By Farhan Umer;
Karachi (/krti/; Urdu) In Sindhi: With a population of nearly 20 million, Karachi, IPA: [krati] (listen) is both the most populous metropolis in Pakistan and the 12th most populous city in the world. It is located on the Arabian Sea shoreline at the very southernmost point of the nation. It serves as both the capital of Sindh and the previous capital of Pakistan. With an expected GDP of more than $200 billion (PPP) as of 2021, it is Pakistan's leading industrial and financial hub and is ranked as a beta-global metropolis. According to an FBR report, during the fiscal year from July 2021 to May 2022, Karachi paid $9 billion (or 25% of the total country) in taxes. In terms of linguistic, ethnic, and religious diversity, as well as social liberalism, Karachi is one of Pakistan's most cosmopolitan and diverse cities. The two main seaports in Pakistan, the Port of Karachi and Port Qasim, as well as Pakistan's busiest airport, Jinnah International Airport, are located in Karachi, which also acts as a major transportation hub. In addition, Karachi serves as a hub for Pakistan's news media as well as the country's film and fashion industries. Karachi is home to the majority of Pakistan's international corporations and financial institutions. Karachi is a popular tourist destination because of its beautiful beaches, old buildings, and malls. Although the area has been inhabited for thousands of years, the city was only formally created in 1729 as the fortified settlement of Kolachi. With the introduction of the East India Company in the middle of the 19th century, the settlement's significance significantly increased. To make the city a significant seaport and to link it to the vast Indian subcontinent railway network, British administrators undertook huge initiatives. The city had the highest population in Sindh at the time of India's partition in 1947, with an estimated 400,000 residents. Following Pakistan's independence, the city underwent a significant exodus of its Hindu residents, whose numbers fell from 51.1% to 1.7% of the total population. This was accompanied by the entrance of hundreds of thousands of Muhajir (Urdu-speaking) Muslim refugees from India. With Pakistan's independence, the city's economy grew quickly, drawing immigrants from all around Pakistan and other parts of South Asia. Karachi has a total population of 16,051,521 as of the 2017 Pakistan Census, 14.9 million of who live in the city's metropolitan districts. One of the cities with the highest population growth, Karachi, is home to sizable populations from practically all of Pakistan's ethnic groups. More than two million Bengali immigrants reside in Karachi, along with a million Afghan refugees and up to 400,000 Rohingya people from Myanmar.
The
principal financial and industrial hub of Pakistan is currently Karachi. The
city has the largest formal economy in the nation, with an expected value of
$190 billion in 2021. An estimated 25% of Pakistan's GDP is produced in
Karachi, which also receives 35% of the country's tax revenue. Karachi produces
around 30% of Pakistan's industrial output, and its ports handle nearly all of
the country's international trade. Karachi serves as the headquarters for all
banks and around 90% of the international firms that operate in Pakistan. Since
2009, Karachi, which is regarded as Pakistan's fashion hub, has been the
location of the annual Karachi Fashion Week.
With
the widespread arrival of weapons during the Soviet-Afghan War, Karachi—known
as the "City of Lights" in the 1960s and 1970s for its thriving
nightlife—became plagued by acute ethnic, sectarian, and political conflict in
the 1980s. The city had a reputation for having high rates of violent crime,
but after the Pakistan Rangers launched a crackdown operation against
criminals, the MQM political party, and Islamist militants in 2013, recorded
crimes dramatically decreased. Due to the campaign, Karachi's ranking as the
sixth-most dangerous city in the world for crime fell to 128th by 2022.
Etymology
The
city was well-known in Urdu before independence, but over time, the English
spelling Karachi gained popularity.
According
to legend, the city of modern Karachi was established in 1729 as Kolachijo-Goth
during the reign of the Kalhora dynasty. According to legend, the new community
was named in honor of Mai Kolachi, whose son is credited with killing a
man-eating crocodile in the village after it had already claimed the lives of
his older brothers. The term Karachee was first used in a Dutch report from
1742 concerning a shipwreck close to the settlement. Karachee is a truncated
and corrupted version of the original name, Kolachi-jo-Goth.
Geography
In
southern Pakistan's Sindh province, Karachi is situated beside the Karachi
Harbour, a natural harbor on the Arabian Sea. Karachi is situated on a coastal plain
with a few isolated hills, marshlands, and rocky outcroppings. In the salty
waters around Karachi Harbour and further southeast, towards the vast Indus
River Delta, mangrove forests thrive. The Cape Monze, also known as Ras Muari
locally, is located west of Karachi metropolis and is a region distinguished by
sea cliffs, rocky sandstone promontories, and beaches. The intersection of the
Indian and Arabian tectonic plates, which is where Karachi is located, is a
significant fault line. The Khasa Hills and Mulri Hills, which are located in
the northwest and serve as a barrier between North Nazimabad and Orangi, are
two small hills that are located inside the city of Karachi. The desolate
Kirthar Range, which includes Karachi's hills, rises to a maximum elevation of
528 meters (1,732 feet).
Wide
coastal lowlands with dried river beds and waterways are interspersed between
the hills. Karachi has grown up around the Lyari and Malir rivers, with
Kolachi's town lying on the Lyari coast. The floodplains of the Indus River are
to the east of Karachi.
Climate
A
protracted "Summer Season" dominates Karachi's hot desert climate
(Köppen: BWh), which is mitigated by the Arabian Sea's maritime impact. The
city receives little precipitation on average each year (about 174 mm (7 in)),
most of which falls during the monsoon season in July and August. The summers
are hot and muggy, and dangerous heat waves frequently hit Karachi. On the
other side, during the sweltering summer months, cold sea breezes frequently
offer comfort. An early warning system that utilizes text messages warns
individuals to take safety precautions and aids in preventing fatalities during
an extremely intense heat wave or rainstorm. The dry winter season lasts from
December through February. Compared to the warm, humid season that follows,
which begins in March and lasts until October, winter is dry and comfortable.
The year-round humidity is nearly consistent in areas that are close to the
sea. As a result, the climate is comparable to a humid tropical climate, with
the exception of low precipitation and sporadic highs of over 100 F (38 C)
brought on by a dry continental influence. The month of July 1967 saw the
city's highest monthly rainfall, 19 in (480 mm). On August 7, 1953, the city
experienced its largest 24-hour rainfall total, roughly 278.1 millimeters
(10.95 in) of rain, which left the city severely flooded. The highest
temperature ever recorded in Karachi is 47.8 °C (118.0 °F), which was on May 9,
1938, and the lowest is 0 °C (32 °F), which was on January 21, 1934.
Demographics
In
Pakistan, Karachi is the metropolis with the most linguistic, racial, and
religious diversity. The city is a cultural melting pot that includes
immigrants from different regions of Asia as well as ethnic groups from all
around Pakistan. Karachi's population was recorded as 14,910,352 in the 2017
census, an increase of 2.49% annually since the 1998 census, which put the
city's population at over 9.3 million. In English and Urdu, the demonym
Karachiite and Karchwl are used to describe the city's residents.
Language
The
majority of Urdu speakers in Pakistan reside in Karachi. The Karachi Division's
linguistic breakdown, according to the 2017 census, is as follows:
|
Language |
Rank |
2017
census |
Speakers |
1998
census |
Speakers |
1981
census |
Speakers |
|||||||
|
Urdu |
1 |
42.30% |
6,779,142 |
48.52% |
4,497,747 |
54.34% |
2,830,098 |
|||||||
|
Pashto |
2 |
15.01% |
2,406,011 |
11.42% |
1,058,650 |
8.71% |
453,628 |
|||||||
|
Punjabi |
3 |
10.73% |
1,719,636 |
13.94% |
1,292,335 |
13.64% |
710,389 |
|||||||
|
Sindhi |
4 |
10.67% |
1,709,877 |
7.22% |
669,340 |
6.29% |
327,591 |
|||||||
|
Saraiki |
5 |
4.98% |
798,031 |
2.11% |
195,681 |
0.35% |
18,228 |
|||||||
|
Balochi |
6 |
4.04% |
648,964 |
4.34% |
402,386 |
4.39% |
228,636 |
|||||||
|
Others |
7 |
12.25% |
1,963,233 |
12.44% |
1,153,126 |
12.27% |
639,560 |
|||||||
|
All |
|
100% |
16,024,894 |
100% |
9,269,265 |
100% |
5,208,132 |
|||||||
In
the group known as "others," you can find Hindko, Kashmiri,
Kohistani, Burushaski, Gujarati, Memoni, Marwari, Dari, Brahui, Makrani,
Hazara, Khowar, Gilgiti, Balti, Arabic, Persian, Bengali, and Tamil.
Population
There
were 105,000 people living in Karachi at the turn of the 20th century.
According to estimates, there were 400,000 people living in the city at the
time of Pakistan's independence in 1947. The influx of tens of thousands of
Muslim refugees from the recently independent Republic of India caused a
significant increase in the city's population. Following independence, South
Asia's and Pakistan's rapid economic expansion drew further immigration.
Karachi's population was recorded as 14,910,352 in the 2017 census, an increase
of 2.49% annually since the 1998 census, which put the city's population at
over 9.3 million.
The
census's lower-than-anticipated population results imply that Karachi's
inadequate infrastructure, deteriorating law and order, and weak economy in
comparison to other regions of Pakistan rendered the city less appealing to
immigrants than previously believed. All of Sindh's significant political
parties reject the statistic. Since the 1998 census, Karachi's population has
increased by 59.8%, reaching 14.9 million, while Lahore's population has
increased by 75.3%. However, because Karachi's census district has not been
changed by the provincial government since 1998, while Lahore's has been
expanded by the Punjab government, some of Karachi's growth has taken place
outside the city's census boundaries. The population of Karachi increased at a
rate of 3.49% between the 1981 and 1998 censuses, which led several researchers
to extrapolate a sustained yearly growth rate of 3.49% to arrive at an estimate
of Karachi's population of almost 18 million in 2017.
Some
had predicted that the city would have between 22 and 30 million residents,
which would call for an acceleration of the annual growth rate to between 4.6%
and 6.33%.
In
an effort to weaken the political clout of the city and province, political
parties in the province claim that the population of the city has been
intentionally underestimated. Karachi's population was estimated by the Sindh
Bureau of Statistics, a division of the PPP-led provincial administration, to
be 19.1 million in 2016. Nevertheless, PPP senator Taj Haider claimed he had
official documents proving the city had 25.6 million residents in 2013.
Ethnicity
Baloch
and Sindhis continue to make up a sizable chunk of the Lyari area, which is one
of the oldest parts of contemporary Karachi and reflects the ethnic makeup of
the original colony, despite the fact that many of the population are
relatively recent immigrants. Large numbers of Hindus emigrated from Pakistan
to the newly formed Dominion of India (later the Republic of India) after
Partition, whereas a higher proportion of Muslim migrants and refugees from
India settled in Karachi. With the addition of the new residents from India,
who made up 57% of Karachi's population in 1951, the city expanded by 150% over
the ten years between 1941 and 1951. The city is now regarded as Pakistan's
most diverse city and a melting pot for the nation.
The
largest Bengali-speaking city outside of the Bengal region is Karachi.
Around
2.5 million foreigners, mostly from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Sri
Lanka, resided in the city in 2011.
A
large portion of Karachi's population is descended from North Indian migrants
and refugees who spoke Urdu and were referred to as "Muhajirs" in
Arabic. In the wake of the 1946 Bihar riots and the Great Calcutta Killings,
the first Muhajirs of Karachi arrived. Rich Hindus in the city opposed
resettling refugees close to their homes; so many migrants were housed in
Karachi's older, busier neighborhoods. During Partition, the city had a
significant migration of Muhajirs, who were enticed to the port city and newly
designated federal capital by its white-collar work prospects. Between the
1950s and the beginning of the 1960s, Muhajirs continued to immigrate to
Pakistan, with Karachi remaining their main point of departure. In the 2017
census, the Muhajir Urdu-speaking group made up a little fewer than 45% of the
city's population. The majority of Karachi's middle class consists of Muhajirs.
While other minorities like Christians and Hindus increasingly see themselves
as Muhajirs, Muhajirs are seen as the city's most secular minority. Many Muslim
groups from what is now the Republic of India—people who do not speak Urdu—have
settled in Karachi. Several Gujarati, Marathi, and Konkani-speaking refugees
live in the city. Malabari Muslims from Kerala in south India have a sizable
community in Karachi, numbering in the thousands. The community of Urdu
speakers is assimilating these ethno linguistic groupings.
Large
numbers of Pashtuns from the NWFP moved to Karachi during the 1960s and 1980s
periods of significant economic expansion, and Afghan Pashtun refugees also
settled there. With more Pashtun residents than Peshawar, Karachi has the
largest urban Pashtun population in the world. Afghan Pashtuns are thought to
be the most traditional group. On the other hand, Swat Valley Pashtuns in
Pakistan are viewed as having a more liberal approach to life. The majority of
manual laborers and transporters are members of the Pashtun group. Karachi,
rather than Kabul, Kandahar, or Peshawar, is the largest Pashtun metropolis in
the world, according to Anatol Lieven of Georgetown University in Qatar.
In
Karachi, immigrants from Punjab started arriving in great numbers in the 1960s;
today, they account for an estimated 14% of the city's population. The majority
of the city's police officers are from the community. Punjabis make up the
majority of Karachi's Christian population, which accounts for 2.5% of the
city's total population. Although the city is the provincial capital of Sindh,
barely 6–8% of the population is Sindhi. Several municipal and provincial
bureaucrats are Sindhis. Although the majority of Baloch speakers are Sheedi, a
community of African ancestry, they make up about 4% of the population of
Karachi.
Many
Urdu-speaking Biharis landed in the city after the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War and
the independence of Bangladesh because they preferred to stay in Pakistan
rather than settle in the newly independent nation. Throughout the 1980s and
1990s, times of economic expansion, substantial numbers of Bengalis also
migrated from Bangladesh to Karachi. An estimated 2.5–3 million ethnic Bengalis
now reside in Karachi, Pakistan. Also residing in the city are Rohingya
refugees from Myanmar, who speak a Bengali dialect and are occasionally
mistaken for Bengalis. An estimated 400,000 Rohingya people live in Karachi.
Karachi is one of the greatest population hubs of Rohingyas outside of Myanmar
as a result of widespread Rohingya migration. In the city have also resided
immigrants from Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. In Karachi's upscale neighborhoods,
domestic helpers from the Philippines are employed, while many of the city's
instructors are Sri Lankan. Due to the Sri Lankan economic collapse in 2022, a
large number of Sri Lankans immigrated to Karachi. In the 1940s, Chinese
immigrants started moving to Karachi to work as dentists, chefs, and
shoemakers; many of their descendants now reside in Pakistan. Due to the CPEC
project, a significant number of Chinese arrived in Karachi after 2015 as well.
A few British and American expatriates also live in the city.
Over
3,000 Polish families fled the Soviet Union during World War II, some of which
decided to stay in the city after Partition. After the partition, there used to
be a considerable Iranian refugee community in Karachi.
Religion
More
than 96% of the population of Karachi practices Islam, making it a religiously
diverse metropolis. Many different branches of Islam, as well as Protestant Christianity
and the Goan Catholic community are practiced by Karachiites. In addition, the
city is home to sizable populations of Hindus, Zoroastrians, and Parsis.
Nichola Khan claims that Karachi is also the largest Muslim metropolis in the
world. The city's population was reported to be 51.1% Hindu, 42.3% Muslim, with
the remaining 7% made up mostly of Christians (both British and native), Sikhs,
Jains, and a tiny number of Jews. Pakistan gained its independence from Britain
in 1947. As Pakistan gained its independence, the vast bulk of the Sindhi Hindu
population migrated to India, while Muslim immigrants from India settled in
Karachi. The city's religious demography was significantly altered as a result
of this enormous migration.
Top 3 Tourist Places in Karachi
1.
Clifton Beach
Clifton
Beach can be the best choice for you if you want to see genuine coastal beauty
without having to pay thousands of rupees.
Famously
referred to as "Sea View, Clifton Beach is a center for entertainment and
home to renowned restaurants. Visit Clifton Beach if you want to take in a
sunset or want to look for seashells along the shore while enjoying a cool sea
breeze.
It
spans from Karachi to Ormara, Balochistan, along the Arabian Sea. In addition
to its natural beauty, the beach offers a wide range of leisure activities,
such as camel rides, scuba diving, cliff diving, buggy rides, horse rides, and
flying model airplanes.
You
can also stay in the neighborhoods close to the water. The gated residential
complex contains numerous units with sea views. Instead, you can get a room at
one of the best 3- or 4-star hotels in the city.
Due
to their location and attractions, these properties are regarded as some of the
best in the city. Along the Clifton Beach beaches, there are also other
residences and villas that are growing in popularity.
The Hub
Dam is situated in the Lasbela District of Balochistan and the Karachi District
of Sindh. The Hub River is where the dam is being built. For people in
Pakistan, dams serve as ideal holiday destinations in addition to being sources
of electricity and water supply. Explore Pakistan's deserts if you consider
yourself an adventurous person.
2. Mazar-e-Quaid
The last resting place of Pakistan's founder, Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, lies in Karachi. The Jinnah Mausoleum, also known as Mazar-e-Quaid, is one of Karachi's most popular tourist destinations.
The
mausoleum's design and construction were finished in 1971 after beginning in
1960. The mausoleum, a recognizable landmark in Karachi, is a popular tourist
destination in Pakistan. The mausoleum also houses the tombs of Liaquat Ali
Khan, Nur ul Amin, Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar, Māder-e Millat (or "Mother of
the Nation") Fatima Jinnah, and Jinnah's sister, Māder-e Millat Fatima.
The
entire public is welcome inside the tomb. Kindly go to the Mazar to honor the
Pakistani heroes.
In
Pakistan, there are countless places to have a family holiday that are both
inexpensive and exciting. Nonetheless, you'll need a passport if you wish to
leave the country. Learn about Karachi's passport offices. Pakistani passport
holders can enter many nations without a visa. Get the services of any
reputable travel agency in Pakistan if you want a hassle-free and ideal journey
with your loved ones. Excellent services are offered by travel firms at a fair
price.
3.
Mohatta Palace
In
the center of Karachi, there lays a stunning structure called the Mohatta
Palace. The mansion, designed by Agha Ahmed Hussain, was constructed in 1927 in
the upscale seaside community of Clifton. Its previous use was as Shivratan
Mohatta, a well-known Hindu businessman’s residence. The physicians urged him
to take his sick wife close to the sea, so he built the palace for her.
The
pink Jodhpur stone was combined with the native yellow stone from neighboring
Gizri to create the palace in the manner of Rajasthani stone palaces.
Fatima
Jinnah received the Mohatta palace following the split. She lived all her final
years here in the palace. Mohatta Palace has political and historical roots, to
put it briefly. The palace is now owned by the state and functions as a museum.
The
building's stunning architecture is a truly magnificent sight. The buildings
stand out from the others with their large gardens and corner tomb structures.
Visit Mohatta Palace if you want to see a true representation of modern Mughal
art and architecture.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karachi
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