Unliveable city

Years of neglect, political fights, and criminal silence over the issues of Karachi have made the country’s only true metropolis one of the least liveable cities in the world. The Global Liveability Index 2023 published by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) puts Pakistan’s ‘city of lights’ on the 169th spot – out of 173 cities in the world. The ranking is given on the basis of five factors: stability, reliable infrastructure, health services, education, culture and entertainment. The EIU’s report suggests that Karachi has performed better in health and education, but there have been no improvements in terms of infrastructure and stability. That the sole metropolis of the country does not have a reliable public transportation system should be enough to justify the low ranking. Work on Karachi’s much-touted Green Line (initiated by the PML-N-led federal government in 2016) has been in progress for years now, and the PPP-led Sindh government is yet to increase the number of red buses under its People’s Bus Service Project, a much-needed initiative that needs to be expanded further. Besides this, roads in the city are in a dilapidated condition, causing chronic back pain in young motorcyclists and other commuters.

Unlicensed and unregulated factories near and in residential areas have resulted in the spread of mysterious and life-threatening diseases among people living there. There have been multiple cases relating to the collapse of multi-storey residential buildings caused by the substandard material used during their construction. Street crimes in the city have now become a common occurrence. Armed robbers do not think twice before killing a person on the slightest resistance. There is a palpable air of fear and uncertainty in the city, whether regarding security or natural phenomena like rainfall. Over the years, the issues of Karachi have been hijacked by political parties for point scoring. The last mayor of the city – who retired in 2020 – would often complain about not having enough powers to get the government machinery moving. As a result, the city keeps performing low on multiple municipality services. It is also unfortunate that for three years – during which the city witnessed the worst spell of rains – the city remained without a mayor.

Karachi is an economic hub, and its progress is vital for the country’s prosperity and development. Whatever political reasons there were for such unfortunate events, there is no forgiveness for authorities responsible for turning the city into such a disastrous place to live in. It is also essential for all stakeholders to sit down together and make a master plan for the city’s governance. The metropolis is divided between competing fiefdoms that rarely coordinate and have their own priorities. What little investment there is in public facilities tends to be piecemeal and reacting to whatever happens to dominate the headlines of any given day. For the city to meet its potential, every agency with influence needs to put the requirements of Karachi over parochial interests. And those responsible for governing Karachi need to set their differences aside and work on projects collectively, helping the city improve its score.