Was your cousin from Lahore or Punjab? From where he completed his FSc or A LEVELS etc. Where he found accomodation-- flat , rented house or what. Had he relatives in khi. Please please do reply. I am particularly excited to ask these things as your cousin's case is just the same as mine. My mother is also destined to accomany me there in Karachi.
My cousin is from Lahore, an only child. He got admitted to NUST PNEC, and went there happily. On-campus accommodation is mainly for naval students, so he had to live off-campus. He got an apartment in Gulshan-e-Jamal, which is a locality right behind PNS Karsaz, and close to the Millenium mall roundabout. He lived there with his mother throughout the course of his studies in Karachi.
Pros:
Area is dominated by navy, and a short distance from askari 4, home to senior retired army officers, hence, safety is fairly decent.
Close to Gulistane Jauhar, Gulshan Iqbal and North Nazimabad, hence, just about every good shopping area is within your reach.
Close to the university, so no long commute.
PNEC is in PNS Jauhar, which is a naval unit, so no hanky panky there. No student politics, no strikes, no unions.
Close to National Stadium, Expo Center, Agha Khan Hospital.
Cons:
In case of MQM related strikes, Jauhar , N. Nazimabad and Gulshan are usually the hardest hit, so you can get confined to your home in case of strikes.
If you can afford it, you can rent a place in KDA (if available), which is right across the street from PNEC, and is an affluent, and nice neighborhood. Its one of last places to be affected by city strikes.
Over all, you are not targeted just because you are from Punjab. I myself lived in Karachi for a couple of years without any problems of racism.