Pakistan’s Biggest City Crumbles: Economist

Karachi has a population of 16 million people, about double that of New York City. Pakistan’s largest city and former national capital functions as the country’s financial center. Monsoons and environmental disasters have shed light on years of poor urban planning and maintenance. “Wild, unplanned growth has overwhelmed almost every element of urban planning,” the Economist reports. “Sewers, water treatment and rubbish collection are all hopelessly inadequate.” Administrative and political agendas may have largely structured and perpetuated the status quo. Political rivalry flares between the Pakistan People’s Party, whose constituents are primarily Sindhi speakers and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, made up of descendants of Urdu-speaking immigrants from India. The army serves as administer for some neighborhoods, a state-owned railway company and the port authority rather than the province or city government. There is little coordination and recent attempts by the federal government to establish an emergency committee to address Karachi’s challenges have resulted in jurisdictional and environmental challenges as well as discontent and emigration. –YaleGlobal

Pakistan’s Biggest City Crumbles: Economist

Karachi’s environmental issues continue unabated due to multi-sided political infighting, encouraging unrest and emigration
Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Read the article from the Economist about challenges in Karachi.

(Source: World Bank)

Copyright The Economist Newspaper Limited 2019