foxbat
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Karachi: city of fright? | Business Recorder
Based on factors like crime levels, law-and-order situation, internal stability and the countrys international relations, the research consulting firm, Mercer has ranked Karachi among the lowest in the Asia-Pacific region; at 216th place out of a total of 221, in terms of personal safety.
This recent title as "the sixth most dangerous city" in the world doesn come as a surprise to any Pakistani today.
Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan, besides routine street crimes, has been subject to bouts of targeted killings and terrorist activities.
The most alarming fact is that the citizens of one of the biggest cities in the world know the dangers they are surrounded by, but have become immune to them.
"Karachi is our home; our livelihood is here; where else can we go?" said a common citizen, representing the voice of the more than 15 million people residing in the city.
Businesses, factories and public transport in the city are often forced in to closure by strikes and incidents of violence.
Paying of hatta or protection money to wings of various political parties has also become an established norm among local businesses.
Whats more, this problem has worsened in recent times.
"Five years ago, we were paying bhatta to one party, right now we are forced to pay three different parties as new forces have also emerged around the citys industrial areas" commented the director of a local leather garments manufacturer.
The spate of killings witnessed in the city, two months back also drew the attention of the Supreme Court of Pakistan which took suo moto notice of the lack of law and order in the metropolis.
In fact, Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry arrived in Karachi on Saturday morning to commence hearings in this regard.
While the citys residents have, to a certain degree, grown immune to frequent episodes of mayhem; most foreigners have taken flight from Karachi.
"Our buyers used to come to Karachi themselves at least once or twice a year, but since the past few years we have been forced to either go to them or meet in Dubai as hardly anyone is willing to come here anymore" stated a textile garments factory owner.
Besides being the main port for the country, Karachi is also its industrial and commercial hub, generating about one-fifth of the countrys GDP.
As such, any disruptions in economic activity in Karachi have ramifications for the rest of the country as well.
While the judiciary has swung into action to help improve the law-and-order situation in the city; a lasting solution can only emanate from political discourse.
To bring the city out of this notorious list and to improve the living conditions of its citizens; the major political parties of Karachi have to head for the negotiating table.
Based on factors like crime levels, law-and-order situation, internal stability and the countrys international relations, the research consulting firm, Mercer has ranked Karachi among the lowest in the Asia-Pacific region; at 216th place out of a total of 221, in terms of personal safety.
This recent title as "the sixth most dangerous city" in the world doesn come as a surprise to any Pakistani today.
Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan, besides routine street crimes, has been subject to bouts of targeted killings and terrorist activities.
The most alarming fact is that the citizens of one of the biggest cities in the world know the dangers they are surrounded by, but have become immune to them.
"Karachi is our home; our livelihood is here; where else can we go?" said a common citizen, representing the voice of the more than 15 million people residing in the city.
Businesses, factories and public transport in the city are often forced in to closure by strikes and incidents of violence.
Paying of hatta or protection money to wings of various political parties has also become an established norm among local businesses.
Whats more, this problem has worsened in recent times.
"Five years ago, we were paying bhatta to one party, right now we are forced to pay three different parties as new forces have also emerged around the citys industrial areas" commented the director of a local leather garments manufacturer.
The spate of killings witnessed in the city, two months back also drew the attention of the Supreme Court of Pakistan which took suo moto notice of the lack of law and order in the metropolis.
In fact, Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry arrived in Karachi on Saturday morning to commence hearings in this regard.
While the citys residents have, to a certain degree, grown immune to frequent episodes of mayhem; most foreigners have taken flight from Karachi.
"Our buyers used to come to Karachi themselves at least once or twice a year, but since the past few years we have been forced to either go to them or meet in Dubai as hardly anyone is willing to come here anymore" stated a textile garments factory owner.
Besides being the main port for the country, Karachi is also its industrial and commercial hub, generating about one-fifth of the countrys GDP.
As such, any disruptions in economic activity in Karachi have ramifications for the rest of the country as well.
While the judiciary has swung into action to help improve the law-and-order situation in the city; a lasting solution can only emanate from political discourse.
To bring the city out of this notorious list and to improve the living conditions of its citizens; the major political parties of Karachi have to head for the negotiating table.
