Karachi no more attractive city for outsiders: WB report

KARACHI: Though the influx of population in Sindh, particularly in Karachi, has been the biggest concern for the people, the recent population data of the World Bank reveals to the surprise of many that the seaside metropolis is not among top 10 of the fastest growing cities of Pakistan.
Sindhi nationalists, academicians and writers boasted their lobbying for bringing a halt to what they call ‘influx’ from ‘outside’ – different areas of Pakistan – particularly the militancy-hit tribal areas after the Pakistani troops kicked off operation, forcing locals to vacate the areas.
They even go to the level of warning the federal and provincial governments against the demographic changes, which, according to them, lead to a civil war.Although the provincial and federal governments claimed that the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) temporarily staying in Karachi and the rest of Pakistan had moved back to their respective areas after a successful military operation, the political parties of Sindh and intelligentsia say those coming to metropolis have never gone back.
Amid this perception of fast growing Karachi with no infrastructural development, the State Bank’s data discloses that Karachi has lost its charm – during the last five years – for “outsiders” who come here for obtaining education, jobs and labor in its vast industrial sector.
According to the data of the World Bank on urban agglomeration, the population of Islamabad, which was over 1039.029 in 2010, has reached 1364.531 in 2015, increasing by 325.501 with a percentage of 31.33, which is much higher than the speed of growth, which Karachi’s population witnessed.
Interestingly, the second city with fastest growth in term of percent is also not Karachi as Bahawalpur has witnessed 26.18% growth over the last five years taking second place in the list.
Data analysis for Pakistani cities shows that Larkana has seen 25.25 %, Quetta, 21.41, Sheikhupura 20.78, Rahim Yar Khan 20.66%, Gujranwala 19.77%, Dera Ghazi khan 19.27%, Nawabshah 18.28% and Faisalabad 18.23%, only after which the number of Karachi comes with 18.02% Population increase.