Re: Phoenix Rising - Karachi on the road to recovery
Karachi is the nerve cell for Pakistan, melting pot of ethnic nationalities, religious diversity, birth place of Jinnah, gateway to Pakistan, thriving financial centre and largest commercial port.
Sadly, Karachi is also busting out of its seams with a huge influx of refugees (Afghanis, Bengalese, Burmese), migrant economic workers from North Pakistan (Frontier, Punjab, Kashmir), lack of resources to support rising populations, illegal settlements, water crises, power breakdowns, dilapidated infrastructure, smog, lack of basic hygiene.
Probably what was most damaging to Karachi was its weaponization during the ISI/JI led arms smuggling during the Afghan Jihad (??). Port of Karachi was used as a conduit to ship and smuggle arms and ammunition to the western borders. I n order to supplement their efforts, ISI created these supply routes which required people who were willing and believing workers. To finance their illegal gun trade, drugs were used. Thus, KK and drugs combined introduced into Karachi a wave of criminality which this peace loving city had never experienced. Patrons in chief of this sad story were ISI/MI/JI and other Jihadi outfits. This network of drug and gun trade which has its tentacles across Pakistan and all the way into central asia has become Musharrafs biggest enemy and the current war is being waged to uproot this evil empire.