Karachi; From Jamshid Nusserwanjee Mehta to Gangster Politics!!!!

Jamshid; an elected Mayor of Karachi for 12 consecutive years is known as the “Maker of Modern Karachi”. In comparison, today anyone attached with Karachi municipality is geared up to loot and destroy more than build. Political organizations leading the municipality affairs spend a fraction of budget to show off development and they get away with rest of the money, use gangsters, drug dealers, and land grabbers to further their loot and plunder.

Today, an ordinary citizen feels hostage in Jamshid’s city, their voice is silenced in the roar of guns. A city known for religious and ethnic harmony has plunged into ethno religious divide. Beautiful streets of Karachi tell tales of bloody combat, bullets, pain and cry.

Jamshid was the most wanted man, the most sought after person and everyone wanted him as guest at any function in Karachi. People believe that whenever they came in contact with him they instantly felt the strength of his character and he was not an ordinary soul.

A men known for serving Karachi, his selfishness played an important role in public life. He was one of the noblest sons of Sind and alas today we miss him more than over 60 years ago.

Famous writers believe that “The broad roads, beautiful parks, schools, hospitals, maternity homes, good sanitation, homes for the poor and other civic amenities which the citizens of Karachi enjoyed in those days were the result of the untiring efforts and dedicated Service of this great man. When the municipal history of Karachi is written, one of its most outstanding features will be the remarkable efficiency with which Jamshid faced every situation. It was he more than any other person who gave Karachi its character as the cleanest and best administered city in the Indo-Pakistan Sub-continent”.

In politics, Jamshid used to go to person to person and beg for votes. Today many candidates give all sorts of promises and use fair or foul to get elected but Jamshed did not give any promise or undertaking. On contrary he used to extract a promise from his helpers that they would remain absolutely fair under all circumstances.

His politics was all about social service, charity and self sacrifice and many writers mention that he was a millionaire but lived like modest and humble man. Today most of the political or not political charities are propagated through a well orchestrated media campaign but Jamshid’s charities were silent and private. Astonishingly after his death world came to know through his private secretary that he gave away USD 1.6 million at that time and no one knew about it.

In short a famous man said, "Jamshid was one of the finest men I have ever met. A terrific worker, a wonderful organizer, a great giver and a most humble man. He was conscientious and deeply religious, and as straight as a die. If only we had more men of his character today, Sind would be a different place".

Jamshid, Karachi misses you and I am sure you won’t be able to stop your tears when you see your beloved Karachi torn apart by political vultures, gangsters, drug peddlers, land grabbers.

Lahori Accent, Insecure Karachi & Lust for Food :-)

Whenever I am in Karachi, I end up with Lahore- Karachi debate with my friends. Karachi is my first home and Lahore is second “LUMS my academic abode” Apart from Arabian Sea, Karachi is a cosmopolitan city yet very very insecure. One can not think of carrying expensive cell phone, mugging and cell phone snatching is so common that even congested main roads are not spared. Insecurity of Karachi sucks, whereas in Lahore, it is not that bad, people roam around late, muggings is not common, it is peaceful life as compared to crowded and chaotic Karachi. However, charm of cosmopolitan port city is not comparable. Hey my Karachi friends, don’t get offended, am being pro Lahori here!! let me amuse you guys. Lahori accent is funny, food lack spice “my type though”, my favorite restaurant POLO LOUNGE is also in Lahore. Let me share few funny words, Lahori pronounce “Hour, Ghanta as GHAAINTA” “Seventeen, Satra, SAATAARA” “Street, SATREET” “Screen, SAKREEN” “School, SAKOOL”, “Round About, GOL CHAKKAR” “Company, KOMPAANY” "Dahi Bhallay" "Tree, Darakht, DARAKHAAT" "Round About, CHOUNKK" " Brother, Bhai Jan, PAI YAAN" hehe

On the other day my friend from Karachi visited me, on our way, we had an interesting discussion, she said, she would love to live in Lahore provided if you transfer the people from Karachi to Lahore and vice versa ;-)

There are so many funny and hilarious accent bloopers, hey Karachites, you would love them. On the other hand Lahori are more sociable than Karachites, outgoing and friendly. They love FOOD, lust for cuisines is amazing. I would rather call both Karachi & Lahore my home towns, after Karachi, it is the only city where I feel at home.

Lahore Lahore EE ;-) & Karachi Rocks :-)

Ofcourse i have to be diplomat here:P......after all , i am a LIBRA ;-) 

Sex on Zamzama Street, Oohhhhhh, Sounds Liberal Pakistan

Tonight I was getting bored at my apartment; my coolest Arab friend offered me coffee. We ended up at CIAO, on Zamzama Street, Clifton. While parking my car, we guys saw a black tinted car, with AC on, a couple making out in the parking lot just near CIAO. It has hardly been a week I wrote about Sex on the Beach in Dubai, here comes Paki guys losing their sexual vigor on the street. Well, as long as they were not bothering us, at least I ignored. But at CIAO I ended up with an intellectual discussion with my Arab friend. He was noticing the car from upper window of CIAO; to distract him I started asking lots of questions. My questions were; 1) Was it right to do it public? 2) If it were Saudi what would have been the reaction. 3) Should society stop all with force? 4) Or we should feel ok as long as they are not bothering us. At least we both agreed that personal freedom has limits, public places should be spared, and they can do whatever they want elsewhere in privacy “within limits of freedom” Question comes, who is to decide the limit or interpret the limits of freedom! I pushed on one point, isn’t it the duty of society to not to shy away, shouldn’t we educate our kids socially, shouldn’t we break the taboo of sexual discussion within the family???????? Why we always think about lashing kids or youngsters, why do we always find brute force as only answer, justified by religion. My friend made me laugh, he shared, if there were Saudi “Mutawa; the religious police” on Zamzama, he would have lashed the couple and kicked them outside the city for one year. Imagine if Pakistan had Mutawa, lashing couple naked in front of Costa Coffee on Zamzama Street and kicking them out to TANDO ADAM or GUJRAT ;-) Anyways, I always push for opening up, discussing, speaking up….sex is natural…let’s not shy away, at least from healthy discussion. We can only get rid of pitfall of sexual revolution through educating our kids about right and wrong. But I am afraid, our society is wearing social mask, media influence will lure kids or youngsters to explore sexual terrain, get intoxicated with toxic pleasure of sex. 

Scary Karachi, 12th May Nightmare Haunts My Memories …

After spending over 20 days at LUMS in Lahore “my academic abode as well as my second home”, I am flying back to Karachi on 11th May…..On 12th May i will be opening my eyes in Karachi. It reminds me the last year's scary memories of killing spree on the streets of Karachi.

On May 12, 2007, riots erupted across Karachi. During the riots city roads were blocked, cars burned and hundreds of people were injured, killed and arrested, most of them Political workers.
More I think more I feel and stress my mind ….always end up comparing my city with Haitian Town, Mogadishu, Harare, Ivory Cost, and Niger etc……. pessimism dominates my thoughts…even at times I wonder, will this city ever truly become a city where people respect each others political views, where streets would become crime free…….

Pessimism always smiles back on my wishful thinking……….

Let us see how 12th May welcomes me in Karachi……..

When I thought of Karachi my blog topic turned from fun loving lighter aspect of life to scarier and pessimist thoughts……

This time i truly do not feel like going back to Karachi :-( but i want to spend Mothers Day at Home :-)