A few months after Ayub Khan seized power in 1958, Karachi was declared the cleanest city in the world. But only a year or so after Bhutto came into power, it was described as the "dirtiest" city in the world. This despite the fact that in those days there were many towns in the country that were much dirtier.
Since then, Karachi has received a bad press almost every year. Recently the Guardian newspaper published a list of unlivable cities. Only three were worse than Karachi, the worst being Damascus. At the bottom (better than Damascus but worse than Karachi) were Lagos and Tripoli.
I have lived in Karachi for 76 years now. I don't think I can live anywhere else for more than a couple of months than Karachi. I know that parts of Karachi are not safe. I live in a gated community where we have twenty four hour water and electricity. There are parts of Karachi where I have not been for many years now. When I'm outside my gated apartment complex, I'm at risk of being mugged, but this is true of most other large cities as well.
A relative of mine was in the US some years back on a short visit. He had been invited to dinner and almost all the guests (who had migrated from Karachi) were speaking ill of their home city, particularly about its street crimes. Suddenly they were interrupted by another guest who had just been mugged outside the house. His car had also been snatched. My relative couldn't help telling those present that their city was not much different from Karachi.
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