been to karachi.

A little history: Nihari is originally a dish from the Muslims of Delhi and is most popular in Pakistan. It is a stew made from beef or lamb and curry. The Muslims of Delhi are the ones who actually brought it to Pakistan and popularized it there. Nihari originated as a dish of the Muslim upper class society in Delhi. It passed to other classes as Muslim ascendency and power declined. This was after the waning of Mughal power in the mid to late 18th century when many muslim families from the Mughal nobility became impoverished.

“In the spirit of all the holiday gift giving that will be taking place over the next couple of months, all the Metroblogging cities are giving 7 gifts to the world throughout the week of NOV 26th – DEC 2. This is 3rd Gift to the World.”

In karachi, we dont have much museums. Atleast, i didnt think so, and when a couple of friends decided to go visit Mohatta Palace, i was esctatic. The experience was so good that today, i present to you as Gift #4 from Karachi….. The Mohatta Palace.

Named after its founder, the Mohatta Palace was built between 1933 and 1935 by Shivratan Chandratan Mohatta and was used as the residence of Fatima Jinnah, sister of our great leader, Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Today, its used as a musuem featuring ceramic arts from over the centuries and the Jewel in the Crown exhibition which features the history of the city. Within the four walls, it carries a lot of the partition era memorabilia, including pictures, letters and even instruments from DJ Science college.

Outside on the grounds stand three picture displays, featuring various personalities from the partition time. Once you go through there, you realize why so many major roads in the city have been named after these famous personalities, such as I.I. Chundrigar, Abdullah Haroon and so forth. Also within the grounds, stands a beautifully restored Rolls Royce used by Jinnah, as well as an old fire engine belonging to the city.

The whole experience is definately an eye opener and i strongly suggest everyone in the city and who comes to visit the city to definately give it a vist.