Letter : To giving a account of impression of Karachi

To your friend at Lahore giving a account of your impression of Karachi

Examination Hall,
Karachi.
April 03, 2014

My dear Saba,

While thanking for your letter dated 10th instant, L would advise you to go to some other place rather than visit Karachi during this summer vacation.

Karachi is the most neglected place. Here, there is no historical place to visit, save l3hambhore which is situated at about thirty miles off Karachi and comprises of only sandy mounds. The parks in Karachi are gloomy and unattractive. The roads are dismal. At every ten or twenty yards on every road you will find holes, depressions, pits, or narrow channels or protuberances. For the last three years roads have not been repaired. Only patching has been done here and there on the main road running from Kemari to New Karachi. Roads and lanes in Karachi are usually covered with dirty and stinking water from the over flowing gutters spoiling the clothes of passersby Buses, mini buses and taxi cabs rush recklessly along the road killing people. If you hire a taxi or rickshaw the meter runs thrice faster than the vehicle.

There is paucity of water in Karachi. In the hot summer you will not get sufficient water to drink let alone the matter of bathing. In addition most of the time you will have to live without fans since power breakage is more frequent here than it is in Lahore.

The only thing you can not find else where in Pakistan is the sight of the Arabian sea. Hawk’s Bay, Sandspit and Paradise Points are desolate places where you can go for picnic but the cost of a picnic will be exorbitant as you will have to hire a bus for the whole day. You can enjoy the sight of the sea at Manora, but it is a dirty place.

Karachites are wonderful people. In spite of all these difficulties, problems and dangers they love to live in this city where life is a breathless rush, neighbors do not know neighbors and nobody cares for others.

Sincerely Yours,
Erum Ahmed