CITIES around the world keep their downtowns and financial centres in excellent functional condition. It is a matter of economy, after all. However, the situation in Karachi is completely different. I.I. Chundrigar Road, also known as Pakistan’s ‘Wall Street’ narrates a sad tale of neglect. To be honest, it is a shame to compare it with the famed Wall Street.
The recent monsoon spells damaged the important road, as seen in the picture above, but the authorities concerned have not taken any action to start the repair work. Those in power are least bothered about the difficulty people face every day while commuting to and from the I.I. Chundrigar Road.
Similarly, Mumtaz Hassan Road, adjacent to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), is dominated by parking mafia that makes huge amount of money through charged parking while the condition of the road remains embarrassingly pathetic. Such loot and plunder happen right under the nose of SBP and Sindh Police headquarters that is located at a stone’s throw.
The residents of Karachi pay innumerable taxes, but are forced to live in a miserable condition with broken roads, rundown transport, stagnant rain and sewage water, and heaps of garbage. For how long do the authorities think the situation will continue unchanged?
After collecting so much money in the name of this tax or that, the government takes no civic responsibility whatsoever. This must end. The government should repair all the broken roads across the city.
Syed Sadaqat Hussain
Karachi
Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2022
