History Of Karachi

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        Karachi's recorded history is spread over a period of approximately 300 years. Its location and strategic importance was acknowledged by the local traders who developed it into a regional port town of the 17th century

        This metropolitan city of Karachi was until 1725 A.D. just a barren piece of land , washed on three sides by the blue waters of the Arabian Sea. A few fishermen lived in a small huts on the sunny creek. There was a pool o water on this barren piece of land which was known as Kalachi-jo-Kun. Kalachi was the name of fisherman whereas kun meant a deep ditch. Therefore, "Kalachi-jo-Kun" meant the deep ditch of Kalacahi, the fisherman. Later Karachi emerged as an important port of the region when the anarchic conditions in the northern India to Central Asia unsafe

 

1839 : Karachi was occupied by the British's who ultimately conquered the province of Sindh in 1843. The city was made the administrative center which expanded rapidly after the British conquest

1922 : The population of Karachi had reached 203,000 and during the Second World War, Karachi became the strategic naval base and an important workshop for warships

1947 : The British Empire was partitioned and the new state of Pakistan was created and Karachi was made its first capital

1951 : The population growth climbed to 1,050,000 in 1951 an increase of 2 and a half times

1971 : East Pakistan was separated as Bangladesh as an outcome of a war between India and Pakistan. Karachi experienced another major influx from the former East Pakistan to settle down in their homeland

    The shortage of dwelling units, a consequence of massive immigration, has been largely responsible for the emergence of squatter settlements or Katchi Abadis.
    The number of Katchi Abadis in the city increased from 51 in 1948 to 212 in 1959, 362 in 1978 and-438 in 1987. About 2.3 million people or one-third of the total population resides in these Katchi Abadis of Karachi. At this rate, it is quite likely that by the year 2000 A.D. not less than half of the total population of Karachi would be living in Katchi Abadis

The city is confronted with yet another serious problem related with the existing intra-city transportation system, which is under heavy strain. The chief contributing factor is the explosive growth of its population due mainly to massive migration.. Added to this is the ever-increasing number of people who visit the city daily ,on a business trip on a social call. Their number too runs into thousands or more

    These people also use city's already overburdened transport. The problem has been aggravated due to apathy of the local/provincial administration and their refusal to deal with the problem in a big way. The reason given is the non-availability of funds. As a consequence, a city like Karachi with its seven million population is probably the only city in the world which has no fly over, no mass-transit system, and the like. The city is faced with time-barred system of traffic regulation and most hackneyed and uncomfortable mode of public transport viz., buses, mini-buses, pick-ups and motor rickshaws

    These people also use city's already overburdened transport. The problem has been aggravated due to apathy of the local/provincial administration and their refusal to deal with the problem in a big way. The reason given is the non-availability of funds. As a consequence, a city like Karachi with its seven million population is probably the only city in the world which has no fly over, no mass-transit system, and the like. The city is faced with time-barred system of traffic regulation and most hackneyed and uncomfortable mode of public transport viz., buses, mini-buses, pick-ups and motor rickshaws

    As far as land use control is concerned Karachi presents a scene of utter chaos and confusion that borders on near anarchy. The d regulations agencies that matter have no doubt framed rules an to control land use in the city. However, in actual practice, these are observed largely in the form of violations rather than compliance. This is true in the case of heights of buildings as well as senseless proliferation of petty shops and stores dealing mainly in routine tertiary goods and services. The condition has worsened to the extent that one finds it very difficult to walk on side walks in almost all ma or shopping center of the city

    Along with these depressing aspects of Karachi's historic growth, the city nevertheless presents an impressive look of a growing metropolis with ever-increasing number of high-rise structures, shopping plazas, luxury hotels and a phenomenal increase in motorized transport especially private cars, pick-ups, motor-rickshaws and motor cycles.
As a National Metropolis Karachi should continue to grow, not as a city of Katchi Abadis, choked streets, and push-carts but a city where people would love to live, and of which they feel proud

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