For the past several years, I have been out of touch with Karachi’s evolution due to health issues. I have not been able to wander around as I used to. Yet, I gather what has been taking place from the people who visit me, from newspapers, and from what one can see through the windshield of a car.

A lot has changed, and it is important to talk about it — both the good and the bad.

NEW SPACES

Some very important institutions have been added to the city, such as The Dawood Foundation MagnifiScience Centre, which is a beautiful science museum that people of almost any age can relate to. School children especially need to visit it, as it can help them better understand the scientific phenomena that govern our lives.

The location of the centre is also important. It is a warehouse in the Railway Quarters in the historic city of Karachi. Around it, there are many abandoned railway warehouses. Hopefully, they will also be used as public spaces for other museums, auditoriums and for the performing arts.

The same organisation has also gifted one of its properties, TDF Ghar, to the Government of Sindh. It is an old building that has been beautifully conserved. The space is now used for mushairas, exhibitions, concerts and lectures. From its rooftop, visitors can take photographs with the Mazar-i-Quaid in the background.

New museums, revived public spaces, and growing youth participation in and engagement with the arts are reshaping Karachi’s cultural landscape. Yet, this emerging energy exists alongside deep urban inequalities, anti-poor policies, and problems of infrastructure that continue to define the city

An important change has also taken place at Frere Hall. Its library is now open to the public after years of closure. It has been cleaned, and members of the public visit regularly, although the books still need proper dusting. A conservation process is ongoing, and what has been completed so far is encouraging.

The Frere Hall gardens host gatherings such as the Aurat March, the Minority March and the Flower Show, as well as other social events. In one corner of the garden, there is a small eating place called Kavita Didi’s Eat Express, a dhaba serving South Indian food, which has become very popular.

Some elites in Karachi were concerned about the condition of Frere Hall and tried to protect the area by building ‘beautiful’ walls and gates around it as part of a conservation plan. However, there was strong public pressure against this plan, and the project could not continue. Later, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) again attempted to install gates, but citizens challenged the decision in court. The court rejected the proposal, arguing that restricting access would affect public events held at Frere Hall and deny the public the use of an important public space.

PEDESTRIANISATION AND RESTORATION

The idea of pedestrianised zones has also taken root among Karachi’s planners and local politicians. Frere Road was pedestrianised earlier this year and became very popular with citizens, including the working and lower-middle classes.

From the press, it appears that there are plans to pedestrianise the Saddar area during the Eid holidays. Pedestrianisation brings together different classes of Karachi and various types of food, as well as different ways of serving them.

Several conservation programmes for heritage buildings have also taken place, such as at the 1926 Hasan Ali Hothi Market, where shop owners have been removed and have lost their livelihood. This is bad conservation, as it has adversely affected the shop owners. It is unclear where they went.

In the old town, the 1886 Denso Hall has also been conserved and is once again functioning as a library, as it was originally intended. The space and street in front of Denso Hall have been pedestrianised, which is a positive idea; however, shopkeepers and hawkers were removed from these spaces and lost their livelihood. They are angry and planning to return, as they feel they have not benefitted from the change.

Meanwhile, the 1906 Khaliq Dina Hall is now used for events, and a non-governmental organisation (NGO) has restored its library after a long period of closure. Bazaar organisations around Khaliq Dina Hall believe they should be allowed to use the space for meetings and events, since they are its immediate neighbours.

SOCIAL SHIFTS

Another social shift is that many second- and third-generation post-Partition Karachiites are moving abroad. In the process, family libraries and personal archives are often left behind or discarded.

In an increasing number of cases, this generation is trying to find a public home for these archives. This is creating valuable historical documents for the city of Karachi, and universities and civic agencies need to nurture the creation of proper archives for this material.

Another important institution is the Lyari Girls Café, established in 2017 to support women’s ‘empowerment’. It offers computer training, boxing, cycling, English language classes and other sports training. Its members are in growing demand as sports trainers for schools and women’s NGOs. The Lyari women (and girls) are at the forefront of the process of emancipation of low-income groups. One of the reasons for this is that Lyari has about a 200-year urban history and has no rural baggage to carry on its shoulders.

Citizens have also responded to the challenges of climate change. Instead of distributing shields at events, many NGOs and government organisations now present saplings. Several urban forests have been developed. The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has created Kidney Hill Park, covering 62 acres.

On September 27, 2025, the Mangrove Diversity Park opened, featuring a timber walkway leading to the creek, with eating and sitting spaces surrounded by water. It is an important addition to Karachi’s recreational facilities and is already attracting many visitors. The Clifton Beach Urban Forest and the Clifton Urban Forest Block 5 are already in existence.

Sports have also been revived in Sindh. The Pakistan National Games were held in Karachi after an 18-year hiatus. Athletes from across Pakistan participated with enthusiasm, and there was a noticeable increase in women’s participation, compared to previous games.

Different groups and the KMC have also organised several marathons, including a 42-kilometre marathon. There have also been marathons dedicated to different causes, along with road bicycle-racing events, in which both men and women participate.

PATRONISING THE ARTS

In the past few months, a major change in Karachi has seen the active role of industrial houses and wealthy families in funding culture. They have shown real interest in establishing new museums, theatres and art galleries. This private funding has helped expand cultural spaces beyond government efforts and has strengthened the city’s arts infrastructure.

One of the important changes has been the increase in the number of people who now visit the Arts Council Karachi programmes. The increase is mostly of students and young people, which points to the desire for recreational entertainment and culture. This is in spite of the fact that the location of the Arts Council is difficult to access for most Karachiites who form the audience.

The International Urdu Conference is an important event that is held every year. It is probably the largest conference of its kind in the world. The number of scholars and poets is increasing over time. This is primarily due to the vision and work of Mohammad Ahmed Shah, the director of the Arts Council Karachi.

He has also added space to the Arts Council in the form of auditoriums and a library consisting of books donated by important citizens of the city. The library is beautifully catalogued and is used. Despite the spaces created by Ahmed Shah, there is an acute shortage of space for the performing arts and public gatherings.

There is a general consensus among the members of the audience and programme participants that the Expo Centre is a better location for attracting participants, as it is most central, closer to the main universities, colleges and high schools. This has been obvious from the book fairs held at Expo Centre, where there is hardly any space to move, not only because of the visitors but also because of the number of stalls put up by the exhibitors.

However, the ‘intellectuals’ of the city now increasingly live in localities such as Defence and Clifton, and they are culturally, socially and physically much nearer to the Arts Council space than to the Expo Centre.

Some organisations, such as Tehrik-i-Niswan, have expanded their work in the field of dance and music and political activism, and are in the process of creating a space owned by them for their performances and work. This will be their legacy for all times to come. Aurat March is another such movement, providing space for discussions and expression for women’s issues in the changing national and global scenario.

UNEQUAL ACCESS, NEW CONCERNS

The private sector is also investing in large-scale entertainment and recreational projects for Karachi’s younger population. However, many of these facilities cater to the wealthy and elite classes. For social equity, recreational spaces should be accessible to both rich and poor citizens.

In the case of Creek Walk in Defence Society Phase 8, an attempt has been made to create a ‘European’ ambience with similar road signage, furniture, and food outlets. Lower-middle-income groups find it difficult to be a part of this because of the high cost of food and drinks that are available. The working class cannot be a part of this — it is too expensive. However, they do visit and roam around to enjoy the ambience, especially when they get their salaries at the beginning of the month.

Several affordable food outlets in public parks have been removed by order of the court, depriving the citizens of Karachi of reasons for visiting the parks with their families. As a result, visitors to the parks have decreased, or bring their own food with them. It was common that, after a long walk, people (especially couples) would sit together and have a cup of tea or a cold drink. Over time, new friendships would be formed, not only between individuals but also between families.

Some important parks, such as the Aladdin Park, were very popular among the lower-middle and working class and have also been demolished by order of the court; nothing has replaced them. This has been a great loss to a city where open spaces for recreation are simply not available.

The government has invested heavily in the renovation of the Karachi Zoo in recent years. However, there continue to be public concerns regarding the health and welfare of animals, especially after past incidents involving a number of deaths of animals due to inappropriate treatment regarding food and other elements of healthcare. Renovation alone is not enough; proper animal care and management are equally important. Karachi has a long way to go to achieve this.

Tree conservation has also become part of heritage discussions. Activist and architect Marvi Mazhar has highlighted the importance of protecting old trees as part of Karachi’s environmental and historical identity. A number of old trees have been designated as heritage, and awareness about urban greenery and climate responsibility has also increased.

PROBLEMS OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND JUSTICE

The increase in cultural activity conflicts very much with the state of Karachi’s infrastructure and the treatment of its working-class settlements by Karachi’s politicians, because of their nexus with the city’s elite and bureaucracy.

Karachi’s flooding during rains has been blamed on the construction of homes along Karachi’s natural drainage system. To solve this problem, federal and provincial agencies collaborated to remove houses built along three major Karachi nullahs. In the process, over 7,500 families were made homeless by bulldozing their homes along the Orangi, Mehmoodabad, and Gujjar nullahs.

Their struggle for justice took them to the court of law, which ordered that they should be compensated with land and money. The compensation cost was also worked out. This order was passed on June 14, 2021. But no action has been taken by the court against non-compliance of its order.

Meanwhile, in the areas where bulldozing has taken place, the width of peripheral roads has been increased, thus opening up the area for real estate development, at the cost of the poor. But in spite of this, the areas where bulldozing has taken place continue to flood, justifying the demolition of additional homes.

In the future, these demolitions must not occur until or unless the residents are provided with proper land and property. The government should work on the root cause of the flooding, which is the failure of outfalls to cater to the volume of water that destroys the city every year. A permanent solution for this problem has to be found. Many solutions have been proposed but have not been tested at the pilot level. Increasing the volume of rainfall water through the outfalls also required the demolition of certain homes in Karachi’s posh colonies. This should be done in the same manner as in the low-income settlements.

Transport has been one of the biggest problems in Karachi for many years. Public buses were old, overcrowded, and poorly managed, which made daily travel difficult for students, workers, and families. In recent years, the government has tried to improve this situation through different bus projects. The Karachi Green Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) introduced air-conditioned buses with better seating and cleaner stations. The Pink Bus service was launched especially for women to provide safer and more comfortable travel.

The Red Line BRT is another major project under construction. These buses are modern and, if properly maintained, can remain useful for many years. The government is also introducing electric buses to reduce carbon emissions and lower the city’s environmental impact.

The BRT system in the form of the Green Line has brought considerable relief to people living along its corridors. Travel time has reduced, and the comfort level is much higher than that of older buses. However, maintenance is a serious concern. If regular repairs and proper management are not ensured, the buses can quickly become damaged and lose their quality.

Karachi has seen this happen before with public transport systems that started well but later declined due to poor upkeep.

Residents are very concerned that government projects are not completed on time and that the delays can last for years. This means cost overruns, which eventually the city will have to bear. One such example is the Red Line BRT. Work on that project has resulted in its entire corridor being dug up and the area being smothered by dust. Residents complain of high levels of congestion, asthma, and related breathing troubles. Conditions have become so bad that residents and travellers say that they would have been better off without the project.

GEN Z, GEN ALPHA AND KARACHI

Several conclusions can be drawn from these developments.

One important change is that Karachi’s class structure and demography are shifting. A younger generation is becoming more interested in culture, history and public activities, and they are actively participating in entertainment and recreational events and trying to create them in a hostile, political and religious culture.

However, there are still very few spaces where they can perform. Open amphitheatres such as at Jahangir Park exist, but organising events there requires permissions from government authorities, which are often difficult to obtain.

A Government of Pakistan urbanisation report notes that, in every neighbourhood in Pakistan, there are young people who can perform traditional music and dance, both folk, vernacular rap, and hip/hop, and many of them are producing TikTok clips of high value, but they lack proper spaces to perform and develop their skills.

Also, there are almost no schools where young people can receive training in the playing of musical instruments and or any form of vocal singing, classical or otherwise. Many schools that did exist, especially in Karachi, were closed in the 1980s and 1990s and never resurfaced. Even the making of musical instruments of good quality has become very rare and it is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain them. Facilitating the revival of this rich musical and drama tradition should be a priority with the government.

This revival will create a new Pakistan. The establishment of the National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa), just one organisation in Karachi, has created an institute for the arts — drama, music, and theatre. Imagine what could happen if there were many Napas and space, physical and political, were available to them. Today, the state ideology frowns upon them, and powerful sections of society consider any such activity as a source of moral corruption.

Arif Hasan is an architect and urban planner.

He can be reached at arifhasan37@gmail.com and through the website www.arifhasan.org

Hamna Syed is a researcher who works in the office of Arif Hasan

Published in Dawn, EOS, March 29th, 2026

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