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Legend has it that Karack Bunder was an important port on the Arabian Sea in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century. It handled the south Indian-Central Asian trade and was situated about 40 kilometres (km) west of Karachi bay on the estuary of the Hub River. The estuary was silted up due to heavy rains in 1728 and the harbour could no longer be used. As a result, the merchants of Karack Bunder, most of whom were Hindus, decided to relocate their activities to what is today known as Karachi.
In 1729, they built a fortified settlement on 35 acres on high ground north of Karachi bay and surrounded it with a mud and timber-reinforced wall of over 16 feet high which had gun-mounted turrets and two gates. The gate facing the sea was called Kharadar, or salt gate, and the gate facing the Lyari River was called Mithadar, or sweet gate. Mithadar and Kharadar are now important neighbourhoods in the old city around where these gates once stood. The settlement was strategically located. There were mangrove marches to the east and south-west, the sea to the west and south-west, and the Lyari River to the north and west. As such, the settlement was very well protected and storming it successfully was only possible from the sea.
Karachi, or Kolachi as the area where it was located was originally called, was a new settlement. However, in its immediate vicinity, there were important and ancient places of Hindu and Muslim pilgrimage. These included the temple of Mahadev, which is mentioned in the Ramayana; the Ram Bagh, where Ram and Sita, heroes of the Ramayana are supposed to have spent a night on the way to their pilgrimage to Hinglaj in Balochistan; the tombs of Abdullah Shah and his brother Yousef Shah, both tenth century sufis (religious person), and the twelfth century tomb and monastery of Manghopir. In addition, buried under the government houses on Bath Island are the remains of the sixteenth century capital of Raja Diborai. The tomb of Morerio, the hero of Shah Abdul Latif’s Sur Ghato is also close to the old city. He is supposed to have lived in the time of Raja Diborai. His descendants are living in the old Karachi goths of Baba Bhit, Rehri and Ibrahim Hydery and are called Moreriopota, of the sons of Morerio. All these important places are now within metropolitan Karachi. However, Karachi’s intelligentsia, academia, public representatives and the citizens at large know very little about these important places which have attracted a large number of pilgrims from the interior of Sindh, Kutch, Rajistan and the western coast of India, from times immemorial to the partition of the Subcontinent.
Between 1729 and 1783, Karachi changed hands several times as the Khan of Kalat and the rulers of Sindh tried to control it due to its strategic location. Finally, in 1783, the city fell to the Talpur Mirs after two prolonged sieges. The Talpurs constructed a fort at Manora point, the entrance to the harbour, and mounted it with cannons, thus making Karachi impregnable. At about this time, the British started taking an interest in Karachi due to the expansion of the Czarist Empire in Central Asia. This led to their opening a factory in Karachi at the end of the eighteenth century. However, due to disagreements with the Mirs of Sindh on trade tariffs, the factory was soon closed down.
In 1838, the British, obsessed with the fear of Czarist expansion to the Arabian Sea, occupied Karachi and it served as the landing port for their troops for the First Afghan War. In 1843, they annexed Sindh and shifted the capital of the province from Hyderabad to Karachi. Subsequently, they made Sindh a district of the Bombay Presidency and Karachi was made the district headquarters. Troops were stationed in Karachi and a services sector to cater to the needs of the army sprung up in what is today Saddar and the Cantonment. A district administration was also developed and it was housed in the Civil Lines area. Thus, the city became divided into the native city, consisting of the old pre-British town and its suburbs, and the European city consisting of the Cantonment, Civil Lines and Saddar Bazaar. The port was improved and steps were taken to develop and market Sindh’s agricultural produce to the Great Britain. To this end, the Indus Steam Flotilla and the Orient Inland Steam Navigation Company were developed to transport cotton and wheat down the Indus and across Karachi bay to Karachi port. As a result of these initiatives, a number of British companies opened their offices and warehouses in Karachi and its population increased from 14,000 in 1838 to 57,000 in 1856. Trade also increased during this period from £122,160 to £855,103.
During this period, a municipal committee, the first in British India, was also established for Karachi and two libraries, the General Library and the Native General Library were set up. The General Library became a part of the Frere Hall Library in 1865 and the Native General Library was absorbed in the Khaliqdinna Hall in 1906. Buildings essential to European social and cultural life were also constructed. The first Church was built in 1843 and is used today as the assembly hall of St. Joseph’s Convent School. Other important churches built during this period are Trinity Church and CMS Church on Lawrence Road. The Collector’s Kutchery (court) and the Kharadar Police Station are some of the few civic buildings belonging to this period that survive.
During this period, an important event occurred in Karachi. In 1857, the native troops rebelled against the British in support of the war for independence that had engulfed India. The rebellion was crushed by the British. Seven freedom fighters were publicly hanged in Artillery Maidan and three others were blown from the mouth of cannons. An eyewitness account states, "Their remains were immediately collected by sweepers and carted away to a pit at some distance. After this those who had been hanged were cut down like so many dead dogs and taken away in the same manner, and thus ended one of the most awful and imposing spectacles for the people of Karachi to be ever held.". One week later, another 14 freedom fighters were hanged in a similar manner and Ramdin Panday, the ring leader of the Karachi revolutionaries was blown from the mouth of a cannon. Karachi has not honoured these freedom fighters and no monuments have been built to them and nor have any roads been named after them.
Between 1856 and 1872, Karachi’s population did not increase although trade figures increased from £ 855,103 to over £ 5 million. The reason for the increase in trade figures is that between 1861 and 1865 there was a big boom in the cotton trade in Sindh as Sindhi cotton replaced American cotton as raw material in the British textile industry. This was because supplies from America had been disrupted due to the American Civil War. It was during this boom period that the Karachi Chamber of Commerce was established and has since then played an important role in the economic development of the city. However, at the end of the American Civil War, trade in Karachi dropped from Rs 66 million to 38 million and the membership of the Chamber of Commerce fell from 15 members in 1865 to 8 in 1872.
The expansion of trade during the American Civil War was aided by the development of the Sindh Railway in 1861, which linked Karachi to the cotton and wheat producing areas. The decision to extend this railway into the Punjab and subsequently link it up with northern India was taken in 1869 and this increased Karachi’s "catchment" area. At the same time the British began the development of perennial irrigation schemes in Punjab and Sindh. These schemes brought large desert areas under cultivation and increased activity at Karachi port. As a result, by 1868, Karachi became the largest exporter of wheat and cotton in India. Karachi also received a boost with the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, which made it the nearest port in India to the UK.
A lot of important civic buildings and churches were built during this period. They include St. Andrew’s Church in Saddar, St. Paul’s Church in Keamari and another St. Paul’s in Manora. In addition, City Courts and Frere Hall were constructed during this period and a number of mission and English language schools, including Grammar School, St. Joseph’s School and St. Patrick’s School were built. The Karachi Zoo was also established during this period on the site of the old British factory and a lot of domestic architecture of this period still survives.
Between 1872 and 1901, the population of Karachi more than doubled. The reasons for this were the completion of the railways which linked Karachi to the Punjab, northern India and Sindh and their wheat and cotton production started flowing through Karachi. Oil extraction was also undertaken in Sui, near the railway line 450 kms from Karachi. This was also exported from Karachi port. In this period water supply and drainage systems were developed for the city and the population of the old town decreased as water pipe lines were laid outside of it. In 1881 the population of Karachi was 73,056 of which 68,332 lived in the old town. By 1911 the population of the old town had decreased to less than 48,000. The Karachi Port Trust (KPT) was also created for the city during this period.
In 1885, the tramway was introduced in Karachi. It was owned by the East India Tramway Company and functioned on steam power. However, it was replaced by horse-drawn carriages in 1892 since Karachites objected to the noise made by the steam locomotives and claimed that animals which were then used for transport purposes, were scared of the locomotive sound. Empress Market was built in 1889, the D.J. Science College in 1887 and the Sindh Madrassah in 1885. Thus, Karachi acquired its most important landmark and its first institutions of higher learning during this period.
Between 1901 and 1911, Karachi’s population increased by 37 per cent. The reason for this was that a number of irrigation schemes were completed in the Punjab and Sindh thus increasing exportable agricultural produce. 260,000 acres of irrigated land producing more than 10,000 tons of wheat and cotton each were added by the Jamrao Canal Project in southern Sindh alone and over 6.8 million acres of irrigated land were added in the Punjab as a result of three major projects. To meet the resulting demand placed on Karachi by wheat and cotton exports, Karachi port was further developed, labour imported from the interior of the province, and merchants migrated from all over India to profit by the expansion of trade. By 1904, Karachi’s trade had expanded to over Rs 300 million.
During this period, Karachi expanded, and innumerable commercial, civic and educational buildings were added to it including Khaliqdinna Hall and the Victoria Museum. The Hall was built in 1906 and is famous because the trial of Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar and Maulana Shoukat Ali was held here during the Khalafat Movement.
Between 1911 and 1947, the expansion of irrigation systems in the Punjab and Sindh continued, adding to trade in Karachi. In addition, railways were expanded to link Karachi with Rajhstan, thus adding to its hinterland. During the First World War (1914-18) Karachi became a military base as it was the first port of call for ships coming through the Suez Canal and was the gateway to the Russian Empire north of Afghanistan. In 1924, the first airport in British India was constructed in Karachi and at about the same time Karachi also developed a reputation for having a healthy climate most suitable for patients of asthma and TB. This added to its population. In 1935, Sindh was separated from Bombay and became a separate province. Karachi was made its capital. Law courts, revenue departments, line departments and social sector departments were established in Karachi thus increasing its population and importance. Sindh’s landed aristocracy started building homes in the city and merchants who previously had their head offices in Bombay shifted to Karachi so as to be near the new seat of power.
During the Second World War, Karachi became the military base and port for supplies to the Russian front. Troops were stationed and trained here, military intelligence services functioned from here and telegraph and telecommunication systems were developed as a result. After the War Karachi became the centre for supplies to the allied troops in South and South-East Asia. This again increased its importance and between 1911 and 1941 its population increased by 133.4 per cent. It is estimated that 90 per cent of Karachi’s growth between 1921 and 1941 was the result of migration.
During this period, a number of beautiful buildings were added to the city, all of which testify to its growing importance and to the consolidation of its merchant classes. These buildings include the Karachi Port Trust (1915), Bank of India (1923), the Chamber of Commerce (1923), Hindu Gymkhana (1925), the High Court (1929), the Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) Building (1931) and the Old Sindh Assembly (1940) where the Pakistan Resolution was passed.
On the eve of partition, in spatial terms, Karachi consisted of four distinct areas. One, the old pre-British city and its post-British suburbs which consisted of narrow winding lanes, high densities and wholesale markets. These areas were occupied by the "native" merchant classes and the proletariat that worked for them. The area had a large number of mosques, dharmshalas and Hindu temples. Collectively, this area was known as the "native" city and celebrated Hindu and Muslim festivals with fervour. Two, Saddar Bazaar, which was the Europeanised shopping area, consisting of wide roads on a grid iron plan. This Bazaar also had residential areas dominated by Goans, Parsis and Europeans, who owned much of the businesses in the Bazaar. The Bazaar was dominated by churches, mission schools, community halls and civic buildings owned and operated by trusts belonging to Christians (local and Europeans) and Parsis. To the south-east of Saddar Bazaar were the Civil Lines and military cantonment where the British officers lived and worked and where their clubs were located. Saddar Bazaar and its surrounding areas were known as the European city and here New Year and Easter were celebrated and balls were held. Three, the area between these two "cities" consisted of administrative and civic buildings and educational institutions of higher learning. And four, the area of Lyari and Machi Miani where the working classes lived. A diesel operated tramway linked these areas to each other and to the port.
The population of Karachi at that time was 450,000 of which 61.2 per cent was Sindhi speaking, 6.3 per cent was Urdu-Hindi speaking, 51 per cent was Hindu and 42 per cent was Muslim. By 1951 all this had changed and Karachi’s population had increased to 1.137 million because of the influx of 600,000 refugees from India. In 1951 the Sindhi speaking population was 8.6 per cent, the Urdu speaking population was 50 per cent, the Muslim population was 96 per cent and the Hindu population was 2 per cent1. These changes have had a major effect on the culture, politics and development of Karachi and its relationship to the politics of Sindh and Pakistan. For an understanding of the present situation in the city and the province, an understanding of the repercussions of these demographic changes is essential.
The Physical and Social Repercussions of Migration on Karachi
Karachi was made the capital of Pakistan in 1947. It was separated from Sindh and was known as the Federal Capital Area. Sindhi politicians and intellectuals objected to this separation since it also involved the taking over by the federal authorities of various civic buildings and institutions that previously belonged to the province. This was the first Karachi-Sindh conflict.
The 600,000 refugees who invaded the city occupied all open land and the empty buildings that the fleeing Hindus had left behind. These refugee settlements were multi-class and multi-ethnic. Intellectuals, artists, poets, performers and the working classes all lived together and in walking distance from Saddar Bazaar. Also, walking distance from the Bazaar a university was established in 1952 and the federal secretariat was constructed adjacent to the Bazaar. Embassies were established in the Civil Lines quarters, also walking distance from the Bazaar. The older educational institutions and the Courts of Law were already within walking distance of Saddar. Thus, within four years of the creation of Pakistan, Saddar Bazaar became the centre of the city with a cosmopolitan culture and Karachi became a high density multi-class city. Saddar’s old institutional buildings began to be used for civic functions, entertainment, musical programmes and professional conferences. Bookshops, eating places, bars and billiard rooms and night clubs developed. Politicians, students, diplomats, intellectuals and the working classes all shared this space. Cinemas increased and film festivals were held regularly.
However, the government was anxious to develop a plan for the city of Karachi that was in keeping with its position as the capital of Pakistan. In addition, it was anxious to develop proper accommodation for its civil servants and other employees. To this end, it developed cooperative housing societies around the then city. As a result, the more important and wealthier residents of Saddar and from the refugee settlements moved out. To tackle the problems of the rest of the residents of refugee settlements and new migrants coming from other parts of Pakistan, the government initiated a number of planning processes.
Year Population Increase/ Decrease Over Last Census / Survey No. of Years in Between Per cent Increase/ Decrease Average Annual Growth Rate
1941 435,887 135,108 10 44.90 3.70
1951 1,137,667 701,780 10 161.00 11.50
1961 2,044,044 906,377 10 79.70 6.05
1972 3,606,746 1,562,702 11 76.50 5.00
1981 5,437,984 1,831,238 9 50.80 4.96
1998 9,802,134 4,540,422 17 86.29 3.52
Source: Government of Pakistan Census Reports.
The 1998 census results have yet to be tabulated and as such an age-sex pyramid cannot be constructed. However, if one projects the 1981 census results by using the 1972-81 trends, then one can safely say that about 50 per cent of Karachi’s population is below 19 years old. What this means in social, economic, cultural and political terms, has yet to be understood and catered to. It is also important to note that the census results have not been accepted by the Karachi political parties which include the MQM, the Sindhi nationalist leaders, the PPP, the ANP and the religious parties. There is a consensus that Karachi’s population is over 12 million. The Markazi Jamiat Ulema Pakistan (MJUP) has also pointed out that there are over 10 million national identity card holders and their minor dependants in Karachi. The MJUP claim has not been verified or rejected by the government.
Source:Karachi Population Growth (1) Year (2) Population Increase (3) Decrease Over Last Census /Survey (4) No. of Years in Between (5) Per cent Increase/Decrease (6) Average Annual Growth Rate
Read the figures below keeping in view the serial numbers and their description above.
1941 435,887 135,108 10 44.90 3.70
1951 1,137,667 701,780 10 161.00 11.50
1961 2,044,044 906,377 10 79.70 6.05
1972 3,606,746 1,562,702 11 76.50 5.00
1981 5,437,984 1,831,238 9 50.80 4.96
1998 9,802,134 4,540,422 17 86.29 3.52
Source: Government of Pakistan Census Reports.
The 1998 census results have yet to be tabulated and as such an age-sex pyramid cannot be constructed. However, if one projects the 1981 census results by using the 1972-81 trends, then one can safely say that about 50 per cent of Karachi’s population is below 19 years old. What this means in social, economic, cultural and political terms, has yet to be understood and catered to. It is also important to note that the census results have not been accepted by the Karachi political parties which include the MQM, the Sindhi nationalist leaders, the PPP, the ANP and the religious parties. There is a consensus that Karachi’s population is over 12 million. The Markazi Jamiat Ulema Pakistan (MJUP) has also pointed out that there are over 10 million national identity card holders and their minor dependants in Karachi. The MJUP claim has not been verified or rejected by the government.
In 1870 the urbanised area of the Karachi district was 13 square (sq.) km. The 1971 census report gives the figure of 289 sq. km. The 1974 Master Plan defined metropolitan Karachi as 349 sq. km and the 1988 Karachi Development Plan gives a figure of 3,520 sq. km. The area of the Karachi division is 3,527 sq. km. At the current rate of urban land conversion of about 6,780 acres per year, Karachi will outstrip its present divisional boundaries5.
Much of the land acquired for formal sector development in Karachi was used by many of the over 1,200 goths that are located in the Karachi division. This land was used for grazing and agricultural purposes. Although, much of it belonged to the government, it was let out to the goths on a one year renewable lease. A large number of these goths have now become a part of the Karachi urban sprawl and since they no longer hold any land for agricultural and pastoral activities, they have lost their self sufficiency. Over the years, they have become marginalised from the main stream of Karachi’s social and economic life and the residents of many of them are under pressure from developers and government development agencies, to move out from their present locations. Ironically, it is Karachi’s original residents who have been the main victims of its development and expansion.
However, Karachi is lucky in a sense, for nearly 400,000 acres of the 425,000 that make up its metropolitan area, and account for 94 per cent of all land in the division, are in some form of public ownership as shown in table 6 below.
Table - 6
Land Holdings in Karachi - 1988
1)Agency 2)Acres 3)Per cent of Total
Karachi Development Authority 124,676 29.3
Cantonment Board 18,596 4.4
Karachi Municipal Corporation 24,189 5.7
Defence Housing Society 16,567 3.9
Steel Mill 19,461 4.6
Port Qasim 12,961 3.0
Port Trust 25,259 3.6
Railways 3,119 0.7
Private 27,862 6.5
Government of Sindh 137,687 32.4
Government of Pakistan 4,051 1.0
Source: http://www.urckarachi.org/land.htm
Coop. Housing Societies 15,721 3.7
Sindh Industrial Trade Estate 5,380 1.3
Total 425,529 100.0
Source: Tabulations prepared by the Master Plan and Environmental Control Unit of the KDA, 1988
Since the above table was formulated, most of the undeveloped land belonging to the KDA has been transferred to the MDA and LDA. As a result, KDA has been deprived of most of its assets and is facing severe financial problems. However, much of these problems are due to financial and administrative mismanagement, corruption, excessive staff and an absence of accountability and transparency.
Land for development is transferred from the government of Sindh or other official land owners to the KDA, LDA or MDA, who plan and develop the land as per their rules and regulations and make plots available to private developers, cooperative societies and individuals for construction purposes. These development authorities also set aside land for social and physical infrastructure development and for commercial and recreational purposes. Construction on all development authority schemes can only take place after the preparation and approval of building plans which have to follow KBCA rules and regulations, which have not been updated since 1978.
Land is an important issue in Karachi. There is a constant struggle to acquire and develop land through legal or illegal means. A powerful nexus between formal sector developers, politicians and bureaucrats, manages not only to acquire all vacant land, but even land that has been set aside for recreational and amenity purposes. Through this nexus, developers are also able to violate bye-laws and zoning regulations, encroach upon compulsory open space and even build upon natural drainage channels and infrastructure reservations. In addition, government land and properties are sold at throw-away prices as political patronage and then the developers make a "joint venture" with the party that has acquired the land. Thus, land use plans are routinely violated. For example, in the Corridor Plan of KDA Scheme 33, eighty per cent of non-residential land was set aside for amenities for the Scheme as a whole while 20 per cent was set aside for commercial purposes. However, the entire area reserved for amenities has been converted into residential and commercial development and as a result, the people of Karachi have lost over 827.3 acres of amenity spaces which included 189.27 acres for parks and playgrounds, 73.6 acres for educational institutions, 66.5 acres for medical facilities and 54.23 acres for transport related facilities.
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Karachi Pre-Partition
Legend has it that Karack Bunder was an important port on the Arabian Sea in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century. It handled the south Indian-Central Asian trade and was situated about 40 kilometres (km) west of Karachi bay on the estuary of the Hub River. The estuary was silted up due to heavy rains in 1728 and the harbour could no longer be used. As a result, the merchants of Karack Bunder, most of whom were Hindus, decided to relocate their activities to what is today known as Karachi.
In 1729, they built a fortified settlement on 35 acres on high ground north of Karachi bay and surrounded it with a mud and timber-reinforced wall of over 16 feet high which had gun-mounted turrets and two gates. The gate facing the sea was called Kharadar, or salt gate, and the gate facing the Lyari River was called Mithadar, or sweet gate. Mithadar and Kharadar are now important neighbourhoods in the old city around where these gates once stood. The settlement was strategically located. There were mangrove marches to the east and south-west, the sea to the west and south-west, and the Lyari River to the north and west. As such, the settlement was very well protected and storming it successfully was only possible from the sea.
Karachi, or Kolachi as the area where it was located was originally called, was a new settlement. However, in its immediate vicinity, there were important and ancient places of Hindu and Muslim pilgrimage. These included the temple of Mahadev, which is mentioned in the Ramayana; the Ram Bagh, where Ram and Sita, heroes of the Ramayana are supposed to have spent a night on the way to their pilgrimage to Hinglaj in Balochistan; the tombs of Abdullah Shah and his brother Yousef Shah, both tenth century sufis (religious person), and the twelfth century tomb and monastery of Manghopir. In addition, buried under the government houses on Bath Island are the remains of the sixteenth century capital of Raja Diborai. The tomb of Morerio, the hero of Shah Abdul Latif’s Sur Ghato is also close to the old city. He is supposed to have lived in the time of Raja Diborai. His descendants are living in the old Karachi goths of Baba Bhit, Rehri and Ibrahim Hydery and are called Moreriopota, of the sons of Morerio. All these important places are now within metropolitan Karachi. However, Karachi’s intelligentsia, academia, public representatives and the citizens at large know very little about these important places which have attracted a large number of pilgrims from the interior of Sindh, Kutch, Rajistan and the western coast of India, from times immemorial to the partition of the Subcontinent.
Between 1729 and 1783, Karachi changed hands several times as the Khan of Kalat and the rulers of Sindh tried to control it due to its strategic location. Finally, in 1783, the city fell to the Talpur Mirs after two prolonged sieges. The Talpurs constructed a fort at Manora point, the entrance to the harbour, and mounted it with cannons, thus making Karachi impregnable. At about this time, the British started taking an interest in Karachi due to the expansion of the Czarist Empire in Central Asia. This led to their opening a factory in Karachi at the end of the eighteenth century. However, due to disagreements with the Mirs of Sindh on trade tariffs, the factory was soon closed down.
In 1838, the British, obsessed with the fear of Czarist expansion to the Arabian Sea, occupied Karachi and it served as the landing port for their troops for the First Afghan War. In 1843, they annexed Sindh and shifted the capital of the province from Hyderabad to Karachi. Subsequently, they made Sindh a district of the Bombay Presidency and Karachi was made the district headquarters. Troops were stationed in Karachi and a services sector to cater to the needs of the army sprung up in what is today Saddar and the Cantonment. A district administration was also developed and it was housed in the Civil Lines area. Thus, the city became divided into the native city, consisting of the old pre-British town and its suburbs, and the European city consisting of the Cantonment, Civil Lines and Saddar Bazaar. The port was improved and steps were taken to develop and market Sindh’s agricultural produce to the Great Britain. To this end, the Indus Steam Flotilla and the Orient Inland Steam Navigation Company were developed to transport cotton and wheat down the Indus and across Karachi bay to Karachi port. As a result of these initiatives, a number of British companies opened their offices and warehouses in Karachi and its population increased from 14,000 in 1838 to 57,000 in 1856. Trade also increased during this period from £122,160 to £855,103.
During this period, a municipal committee, the first in British India, was also established for Karachi and two libraries, the General Library and the Native General Library were set up. The General Library became a part of the Frere Hall Library in 1865 and the Native General Library was absorbed in the Khaliqdinna Hall in 1906. Buildings essential to European social and cultural life were also constructed. The first Church was built in 1843 and is used today as the assembly hall of St. Joseph’s Convent School. Other important churches built during this period are Trinity Church and CMS Church on Lawrence Road. The Collector’s Kutchery (court) and the Kharadar Police Station are some of the few civic buildings belonging to this period that survive.
During this period, an important event occurred in Karachi. In 1857, the native troops rebelled against the British in support of the war for independence that had engulfed India. The rebellion was crushed by the British. Seven freedom fighters were publicly hanged in Artillery Maidan and three others were blown from the mouth of cannons. An eyewitness account states, "Their remains were immediately collected by sweepers and carted away to a pit at some distance. After this those who had been hanged were cut down like so many dead dogs and taken away in the same manner, and thus ended one of the most awful and imposing spectacles for the people of Karachi to be ever held.". One week later, another 14 freedom fighters were hanged in a similar manner and Ramdin Panday, the ring leader of the Karachi revolutionaries was blown from the mouth of a cannon. Karachi has not honoured these freedom fighters and no monuments have been built to them and nor have any roads been named after them.
Between 1856 and 1872, Karachi’s population did not increase although trade figures increased from £ 855,103 to over £ 5 million. The reason for the increase in trade figures is that between 1861 and 1865 there was a big boom in the cotton trade in Sindh as Sindhi cotton replaced American cotton as raw material in the British textile industry. This was because supplies from America had been disrupted due to the American Civil War. It was during this boom period that the Karachi Chamber of Commerce was established and has since then played an important role in the economic development of the city. However, at the end of the American Civil War, trade in Karachi dropped from Rs 66 million to 38 million and the membership of the Chamber of Commerce fell from 15 members in 1865 to 8 in 1872.
The expansion of trade during the American Civil War was aided by the development of the Sindh Railway in 1861, which linked Karachi to the cotton and wheat producing areas. The decision to extend this railway into the Punjab and subsequently link it up with northern India was taken in 1869 and this increased Karachi’s "catchment" area. At the same time the British began the development of perennial irrigation schemes in Punjab and Sindh. These schemes brought large desert areas under cultivation and increased activity at Karachi port. As a result, by 1868, Karachi became the largest exporter of wheat and cotton in India. Karachi also received a boost with the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, which made it the nearest port in India to the UK.
A lot of important civic buildings and churches were built during this period. They include St. Andrew’s Church in Saddar, St. Paul’s Church in Keamari and another St. Paul’s in Manora. In addition, City Courts and Frere Hall were constructed during this period and a number of mission and English language schools, including Grammar School, St. Joseph’s School and St. Patrick’s School were built. The Karachi Zoo was also established during this period on the site of the old British factory and a lot of domestic architecture of this period still survives.
Between 1872 and 1901, the population of Karachi more than doubled. The reasons for this were the completion of the railways which linked Karachi to the Punjab, northern India and Sindh and their wheat and cotton production started flowing through Karachi. Oil extraction was also undertaken in Sui, near the railway line 450 kms from Karachi. This was also exported from Karachi port. In this period water supply and drainage systems were developed for the city and the population of the old town decreased as water pipe lines were laid outside of it. In 1881 the population of Karachi was 73,056 of which 68,332 lived in the old town. By 1911 the population of the old town had decreased to less than 48,000. The Karachi Port Trust (KPT) was also created for the city during this period.
In 1885, the tramway was introduced in Karachi. It was owned by the East India Tramway Company and functioned on steam power. However, it was replaced by horse-drawn carriages in 1892 since Karachites objected to the noise made by the steam locomotives and claimed that animals which were then used for transport purposes, were scared of the locomotive sound. Empress Market was built in 1889, the D.J. Science College in 1887 and the Sindh Madrassah in 1885. Thus, Karachi acquired its most important landmark and its first institutions of higher learning during this period.
Between 1901 and 1911, Karachi’s population increased by 37 per cent. The reason for this was that a number of irrigation schemes were completed in the Punjab and Sindh thus increasing exportable agricultural produce. 260,000 acres of irrigated land producing more than 10,000 tons of wheat and cotton each were added by the Jamrao Canal Project in southern Sindh alone and over 6.8 million acres of irrigated land were added in the Punjab as a result of three major projects. To meet the resulting demand placed on Karachi by wheat and cotton exports, Karachi port was further developed, labour imported from the interior of the province, and merchants migrated from all over India to profit by the expansion of trade. By 1904, Karachi’s trade had expanded to over Rs 300 million.
During this period, Karachi expanded, and innumerable commercial, civic and educational buildings were added to it including Khaliqdinna Hall and the Victoria Museum. The Hall was built in 1906 and is famous because the trial of Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar and Maulana Shoukat Ali was held here during the Khalafat Movement.
Between 1911 and 1947, the expansion of irrigation systems in the Punjab and Sindh continued, adding to trade in Karachi. In addition, railways were expanded to link Karachi with Rajhstan, thus adding to its hinterland. During the First World War (1914-18) Karachi became a military base as it was the first port of call for ships coming through the Suez Canal and was the gateway to the Russian Empire north of Afghanistan. In 1924, the first airport in British India was constructed in Karachi and at about the same time Karachi also developed a reputation for having a healthy climate most suitable for patients of asthma and TB. This added to its population. In 1935, Sindh was separated from Bombay and became a separate province. Karachi was made its capital. Law courts, revenue departments, line departments and social sector departments were established in Karachi thus increasing its population and importance. Sindh’s landed aristocracy started building homes in the city and merchants who previously had their head offices in Bombay shifted to Karachi so as to be near the new seat of power.
During the Second World War, Karachi became the military base and port for supplies to the Russian front. Troops were stationed and trained here, military intelligence services functioned from here and telegraph and telecommunication systems were developed as a result. After the War Karachi became the centre for supplies to the allied troops in South and South-East Asia. This again increased its importance and between 1911 and 1941 its population increased by 133.4 per cent. It is estimated that 90 per cent of Karachi’s growth between 1921 and 1941 was the result of migration.
During this period, a number of beautiful buildings were added to the city, all of which testify to its growing importance and to the consolidation of its merchant classes. These buildings include the Karachi Port Trust (1915), Bank of India (1923), the Chamber of Commerce (1923), Hindu Gymkhana (1925), the High Court (1929), the Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) Building (1931) and the Old Sindh Assembly (1940) where the Pakistan Resolution was passed.
Source:
http://www.urckarachi.org/karpre.htm
Karachi Post-Partition
Karachi on the Eve of Partition
On the eve of partition, in spatial terms, Karachi consisted of four distinct areas. One, the old pre-British city and its post-British suburbs which consisted of narrow winding lanes, high densities and wholesale markets. These areas were occupied by the "native" merchant classes and the proletariat that worked for them. The area had a large number of mosques, dharmshalas and Hindu temples. Collectively, this area was known as the "native" city and celebrated Hindu and Muslim festivals with fervour. Two, Saddar Bazaar, which was the Europeanised shopping area, consisting of wide roads on a grid iron plan. This Bazaar also had residential areas dominated by Goans, Parsis and Europeans, who owned much of the businesses in the Bazaar. The Bazaar was dominated by churches, mission schools, community halls and civic buildings owned and operated by trusts belonging to Christians (local and Europeans) and Parsis. To the south-east of Saddar Bazaar were the Civil Lines and military cantonment where the British officers lived and worked and where their clubs were located. Saddar Bazaar and its surrounding areas were known as the European city and here New Year and Easter were celebrated and balls were held. Three, the area between these two "cities" consisted of administrative and civic buildings and educational institutions of higher learning. And four, the area of Lyari and Machi Miani where the working classes lived. A diesel operated tramway linked these areas to each other and to the port.
The population of Karachi at that time was 450,000 of which 61.2 per cent was Sindhi speaking, 6.3 per cent was Urdu-Hindi speaking, 51 per cent was Hindu and 42 per cent was Muslim. By 1951 all this had changed and Karachi’s population had increased to 1.137 million because of the influx of 600,000 refugees from India. In 1951 the Sindhi speaking population was 8.6 per cent, the Urdu speaking population was 50 per cent, the Muslim population was 96 per cent and the Hindu population was 2 per cent1. These changes have had a major effect on the culture, politics and development of Karachi and its relationship to the politics of Sindh and Pakistan. For an understanding of the present situation in the city and the province, an understanding of the repercussions of these demographic changes is essential.
The Physical and Social Repercussions of Migration on Karachi
Karachi was made the capital of Pakistan in 1947. It was separated from Sindh and was known as the Federal Capital Area. Sindhi politicians and intellectuals objected to this separation since it also involved the taking over by the federal authorities of various civic buildings and institutions that previously belonged to the province. This was the first Karachi-Sindh conflict.
The 600,000 refugees who invaded the city occupied all open land and the empty buildings that the fleeing Hindus had left behind. These refugee settlements were multi-class and multi-ethnic. Intellectuals, artists, poets, performers and the working classes all lived together and in walking distance from Saddar Bazaar. Also, walking distance from the Bazaar a university was established in 1952 and the federal secretariat was constructed adjacent to the Bazaar. Embassies were established in the Civil Lines quarters, also walking distance from the Bazaar. The older educational institutions and the Courts of Law were already within walking distance of Saddar. Thus, within four years of the creation of Pakistan, Saddar Bazaar became the centre of the city with a cosmopolitan culture and Karachi became a high density multi-class city. Saddar’s old institutional buildings began to be used for civic functions, entertainment, musical programmes and professional conferences. Bookshops, eating places, bars and billiard rooms and night clubs developed. Politicians, students, diplomats, intellectuals and the working classes all shared this space. Cinemas increased and film festivals were held regularly.
However, the government was anxious to develop a plan for the city of Karachi that was in keeping with its position as the capital of Pakistan. In addition, it was anxious to develop proper accommodation for its civil servants and other employees. To this end, it developed cooperative housing societies around the then city. As a result, the more important and wealthier residents of Saddar and from the refugee settlements moved out. To tackle the problems of the rest of the residents of refugee settlements and new migrants coming from other parts of Pakistan, the government initiated a number of planning processes.
Source: http://www.urckarachi.org/karpost.htm
Karachi Population Growth
Year
Population
Increase/ Decrease Over Last Census / Survey
No. of Years in Between
Per cent Increase/ Decrease
Average Annual Growth Rate
1941
435,887
135,108
10
44.90
3.70
1951
1,137,667
701,780
10
161.00
11.50
1961
2,044,044
906,377
10
79.70
6.05
1972
3,606,746
1,562,702
11
76.50
5.00
1981
5,437,984
1,831,238
9
50.80
4.96
1998
9,802,134
4,540,422
17
86.29
3.52
Source: Government of Pakistan Census Reports.
The 1998 census results have yet to be tabulated and as such an age-sex pyramid cannot be constructed. However, if one projects the 1981 census results by using the 1972-81 trends, then one can safely say that about 50 per cent of Karachi’s population is below 19 years old. What this means in social, economic, cultural and political terms, has yet to be understood and catered to. It is also important to note that the census results have not been accepted by the Karachi political parties which include the MQM, the Sindhi nationalist leaders, the PPP, the ANP and the religious parties. There is a consensus that Karachi’s population is over 12 million. The Markazi Jamiat Ulema Pakistan (MJUP) has also pointed out that there are over 10 million national identity card holders and their minor dependants in Karachi. The MJUP claim has not been verified or rejected by the government.
Source:Karachi Population Growth
(1) Year
(2) Population Increase
(3) Decrease Over Last Census /Survey
(4) No. of Years in Between
(5) Per cent Increase/Decrease
(6) Average Annual Growth Rate
Read the figures below keeping in view the serial numbers and their description above.
1941
435,887
135,108
10
44.90
3.70
1951
1,137,667
701,780
10
161.00
11.50
1961
2,044,044
906,377
10
79.70
6.05
1972
3,606,746
1,562,702
11
76.50
5.00
1981
5,437,984
1,831,238
9
50.80
4.96
1998
9,802,134
4,540,422
17
86.29
3.52
Source: Government of Pakistan Census Reports.
The 1998 census results have yet to be tabulated and as such an age-sex pyramid cannot be constructed. However, if one projects the 1981 census results by using the 1972-81 trends, then one can safely say that about 50 per cent of Karachi’s population is below 19 years old. What this means in social, economic, cultural and political terms, has yet to be understood and catered to. It is also important to note that the census results have not been accepted by the Karachi political parties which include the MQM, the Sindhi nationalist leaders, the PPP, the ANP and the religious parties. There is a consensus that Karachi’s population is over 12 million. The Markazi Jamiat Ulema Pakistan (MJUP) has also pointed out that there are over 10 million national identity card holders and their minor dependants in Karachi. The MJUP claim has not been verified or rejected by the government.
Source:
http://www.urckarachi.org/popu.htm
Land as an issue
In 1870 the urbanised area of the Karachi district was 13 square (sq.) km. The 1971 census report gives the figure of 289 sq. km. The 1974 Master Plan defined metropolitan Karachi as 349 sq. km and the 1988 Karachi Development Plan gives a figure of 3,520 sq. km. The area of the Karachi division is 3,527 sq. km. At the current rate of urban land conversion of about 6,780 acres per year, Karachi will outstrip its present divisional boundaries5.
Much of the land acquired for formal sector development in Karachi was used by many of the over 1,200 goths that are located in the Karachi division. This land was used for grazing and agricultural purposes. Although, much of it belonged to the government, it was let out to the goths on a one year renewable lease. A large number of these goths have now become a part of the Karachi urban sprawl and since they no longer hold any land for agricultural and pastoral activities, they have lost their self sufficiency. Over the years, they have become marginalised from the main stream of Karachi’s social and economic life and the residents of many of them are under pressure from developers and government development agencies, to move out from their present locations. Ironically, it is Karachi’s original residents who have been the main victims of its development and expansion.
However, Karachi is lucky in a sense, for nearly 400,000 acres of the 425,000 that make up its metropolitan area, and account for 94 per cent of all land in the division, are in some form of public ownership as shown in table 6 below.
Table - 6
Land Holdings in Karachi - 1988
1)Agency
2)Acres
3)Per cent of Total
Karachi Development Authority
124,676
29.3
Cantonment Board
18,596
4.4
Karachi Municipal Corporation
24,189
5.7
Defence Housing Society
16,567
3.9
Steel Mill
19,461
4.6
Port Qasim
12,961
3.0
Port Trust
25,259
3.6
Railways
3,119
0.7
Private
27,862
6.5
Government of Sindh
137,687
32.4
Government of Pakistan
4,051
1.0
Source:
http://www.urckarachi.org/land.htm
Coop. Housing Societies
15,721
3.7
Sindh Industrial Trade Estate
5,380
1.3
Total
425,529
100.0
Source: Tabulations prepared by the Master Plan and Environmental Control Unit of the KDA, 1988
Since the above table was formulated, most of the undeveloped land belonging to the KDA has been transferred to the MDA and LDA. As a result, KDA has been deprived of most of its assets and is facing severe financial problems. However, much of these problems are due to financial and administrative mismanagement, corruption, excessive staff and an absence of accountability and transparency.
Land for development is transferred from the government of Sindh or other official land owners to the KDA, LDA or MDA, who plan and develop the land as per their rules and regulations and make plots available to private developers, cooperative societies and individuals for construction purposes. These development authorities also set aside land for social and physical infrastructure development and for commercial and recreational purposes. Construction on all development authority schemes can only take place after the preparation and approval of building plans which have to follow KBCA rules and regulations, which have not been updated since 1978.
Land is an important issue in Karachi. There is a constant struggle to acquire and develop land through legal or illegal means. A powerful nexus between formal sector developers, politicians and bureaucrats, manages not only to acquire all vacant land, but even land that has been set aside for recreational and amenity purposes. Through this nexus, developers are also able to violate bye-laws and zoning regulations, encroach upon compulsory open space and even build upon natural drainage channels and infrastructure reservations. In addition, government land and properties are sold at throw-away prices as political patronage and then the developers make a "joint venture" with the party that has acquired the land. Thus, land use plans are routinely violated. For example, in the Corridor Plan of KDA Scheme 33, eighty per cent of non-residential land was set aside for amenities for the Scheme as a whole while 20 per cent was set aside for commercial purposes. However, the entire area reserved for amenities has been converted into residential and commercial development and as a result, the people of Karachi have lost over 827.3 acres of amenity spaces which included 189.27 acres for parks and playgrounds, 73.6 acres for educational institutions, 66.5 acres for medical facilities and 54.23 acres for transport related facilities.
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