Karachi is becoming more and more unpredictable every day. Today when everything seemed to be running smoothly, when all of a sudden around 3:30 in the evening a news alert announced 2 people being shot dead in the area near airport. I expected it to be the usual target killing which had been resulting in 2 to 5 killings every day in the city. But I was wrong. This killing had taken lives of members of a political party and their followers were not happy about it.

Minutes later reports of violence, firing and unrest started to pour in. I called in and smsed several of my friends, cousins, asking where their they were, updating them of the cities situation and hoping they reach home safe and sound. My eyes glued to the TV, panicking at every incident which would take place somewhere, some place near their possible path. My trauma lasted over an hour before everyone I was in touch  with was home safe.

Exhausted by the time I dosed off for an hour, when I woke up I realized that the trauma and misery of the city had continued and had actually gotten worst. Over 9 vehicles were being reported to have been set ablaze, there was a report that one of the car was burnt with the driver still inside. Several were injured in this spell of violence, many other effected as terror prevailed taking away the peace of mind of the citizens of the city.

At a time when 14 million people of the country have been effected, rendered homeless by the floods in the country. Every day epidemics, and harsh situation these homeless people are faced with are taking them more vulnerable, more fragile more difficult to survive another day. At a time we should be out there collecting funds and sending help to these millions of people who need us but we are too busy killing one another bringing city to a halt, forcing people to stop their businesses, interrupting their routine forcing them to stay home fearing for their lives and that of their loved ones day in day out.

This city of lights is becoming more and more heartless, it wont let us do much for the flood victims, for other fellow human beings, it will just keep us busy worrying sick for our safety and that of our loved ones. It will keep us crippled till we either become heartless like the city its self, or rise to rebel and revolt anyone and every one who tries to terrorize us.

As the news of MQM MPA Mr. Raza Haider being gunned down spread, traffic in Karachi witnessed a “tense pattern” and bottlenecks were formed at main routes everywhere. Picture of SF traffic taken 2 hours back by a friend.

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.

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 . (more…)

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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!