Clifton’s lost glory

Clifton was once the most preferred location for Karachiites to live in. Shops in the locality are frequented by many foreign tourists and it is host to many consulates and corporate offices. The area was cleaner than any other locality in the city. Not anymore. The pavement above the Schon Circle underpass in Clifton’s Blocks 5 and 9 is now used not only as a public open-air toilet but also for residential and commercial purposes. Men and women can be seen sleeping blissfully, while balloon vendors with gas cylinders do a roaring business, oblivious of the fact that the cylinders could explode any minute, causing immense harm to people nearby.
As if this was not enough, a social welfare organisation has occupied a big chunk of a footpath, providing and sacrificing animals for ‘sadqa’. As a result, the footpath is now so dirty that one cannot walk on it without feeling sick. The Sindh chief minister recently said that he would restore Karachi to its former pristine glory. He should immediately begin his cleanliness campaign in Clifton underpass before the footpaths become totally unusable.
Shakir Lakhani
Karachi