Karachi Metblogs » Why Karachi Sucks

Ap-beeti, Tourism Promotion!

Raheel Lakhani — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:28:42 +0000

If you want adrenaline rush, just hire a rickshaw, doesn’t matter if its CNG, should have an hyper-active angry driver, maybe drunk, who knows how sit on the seat by a monkey jump and doesn’t fall from the other side, who drives really really fast and swears at all the passerbys. Eid days are better for this. And you will know Why Karachi Sucks. Sadly truck art alone can’t save karachi.

If you are lucky, I guess most of Karachites are, you will reach safe and don’t know ‘if’ “sound” to your home.

The Day of Eed This Year

Jamash — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 22:36:54 +0000

It was a crisp bright morning of Eed as I woke up early and freshened up, there was still an hour for the Namaz so brewed myself a strong cup of coffee and walking out to the garden took a deep breath to inhale the light moist and fresh morning air, It was a perfect Eed day until the morning newspaper landed on the roof of my car. I quickly remover the rubber band and unrolled the paper and the first headline my eyes landed on announced “Reckless driving claims 76 lives in Ramazan“ suddenly the day was not so perfect as my thought went to the relatives of these victims who would be mourning the loss of their loved ones on a day when the whole country is busy in joyous celebrations of Eed .

Little did I knew that the day had more in store for me. Soon after namaz we learned that the previous day, soon after the official confirmation of the moon being sighted, one of the bullets from the jubilant firing in the city, had pierced into the thigh of a handicapped child in our neighborhood while he was sitting outside his house in his wheal chair. The kid was rushed to a local hospital where his wound was dressed but the doctor ignored the bullet which was still inside the body, as a result the kid had to be rushed again to another hospital some eight hours later, early in the morning when the wound started to swell and the pain shot up where finally a 12 bore bullet was extracted from the wound before it was cleaned and bandaged again.

Later the same day, in the evening I went up the roof of my house to discover four pellet shots, and one bullet, as an Eed gift from the city to me.

Ramazan a month that preaches us to be tolerant and practice self control and Eed, the day when we share happiness, love and joy….. but are we not celebrating them exactly the opposite way. Don’t we realize our slight irresponsibility can cause pain and even death to our fellow human beings and citizens. Don’t we realize that tomorrow a stray bullet my pierce through the body of one of our one loved one ? Don’t we realize, while we drive, that being a few minute late is better then actually endangering our lives and that of others ? No we don’t, not until we face the truth staring right into our eyes, piercing through our soul, otherwise we wouldn’t have been that stupid.

Fast fast, feast not least.

Raheel Lakhani — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 23:23:48 +0000

Karachi is a city which has a lot of population, so it is over-crowded. Most of its population are Muslims. This city is fast-paced, busy and on the top of it without any civic sense. I was passing by United King Bakery and people were intolerant there, ready to step over each other. Same was the scene in all the adjacent and sadly narrow streets. I could imagine the much publicized recent atta distribution incident come alive any moment. It was like hyper-active zombies shouting over each other. If you’re thinking what new then your civic sense and sensitivity is even worse than a zombie.

I mean do we fast to be patient or to shout or to promote gluttony. There is a sheer hypocrisy in what we boast and what we do. If we couldn’t practice what is required in this holy month, God help us.

PS: I would now go and listen to Devang Patel’s song Kha Kha aur Kha.

Azaadi Blues in Karachi, where are the greens?

Raheel Lakhani — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 22:28:26 +0000

The only thing green I could note in karachi is the lights which use a lot of electricity without any reason, sane reason to be exact.

Azaadi ka mazzak. 12 baje nahi ke PUBLIC road band kardiye, yeh azaadi ke naam per azaadi manana hai ya gunda gardi. apne baap ka road samjh kar they flood it, going in whatever direction and wrong ways they want and in the first place how can they block the roads not even taking note of ladies and children. Oh yea taking note but in a negative manner. Each of these retards are part of one political party or another.

Makes the karachite in me red with anger and shame.

Night talk with KESC

Raheel Lakhani — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:58:27 +0000

In these two days I never got bored of rain but yes I got bored of swings, the radio the only survival thing, online fb application on mobile which would never work properly and loss of internet/electricity. So all I did was dial 118.

Whenever I would I wake up at the middle of the night, I would dial non-stop until I get through. It was anti-depressant for me. I would wait for 3 minutes and listen the horrible music. Then the operator came and gave the same answer, “we are very sorry, we are working on it” and the very special, every time, “it would take three to four hours”

I mean it was like different parrots being ratafied the same line. So when I was really frustrated I said ‘Shame on you’ to one representative. At the height of my frustration this came up:

Me: “Kab se phone kar raha hun it been more than 30 hours har teen ghante ke baad phone karta hun and you people say EXPECTED HAI teen aur ghante lagey ge. Kia sab ne rata laga rakha hai”
Representative: “We are trying, baarish hai es liye problem horaha hai”
Me: “Baarish kab se ruki huwi hai, aap log ne kia teen ghante teen ghante laga rakha hai” :p
Representative: “Mazrat ke saath aap ko thora aur wait karna parega”
Me: “Kab tak light aaigi”
Representative: “Bas thori aur dair intezaar karey” (She didn’t even dare to say three hours =p)
Me: “Kitna aur intezaar, teen ghantey” =D

and then few hours later

Me: “Light kab aayegi”
Representative: “Expected hai teen ghante lageinge”
Me: “Itne ghante hogaye, aap ne bas teen ghante ki ratt laga ke rakhi hai. Lagta hai sab bhete huwe hain aise hi, ke teen ghante khatam hi nahi hote abhi 30 se uper ghante hochuke hain”
Representative: kind of crying, complaining tone “Sir kia karein try kar rahe hain, itni problems hain. gadiyan(vehicles) nikalti hain aur phir log pathar maarte hain aur….. koshish jaari hai”

These guys seriously know their stuff =p

Btw it took 40 hours for electricity to resume at our place.. duh!

Another btw the amount saved for bills on these 40 hours have been compensated on the calls.

If you have heard the song ‘Piya tu’ from movie Don, replace Piya with ‘Light’ and Mona with ‘Kesc Not’ and it would fit the whole mess perfectly. Try it.

KBCA and the Land Grabbing Contest

MB — Sun, 17 May 2009 08:41:29 +0000

Witnessing myself the city being turned into a junkyard by KBCA+ leadership especially during and after 90s the city perfectly presents an orphaned child right now. Cowasjee article today (with a broken link in between, remove the space) and this one in JANG by Khalid Ansari is again an evident of the state of affairs. As if this city already had less issues to deal with now this latest menace.

Many people take KBCA related issues lightly and they don’t realize that it’s actually KBCA which seeds the first plant of destruction when it allows illegal constructions. With this come the issue of space, then the water electricity and gas and phone connections for that building/plaza, then the issue of digging roads and not filling em back. Then comes the issue of congestion in that area, and with it come illegal encroachments by pushcarts and then comes the issue of traffic in that area, suffocation and air-less space. This all makes that area a good ground for breeding of different diseases. Now imagine what this city has been turned into in last 25 years with such a huge scale of illegal (and sub standardized) constructions and occupations. Is there any hope of a reversal of all this to bring the old face back?

What drives insanity?

Raheel Lakhani — Wed, 06 May 2009 13:04:49 +0000

Every now and then we hear horror stories about reckless driving. I got to know of one such case where a person who was driving at speed of 120 without any reason. He first hit two motorcycles subsequently, killing both the commuters and then while he was being chased by the police, he lost control completely, he hit another car and now that guy is hospital in serious condition including fractures and head injury, and if he pulls it through then he will be in hospital for 3 months minimum. I hope he recovers. No good reason for anyone who is in such practice, even for the high which is sometimes stupidly proclaimed by some people.

This reminds me that there was some event of Car Racing organized in Hamara Karachi festival this year about which I wanted to write way back but I somehow forgot. Sab choro I mean how can you allow racing on the roads in the first place, even with whatever safety arrangements you claim. This decision was utter foolishness. Can’t we bring in some stuff except the boating, eating and racing?! C’mmon, wake up! I guess we seriously need some brains working.

Shame Shame

Raheel Lakhani — Mon, 04 May 2009 05:49:48 +0000

I recently visited a hospital and I can see people spitting shamelessly – including paan ki peekhs. They just needed a spot where guards were not seeing them. Isn’t it a shame?! When will our people learn some decency? When will we understand that hospital is a place where there are patients and the environment for them should be as safe as possible? Nevertheless hygiene is important everywhere. Do these people think that staff will clean the floors in their next round so kee farq painda hai? Shame Shame to all who pass by without uttering a word and let this happen!

Shanakht: ON or GONE

Raheel Lakhani — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 12:01:00 +0000

After the riots, ADP and T2F informs that Shanakht Festival has been cancelled and the official announcement in press by CAP will be up soon. But on the contrary, CAP on facebook announces that it it open today and other events will be finalized later. Time will tell the festival’s fate. All this brings in an important question too, has violence become our identity?

Riots at Shanakht

Raheel Lakhani — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 06:25:09 +0000

It was the first day and almost a dozen PPP supporters wrecked up Shanakht Festival ‘09, The Identity Project organized by The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP). They were reportedly protesting against an artwork relating to their beloved leader Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, which, to them, was inappropriate.

It was also reported by some local media groups about gun fires but people present there including a friend deny this.

In my view, it is not only about PPP but as a nation, we almost lack the respect towards art. Events are important but then there should also be public awareness campaigns, not only by artists but government too.

Images courtesy: FurSid

What actually happened has also been reported in
News: The News
Blog: RAW Life and Teeth Maestro