Karachi

Please let us know about your beautiful city Karachi. Here is brief description of Karachi:

Karachi (Urdu: كراچى, Sindhi: ڪراچي) is the capital of the province of Sindh, and the most populated city in Pakistan. Located on the coast of the Arabian Sea, north-west of the Indus River Delta, the megacity is the financial and commercial centre as well as the largest port of the country. The metropolitan area along with its suburbs comprises the world's second most populated city, spread over 3,530 square kilometers. The city credits its growth to the mixed populations of economic and political migrants and refugees from different national, provincial, linguistic and religious origins who have largely come to settle here permanently. It is locally termed as the City of Lights (روشنیوں کا شہر) for its liveliness and the City of The Quaid (شہرِ قائد), for not only being both the birth and death place of Muhammad Ali Jinnah the founder of Pakistan but also his home after 1947. Residents and those born in the city are called "Karachiites".

The Baloch tribes from Balochistan and Makran established a small settlement of fishing communities, many of whom still inhabit sections of Sindh, and called it Kolachi. The modern port-city of Karachi, however, was developed by authorities of the British Raj in the 19th century. Upon the independence of Pakistan in 1948, the city was selected to become the national capital, and was settled by Muslim refugees from India, which radically expanded the city's population and transformed the demographics and economy. Karachi has faced major infrastructural and socio-economic challenges, but modern industries and businesses have developed in the city, and the population expanded even after the capital was moved to Islamabad in August 1960.

The area of Karachi has been known to the ancient Greeks by many names: Krokola, the place where Alexander the Great camped to prepare a fleet for Babylonia after his campaign in the Indus valley; 'Morontobara' port (probably the modern Manora Island near the Karachi harbour), from where Alexander's admiral Nearchus sailed for back home; and Barbarikon, a sea port of the Indo-Greek Bactrian kingdom. It was also known as the port of Debal to the Arabs, from where Muhammad bin Qasim led his conquering force into South Asia in 712 AD. According to the British historian Eliot, parts of city of Karachi and the island of Manora constituted the city of Debal.

City's municipal systems

Baldia Town
Bin Qasim Town
Gadap Town
Gulberg Town
Gulshan Town
Jamshed Town
Kemari Town
Korangi Town
Landhi Town
Liaquatabad Town
Lyari Town
Malir Town
New Karachi Town
Orangi Town
Saddar Town
Shah Faisal Town
SITE Town

General Information

Province: Sindh
Location: 24°51′36″N, 67°00′36″E
Altitude: 8 metres AMSL
Area: 3,527 km²
Calling code: 021
Time zone: PST (UTC+5)
No. of Towns: 18
Population approx: 17.000.000 2007
density: 4,115 persons/km²
No. of Union Councils: 178

Sites of interest

DHA Marina Club, Karachi
Empress Market, Saddar, Karachi
Solving Karachis Traffic Problems
Tooba MosqueMajor attractions
Mazar-e-Quaid (National Mausoleum of Pakistan - Muhammad Ali Jinnah the Tomb of the founder or Founding Father)
Bin Qasim Park & Lady Lloyd pier (Old Clifton)
Mohatta palace & museum
Water Jet fountain
Koocha-e-Saqafat (National Arts Council)
Masjid e Tooba (Largest single-domed mosque in the world)
II Chundrigar Road (Karachi's Wall Street)
Karsaz Road (Karachi's pride)
Aga Khan University complex
Beaches and Waterfront
Clifton Beach and the Jehangir Kothari Parade
Seaview
Hawke's Bay Beach (breeding ground for endangered turtles)
Paradise Point (a rock promontory in the sea with a natural arch)
Sandspit Beach
French Beach
Water Jet fountain (600 ft high pressure water fountain)
Creek Marina Club (offers boating in the creek areas)
Harbor Cruise
DA Country Golf club
Area 51 Bowling alley
Wetland center at Sandpit
Zamzama Commercial Area (famous for its designer outlets and cafes)
Museums
Pakistan Air Force Museum
The Mohatta Palace Museum of Karachi and regional history
Quaid Mausoleum museum
PIA Planetarium
Karachi Expo Centre
Karachi Stock Exchange Building
Pakistan Maritime Museum
National Museum of Pakistan
Colonial Buildings
Merewether Tower
Frere Hall
Khaliq Deena Hall
Karachi Boat Club
Jehangir Kothari Parade
Governor's House
St. Patrick's Cathedral
Sindh High Court
Former Victoria Museum (later used by the Supreme Court)
National Academy of Performing Arts
Empress Market
Sind Club
Art galleries
Arts Council
Majmua
Clifton Art galley
Chowkandi Art
Funkar Art
Kunj Art
Momart
Studio Art
Islands
Clifton Oyster Rocks
Bhit Shah Island
Buddo Island
Bundal Island
Churma Island
Manora Island
Amusement Parks
Bin Qasim Park (Old Clifton)
Beach Park (Sea View)
Askari Park (University Road)
Hill Park (Tariq Road)
Aladdin Park (Rashid Minhas Road)
Sindbad
Safari Park (University Road)
Karachi Zoological Gardens‎ (Gandhi Garden)
Nisar Shaheed Park (Defance P5)
Zam Zam Park (ZamZama)
Polo Ground (PIDC)
Water Parks
Aladdin Water Park
Cosy Water Park
Sun Ways
Fiesta
Green Land
Farm Houses
Firpo Farms (www.firpofarm.com)
Village Garden Farm House
Memon Farm House
Al-Jannat Farm House
Ideal Farm House
Resorts
Dream World Resort
Race Course
Race Course of University Road
Clubs
Creek Marina club
Sind Club
Karachi Gymkhana
Karachi Boat Club
PAF Yacht Club
Civil Aviation club
Auto Travel Club of Pakistan
Arabian sea country club
Food
Zamzama Avenue
Boat Basin has the most trendy restaurants in Karachi
Lal Qila (Red fort), Shahrah-e-Faisal
Kbees, Behind Lal Qila
Majestic Ship, Sea View
Village, Sea View
The Revolving Restaurant, Caesars tower, Shahrah-e-Faisal
Kbees behind Lal qila restaurant
Lee Broast, Model Colony
China town, Clifton
Thai Sea food, Old Sunset Boulevard
Burns Road
Food Street
Many other places like Clifton, DHA, Shahrah-e-Faisal, North Nazimabad, Karimabad, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, etc.
Clifton Beach recently suffered a recent oil spill disaster, the beach has been cleaned and has floodlights installed for night time visitors. The government has embarked on the beautification of Karachi's coastline by building a Beach park in Clifton that will eventually be connected to the Jehangir Kothari parade and Bagh Ibn- Qasim. There are other beaches near the city such as Sandspit, Hawke's Bay, the French Beach, and Paradise Point (a sandstone rock promontory with a natural arch) that are frequented by visitors every day.

Some of the major shopping malls in Karachi are:

Millemium Mall (Located in Gulshan-e-Iqbal)
Park Towers (Located in Clifton)
Dmart (Sea View)
Dolmen Mall (Located on Tariq Road)
Jumeirah Mall (Located on Tariq Road)
Naheed Super Market (Located near Tariq Road)
The Forum
Some of the main bazaars in Karachi that deserve a visit:

Tariq Road Bazaar

Zamzama Boulevard (Located in the Clifton/DHA area, worthwhile visitng for various local/western designer clothes and various places to eat and hang out including Costa Coffee, Copper Kettle, Dejavu, Roasters, Arizona Grill,Okra etc.)
Gulf Area Market(many traditional vendors and more upscale boutiques and designer shoes)
Zainab Market(If you are are looking for branded clothing for half the real price!)
Hyderi Bazaar (North Nazimabad)

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Regards,

Forum Pakistan
Be proud to be a Pakistani (instead of being a Punjabi, Sindhi, Baloch or Pushtoon)

Last edited by pakistani on Wed May 30, 2007 4:22 am; edited 3 times in total

Karachi is the biggest city of Pakistan. Its population is more then one karor. It near the beach. Clifton is the best place to visit. There are many other places to view including some museums, parks, beaches, restaurants, shopping centres and much more.

very useful knowledge Laughing

Geography: Indus River Delta, Manora Beach, Jehangir Kothari Parade, Clifton Beach, Hawke's Bay Beach, Paradise Point, Sandspit Beach, French Beach, Russian Beach, Clifton Oyster Rocks, Manora Island, Bundle Island, Cape Monze

Localities Baldia Town: Bin Qasim Town, Gadap Town, Gulberg Town, Gulshan Town, Jamshed Town, Kiamari Town, Korangi Town, Landhi Town, Liaquatabad Town, Lyari Town, Malir Town, New Karachi Town, North Nazimabad Town, Orangi Town, Saddar Town, Shah Faisal Town, SITE Town, Defence Housing Society

Government Mayors of Karachi: Karachi Division, The City District Government, Towns, Nazim

Sites of Interest: Clifton Beach, Mazar-e-Quaid, Masjid-e-Tooba, Port Fountain, Zamzama Commercial Area, Abdullah Shah Ghazi Mausoleum, Pakistan Air Force Museum, Pakistan Maritime Museum, National Museum of Pakistan, Karachi Expo Centre, Bhit Shah Island, Karachi Zoo, Bagh-e-Ibne Qasim, Beach Park

Buildings and Landmarks: Merewether Tower, Frere Hall, Khaliq Deena Hall, Jehangir Kothari Parade, Governor's House, St Patrick's Cathedral, Former Victoria Museum, Empress Market, KMC Building, MCB Tower, Habib Bank Plaza
Education University of Karachi, Fatima Jinnah Dental College, NED University of Engineering and Technology, Usman Institute of Technology, Aga Khan University, Liaquat National Memorial Library, Institute of Business Administration, National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences, Dow University of Health Sciences, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology, SSUET, Bahria University

Economy Economy of Karachi: Bank AL Habib, Muslim Commercial Bank, I. I. Chundrigar Road, Karachi Stock Exchange, Karachi Port Trust, Port Qasim, television and radio channels, The Cotton Exchange

Transport Karachi City Station: Karachi Circular Railway, I. I. Chundrigar Road, Jinnah International Airport, Lyari Expressway, Muhammad Ali Jinnah Road, Karachi Elevated Expressway

Hotels and Shopping Center: Avari Towers, Sheraton Hotel, Makro[5], Awami Markaz, Meena Bazar, Beach Luxury Hotel, Pearl Continental Hotel, Marriott Hotels, Hotel Jabees, Hotel Mehran, Hotel Sarawan, Gulf Hotel, Grand Mercure Karachi Airport Hotel, Carlton Hotel, Hotel Faran, Hotel Metropole, Regent Plaza Hotel, Hotel sofitel

Sports and Culture: National Academy of Performing Arts, Hyderabad Colony, National Arts Council, Chand Raat of Karachi, National Stadium, City Sports Complex, Women Sports Complex, UBL Sports Complex, A. O. Cricket Stadium, KCCA Cricket Ground, Karachi Gymkhana Field, DHA Cricket Stadium, Hockey Club of Pakistan, UBL Hockey Ground, KPT Sports Complex, Jahangir Khan Roshan Khan Squash Complex, DHA Asif Nawaz Squash Complex, PIA Squash Complex , Peoples Football Stadium, Polo Grounds, Karachi Gymkhana, Sindh Club, Karachi Club, Karachi Yacht Club, Muslim Gymkhana, Arabian Sea Country Club, Karachi Golf Club, Defence Golf Course, PNS Karsaz Golf Course

Karachi is shehar of Roshani, please leave it like that. Dont do anything to create problems for citizens of Karachi. I should people of Karachi should know that political parties are just using people to shine their politics.

Now if you go karachi, you need to be very careful specially about your mobile. Because people take mobile at gun point. Thats too bad.

I request to all the citizens of Karachi to make it peaceful and live togather with peace. It is City of Lights, but soon it will be City of Peace, love and friendship as well.

Excellent post, really a hard work done...Thanks

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Spread love

i love u all.me amara

seems like very few people here from karachi :s

The area of Karachi has been known to the ancient Greeks by many names. Krokola, the place where Alexander the Great camped to prepare a fleet for Babylonia after his campaign in the Indus valley; 'Morontobara' port (probably the modern Manora Island near the Karachi harbor), from where Alexander's admiral Nearchus sailed for back home; and Barbarikon, a sea port of the Indo-Greek Bactrian kingdom. It was also known as the port of Debal to the Arabs, from where Muhammad Bin Qasim led his conquering force into South Asia in 712AD. According to the British historian Eliot, parts of city of Karachi and the island of Manora constituted the city of Debal.[citation needed]

A postcard from 1930 of Elphinstone Street, Karachi.According to legend however, the present city started its life as a fishing settlement where a fisherwoman by the name of Mai Kolachee took up residence and started a family. The village that later grew out of this settlement was known as Kolachi-jo-Goth (The Village of Kolachi in Sindhi). By the late 1700’s this village started trading across the sea with Muscat and the Persian Gulf region which led to its gaining importance, and a small fort was constructed for its protection with a few canons imported from Muscat. The fort had two main gateways: one facing the sea, known as Khara Darwaaza (Brackish Gate) and the other facing the adjoining Lyari river known as the Meetha Darwaaza (Sweet Gate). The location of these gates corresponds to the present-day city localities of Khaaradar (Khārā Dar) and Meethadar (Mīṭhā Dar) respectively.

An old image of Karachi from 1889In 1795, Kolachi-jo-Goth passed on from the control of the Khan of Kalat to becoming a domain of the Talpur rulers of Sindh. The British, venturing and enterprising in South Asia opened a small factory here in September 1799, which got closed down within a year owing to some disputes with the ruling Talpurs. But this village by the mouth of the Indus river had caught the attention of the British East India Company who after sending a couple of exploratory missions to the area, conquered the town on February 3rd, 1839. The village was later annexed to the British Indian Empire when the province of Sindh was conquered by Charles Napier in 1843. Kolachi was added along with the rest of Sindh to the jurisdiction of the Bombay Presidency.

Karachi had entered into a turning point in its life. The British realized its importance as a military cantonment and a port for the produce of the Indus basin, and rapidly developed its harbor for shipping. The foundations of a city municipal government were laid down by Commissioner in Sinde, Bartle Frere and infrastructure development was undertaken. Consequently, new businesses started opening up and the population of the town started rising rapidly. Karachi quickly turned into a city, making true the famous quote by Napier who is known to have said: Would that I could come again to see you in your grandeur!

Saint Patrick's Cathedral KarachiIn 1857, the First Indian War for Independence broke out in the sub-continent and the 21st Native Infantry stationed in Karachi declared allegiance to revolters and joined their cause on September 10, 1857. However, the British were able to quickly reassert control their over Karachi and defeat the uprising. Karachi was known as Khurachee Scinde (i.e. Karachi, Sindh) during the early British colonial rule.

In 1864, a direct telegraph connection was laid down between Karachi and London from where the first telegraphic message was sent from India to England. In 1878, the city was connected to the rest of British India by railway line. Public building projects such as the Frere Hall (1865) and the Empress Market (1890) were undertaken. In 1876, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, was born in the city which by now had become a bustling city with railroad, churches, mosques, courthouses, markets, paved streets and a magnificent harbor. The opening of the Suez canal in 1869 also added to the importance of the city’s port. The Karachi Port Trust was established in 1886 and by 1899 Karachi had become the largest wheat exporting port in the East (Feldman 1970:57). The population of the city had also risen to about 105,000 inhabitants by the end of the 19th century and was a cosmopolitan mix of Indian Hindus and Muslims, European traders, Parsis, Iranians, Lebanese, and Goan merchants. The population of the city grew from 73,500 (1881), to 105,199 (1891), to 115,407 (1901) (Britannica 1911 ed.) and by the turn of the century, the city faced street congestion for which, India’s first tramway system was laid down in Karachi in 1900.

In 1911 when the capital was shifted to Delhi, Karachi became closer to being a gateway to India and by 1914, Karachi had become the largest grain exporting port of the British Empire. In 1924, an aerodrome was built and Karachi became the main airport of entry into India. An airship mast was also built in Karachi in 1927 as part of the Imperial Airship Communications scheme, which was later abandoned. In 1836, Sindh was separated from the Bombay Presidency and Karachi was made the capital of the new province. By the time the new country of Pakistan was formed in 1947 as British India was gained independence, Karachi had become a bustling metropolitan city with beautiful classical and colonial European styled buildings lining the city’s thoroughfares.

Frere Hall - a prime example of colonial architecture built during the British RajKarachi was chosen as the capital city of Pakistan and accommodated a huge influx of migrants and refugees to the newly formed country. As a consequence, the demographics of the city also changed drastically. However, it still maintained a great cultural diversity as its new inhabitants arrived from all the different parts of the subcontinent, bringing with them a colorful mix of regional cultures. In 1958, the capital of Pakistan was shifted from Karachi to Rawalpindi and then to Islamabad in 1960. This marked the start of a long period of decline in the city owing to a lack of governmental attention and development. The city’s population continued to grow exceeding the capacity of its creaking infrastructure and increased the pressure on the city. The 1980’s and 90’s also saw an influx of refugees from the Afghan war into Karachi. Political tensions between the Mohajir groups (descendents of migrants from the partition era) and other groups also erupted and the city was wracked with political and sectarian violence.

Since the last couple of years however, most of these tensions have largely simmered down. Karachi continues to be an important financial and industrial center for the country and handles most of the overseas trade of Pakistan and the Central Asian countries. It accounts for a large portion of the GDP of Pakistan and a large chunk of the country's white collar workers. Karachi's population has continued to grow and is estimated to have passed the 12 million mark. Currently, Karachi is a melting pot where people from all the different parts of Pakistan can be found. The current economic boom in Pakistan has also resulted in a new period of resurgence in the economy of Karachi and a lot of new opportunities have opened up in the city. The city government is also undertaking a massive upgrading of the city’s infrastructure which promises to again put Karachi into the lineup of one of the world’s greatest metropolitan cities.

Pakistan has a large number of universities supported by the Government of Pakistan and the Provincial Governments. Apart from these there are private universities supported by various bodies and societies. The wise will consult Pakistan's Higher Education Commission and their list of recognized universities.

This is an extensive list of Universities and autonomous educational institutes in Karachi. The list is not complete but does contain most of the important names.

Public Sector
University of Karachi
Dow University of Health Sciences
Federal Urdu University
Institute of Business Administration
NED University of Engineering & Technology (Nadirshaw Edulji Dinshaw University)
Pakistan Naval Academy [1]
Virtual University of Pakistan [2]

Private Sector
Aga Khan University
Baqai Medical University(www.baqai.edu.pk)
Dadabhoy Institute of Higher Education
DHA Suffa University
Fatima Jinnah Dental College
Greenwich University
Hamdard University
Indus Institute of Higher Education
Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture
Institute of Business & Technology BIZTEK, Korangi Creek & Shahrah-e-Faisal.
Institute of Business Management
Iqra University
Jinnah University for Women
Karachi Institute of Economics & Technology
Khadim Ali Shah Bukhari Institute of Technology (KASB)
Mid asia Institute of Science & Technology
Mohammad Ali Jinnah University
National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences
National University of Science & Technology
Nazeer Hussain University
Newports Institute of Communications and Economics [3], P.E.C.H.S. & Gulshan-e-Iqbal.
Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science & Technology (SZABIST)
Sir Syed University of Engineering & Technology
Textile Institute of Pakistan
Ziauddin Medical University
Kashif University

Other Institutions
Applied Economics Research Centre (AERC)
Al-Khair University (Karachi Campus)
Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology
Bahria University[4]Karachi Campus
COMMECS Institute of Business and Emerging Sciences, Block-13, Gulistan-e-Jauhar.
COMSATS Institute of Information Technology
College of Business Management (CBM)
College Of Digital Sciences (CDS)
College of Physicians & Surgeons Pakistan
Griffith college Dublin Ireland, Karachi
Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP)[5]
Institute of Cost & Management Accountants of Pakistan (ICMAP)[6]
Institute of Industrial Electronics Engineering (PCSIR)[7]
Institute of Textile Technology and Management Foundation[8], Near S.I.T.E. Stadium, S.I.T.E..
Karachi University Business School
Karachi Institute of Information Technology
Karachi Institute of Economics & Technology
KASBIT
National Institute of Public Administration (Karachi)[9]]
National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (Karachi Campus)[10]
PAF-Karachi Institute of Economics & Technology [11]
Pakistan Institute of Management[12]
Pakistan Institute of Public Finance Accountants[13], PIA Society, Block-9, Gulistan-e-Jauhar.
Pakistan Marine Academy
Plastics Technology Centre - Pakistan[14]
Synthetic Fibre Development & Application Centre[15]
Usman Institute of Technology, Abul-Hasan Isphahani Road, Gulshan Town.

Great work zeeshan, I think you are from karachi.

Thanks Sahiba, YeS Im FrOm Karachi

I love Karachi city Very Happy

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"There is no power on earth that can undo Pakistan." Mohammad Ali Jinnah

	pakistan_rocks wrote:
	I love Karachi city

me too love karachi City

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Me too love karachi nd i m living in Karachi

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I m the citizen of karachi but due to some bad condition I live in Rawalpindi since 2 years. But Karachi is Karachi. I love Karachi. Is JUmlay say maira khoon bahut ziyada ho gaya. Thank you. It is Nadeem here.

	nadeemz wrote:
	I m the citizen of karachi but due to some bad condition I live in Rawalpindi since 2 years. But Karachi is Karachi. I love Karachi. Is JUmlay say maira khoon bahut ziyada ho gaya. Thank you. It is Nadeem here.

welcome here

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This is my first post at ur forum. I like this Site a lot but we should start the Topic of KSE because many of us r very much intrested

Thanks

Bashir

You guys are really cool..seriously thanks for such informative stuff : )

very meaningful information about karachi.

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Saima
all praises to Allah thanks to allah in every moments

	ugwaraich wrote:
	very useful knowledge

Very important information about Karachi if you are visiting. I think Saddar is very important as old shopping centre where you can find everything.

very useful information available
best wishes

ahhh Karachi, One of the Best cities with Sea Coast.
Karachi as a city has a very bad luck, Most of the Governments havent treated karachi very well
and the attention it requires.As compare to other cities like Lahore where their local government has
done very very good job for the city to make it look better, construction projects etc....

Karachi deserve more then what has given to it, it can be one of the best cities in the world, it
has a superb geographical location, sea port, a beach plus many more.....

And on the individual basis, i think people have started doing their job by keeping the city clean
not just their homes.but it has just started and have long way to go...need more awareness in the people...

Hope that the coming governments in karachi will do their job sincerely in making the place better.
And people individually do their part as well for this Great City....!!!

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KARACHI

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	iqbal wrote:
	KARACHI

wow, such a beautifull picture.
If i am not wrong, this is Shahrae e Faisal, isnt it ?

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