Monday, April 28, 2008

A Pakistani City

In 1947, Karachi was made the capital of the new nation of Pakistan. At that time Karachi was a city of only 400,000 people, and its growth accelerated as a result of its new status. Being the capital, Karachi became a focal point for the new nation and this added to its status as a cultural centre in this part of the world. Although the capital later moved to Rawalpindi and then Islamabad, Karachi remains the economic centre of Pakistan, accounting for a large portion of the GDP of the country and a large chunk of the nation's white collar workers.

In the 1960s, Karachi was seen as an economic role model around the area and there was much praise for the way its economy was progressing. But in 1990s, Karachi was wracked with sectarian violence. Thousands of people were killed during 1992 military operation, and as result socio-economic activities gravely suffered. In the last 20 years, Karachi has continued to grow, passing the 14 million mark (estimated by the European Space Agency). The current economic boom in Pakistan has created a sudden growth spurt in Karachi as jobs and infrastructure projects are increasing with time.
In 1947, Karachi was made the capital of the new nation of Pakistan. At that time Karachi was a city of only 400,000 people, and its growth accelerated as a result of its new status. Being the capital, Karachi became a focal point for the new nation and this added to its status as a cultural centre in this part of the world. Although the capital later moved to Rawalpindi and then Islamabad, Karachi remains the economic centre of Pakistan, accounting for a large portion of the GDP of the country and a large chunk of the nation's white collar workers.

In the 1960s, Karachi was seen as an economic role model around the area and there was much praise for the way its economy was progressing. But in 1990s, Karachi was wracked with sectarian violence. Thousands of people were killed during 1992 military operation, and as result socio-economic activities gravely suffered. In the last 20 years, Karachi has continued to grow, passing the 14 million mark (estimated by the European Space Agency). The current economic boom in Pakistan has created a sudden growth spurt in Karachi as jobs and infrastructure projects are increasing with time.