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city
calling hotline The way we
are karachicharacter
city
calling The city of lights is the
land of opportunities, and a city keen on promoting creativity and thought
amongst its youth. By Amina Baig To anyone on the outside,
Karachi is the place where people zoom past each other without a glance, too
wrapped up in their single-minded journey to destinations best known to them
alone. The city Despite all its failings, the constant power outages, roads that seem to remain dug up for months, inconveniencing commuters, the lack of the kind of organization that can ensure that citizens are provided with the most basic amenities unhindered, Karachi is still the target of choice for those looking to get somewhere in life in Pakistan. Big businesses demand skilled and unskilled labour constantly, and create direct and indirect employment opportunities as a result. Small businesses too, do well in the city, what with the eclectic mix of people that live here creating niche markets for everything from gourmet coffee to hand embroidered napkins from rural areas. Beneath all the hard edged
glamour, the aloof determination and debris of bombings that leave places
and lives in tatters, lies a beautiful city. If one can look past the
relentlessly honking cars, one might perhaps see a beautiful red stone
building, lovingly crafted in the colonial style, or symbolic structures at
the many roundabouts that pepper the city. When the city of lights actually
lights up at night, one cannot help but marvel at the delicate gold and
orange hues blending into an inky blue sky. The fact, It is no surprise then, that art has a subtle, yet strong presence in Karachi. On any given day, one can pick up the newspaper, and find at least two exhibitions happening in the city that day. Couple the fantastically promising employment opportunities that abound in the city, with this silent love for anything that is aesthetically pleasing, and one might understand why Karachi might pull someone looking to market his talents into its folds. One small step for man Sameer Abbas ventured into the metropolis from Multan, hoping to sell his work and expand his horizons. His work, though very obviously leaning towards miniature painting, does not firmly adhere by the very strict parameters most miniaturists work within. The most recurrent theme
layered upon the surfaces Sameer chooses to work with is serene looking Sameer started learning the craft soon after he completed his Matriculation. So what drew him at such a young age to the many leveled world of art and the creative journey? Sameer credits his ustad, Syed Aijaz Ali Shah for changing the course of his life. Soon after his father passed away when he was 17, Sameer befriended Shah, an artist and poet, and a, 'very spiritual man,' who taught him how to draw and paint. Despite having had no prior training, Sameer learnt the skill, and as is obvious from his work, understood it well. He started painting then, and unlike many young artists who might be bashful about advertising what they have to offer, started going from door to door to sell his work, and used the income to support the family he was solely responsible for now. He has showed his work at exhibitions in his hometown, has had people from abroad buy it from him resell it in their countries, and even had his work displayed by others, who would also take credit for his creations. While he makes a decent living selling his work in Multan, he decided to visit Karachi for a short period, and see if he could perhaps draw on the fabled well of chance this city is famous for. "People here have been helpful," said Sameer, "I went to the NED University one afternoon, and spoke to a couple of students who introduced me to their friends, and managed to sell quite a few pieces." Not being familiar with
the city, Sameer would start out of his hotel in Lee Market everyday, and go
to The feedback he received for his work in Karachi was immense. He had come to Karachi with the thought that those living in this city will have more time or money to spare for 'non-essentials' such as a small painting. What he found apart from monetary support was actual feedback and critique of his work, and a real boost to his confidence. Sameer did not, however, show much interest in going towards the many galleries in Karachi, nor did he seem determined to become a big name known for his work in Pakistan. He seems content for now, painting, selling, and using his income to run his household, and reinvest in more painting. Getting by with a little help from our friends Karachi is an art-friendly city, made obvious by the commissioned sculptures on roundabouts and Sea View. The underpass in Clifton also shows signs of being worked upon by creative minds who want to make an otherwise dull area, pretty, by working slightly off patterns into the brickwork There are over 15 art galleries in the city, and most of them are more than credible and adequate. Some of these galleries are quite supportive of artists and art students alike. The V.M. Gallery for example, holds lectures and talks along with the shows which help enrich the minds of those who have just recently ventured into the world of art. Organizations such as the VASL, International Artists Collective, aim towards providing contemporary Pakistani artists a platform. They offer residencies to artists from Pakistan, and within Pakistan to international artists. Students and those interested also have the opportunity to interact with the artists and their work at workshops and talks organized by VASL. At the onset of a new show, VASL invites all artists to submit portfolios of recent work and resumes if interested in taking part. More recently, The Second Floor (T2F) has opened its doors to Karachi. It is hard to put a label on the place; it is, in the words of the T2F folks themselves, a, "coffeehouse, featuring a bookshop and a space for creative expression and intelligent discourse." Apart from the book and poetry readings, lectures, film screenings and low key jam sessions, T2F is also open to showing work by new, relatively unknown artists, hence providing a platform to those aiming to keep a low profile till they feel comfortable doing otherwise, but still hoping to show their work, have it critiqued, and perhaps also sell some. Sameer Abbas came to Karachi and found himself that niche he was looking to break into, solely through his courage of conviction. While it might be hard for young artists to break into the mainstream art scene right away, they have, in Karachi, the opportunity to ease their way into it. In a city more open to new things than most, and new channels leading to realization of dreams opening up every day, young artists must take their cue from Sameer, and go out there and live their own. -- Photos by Zahid Rehman hotline Incommunicado: The plight of PTCL subscribers Non-functional telephone lines are one trouble that simply cannot be left outside the door. PTCL and the subscribers each have their own take on why the former has not managed to get it right in over 40 years of establishment. By Gul Nasreen "My phone has been out of order since the last three months." This is just one of the
many complaints PTCL subscribers in the metropolis find themselves uttering
time and again. In recent months, faulty phone lines have irked thousands of
Karachiites. According to President of TSAC, Saleem Rajput said that the PTCL President is being kept in the dark regarding telephone line problems as he is being provided with bogus figures by concerned authorities with a view to shelter the general manager and divisional engineers (DE). "The blame is solely being put on the city government by saying that thousands of telephones are out of order due to the development work in the city." Rajput informed Kolachi that these lines can be restored by maintenance of cable, cabinet and distribution points. He said that phone subscribers in the entire city are facing a lot of problems due to faults in their telephone lines. Their issues and complaints have gone unattended for so long, that most of them have lost almost all hope of their situation being remedied. Independent Estimates According to independent estimates gathered from a random survey of the city, around 15 thousand telephones in the city have been out of order; many of them for longer than a week. 20 per cent of them have not been functional for months now. Majority of subscribers said that their complaints have not been paid heed to for days, weeks and in a few cases, for months. Even telephones at many police stations, hospitals, universities and other educational institution have remained out of order for a while. It seems as though the complaints and maintenance system of the PTCL is in a state of virtual collapse. The worst suffers are business organizations where fax and email cannot operate without functional landlines. Had it not been for the availability of mobile phones, people would have risen in protest against the PTCL as they have been doing against the KESC. Subscribers in Cantt, Misri Shah, New Karachi, Lyari, Lines Area, Steel Town, Saddar, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Baldia Town, Defence, Korangi, have complained that despite lodging repeated complaints, their telephones are still dead. Individual complaints Karachi-based Journalist Monir Ahmed, resident of Federal B Area complained that his phone has been out of order for weeks now. The main cable connecting his line was totally damaged due to digging work for development purposes in the area. Since then he has lodged a number of complaints with the 18 service, but to no avail. Sakhawat, a resident of Defence, said that his phone develops faults after every few months and he must endure a lot of effort before his problem gets fixed. "Sometimes, I have had to wait a month before my problem is attended to." He was told by a sub-divisional engineer at his local telephone exchange that the reason phones became faulty in the area was that, "there is a shortage of cables." Sami, a resident of Clifton, (Misri Shah Telephone Exchange), said that his phone number has been out of order for a long time. "I have lodged many complaints, but the PTCL hasn't taken any action." "My residential telephone has been out of order for over six weeks now, due to cable or some other fault, it is still un-repaired despite repeated complaints," complained Adnan, resident of Gulistan-e-Jauhar. The faulty telephone lines have been posing problems for citizens who cannot afford mobile phones, "I was seriously ill and due to my illness I had to use a borrowed mobile phone, which was costing me too much. It was only after a hectic process that my phone was restored," said Ahmed, another PTCL subscriber in the Garden telephone exchange area. The wireless set dilemma A newspaper report recently suggested that the administration of the Telecommunication Authority intentionally ignores the grievances of subscribers because they want to replace landlines with wireless sets.†Those in the know are of the opinion that the latter system is more complicated than the former, as with the wireless systems, faults occur in cables which take a long time to fix. However, a PTCL spokesman denied this charge saying, "both are our systems, we want to promote the wireless system but not at the expense of landlines." A PTCL spokesman speaks up Talking to Kolachi, PTCL spokesman Ather Javed Sufi totally denied the charges of neglecting telephone complaints. He said that there a total of 11 00 000 PTCL subscribers in the city. On an average, the PTCL receives four to five thousand complaints daily. Out of these, 70 per cent are rectified within 24 hours while the more complicated ones take some time to repair. He said that the worn out cable system in Karachi, consisting of LS cables has been replaced with modern optical fiber cables. About 94 per cent of the city has been installed with the new cable network. He regretted the fact that a lot of people do not register their complaints with 18, "in case their complaints go unheard, they should approach the DE of the concerned exchange," he advised subscribers. The PTCL spokesman further said that all complaints are usually rectified sooner or later. If it is a minor fault, it is rectified almost immediately. But if it is a cable fault, only the divisional engineer or general manager of the area can explain why faults have remained unattended for long periods of time. He attributed the increase in PTCL line faults to digging by CDGK for development purposes throughout the city. He said that all town nazims through prior notification have been asked to inform PTCL prior to digging work for development purpose so that cable damage can be avoided. Ather Javed Sufi cited the example of Clifton where due to ongoing development work by the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board, PTCL underground cable network was damaged badly in recent weeks, affecting almost 2900 telephones in Clifton Block 7 & 8, Delhi Colony, Punjab Colony and P&T Colony area. He said that PTCL's technical team started repair work soon after receiving information of cable damage and most of the telephone lines were restored within 24 hours of the complaint. He said that sometime cable theft results in disconnection of great number of phones as happened in Gulistan-e-Jauhar on Eid-ul-Fitr. Narrating the incident, he said, "a few suspects broke the seal of the PTCL main hole near Rado Center before Eid and took four cables of 1200 pairs, as a result of which 4000 telephones were affected in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Block 13 to 20. The chief engineer himself rushed to the spot and supervised the repair workî, the spokesman claimed. PTCL authorities have made all efforts to stop incidents of cable theft and as a result thieves have been caught many times and handed over to the police. "There had been several incidents of cable theft in the Gulistan-e-Jauhar area alone. A few weeks back, a- man was caught red handed selling PTCL cables in the Gulistan-e-Jauhar Sunday Bazaar, and an FIR was lodged with the Shah Faisal Police Station. PTCL has also established monitoring teams to safeguard underground cable network to stop cable theft in such areas,"Mr Sufi concluded. PTCL wins, subscribers lose It might be mentioned here that PTCL earned a net profit of Rs 15.63 billion during 2006-2007. The company earned a total revenue of over 65 billion rupees with the operating cost figuring at over Rs. 46 billion this year. On the contrary, subscribers have lost not only precious time, but also money at the hands of a negligent PTCL management, as they are made to run from pillar to post every time their phones go out of order. The way we are A note to the next government, with love By Aasiyah Zaidi There are a few topics that are always discussed when people visit others. Be it at kitty parties or informal get-togethers, some issue are essential to keep the conversation flowing. Amongst these, the inadequacy of KESC, recent political happenings, the bad state of the city's roads and inflation are the most popular. However, a considerably new topic has been introduced recently; the steadily rising rate of crime. Somehow it seems like everyone has a first hand story to tell. From mobile phone snatchings to houses being looted, robbers seem to have quite a lot on their hands. Whether amateur or professional, everyone trying their hand at this seems to strike gold. The rate of their success is very proudly published every month in the newspaper, in the form statistics showing the number of cell phones, cars, and motorcycles stolen. All the villains possess a gun, most work with their accomplices, and some are protected by the police. This I say from experience. The great calm with which they carry out the proceedings, on main roads, makes them appear unafraid of the police. It so happened, our car broke down right on the corner of a lane turning on to Khayaban-e-Bahria. As we stood there, stranded, a motorbike pulled up in front of us, and one of the two men got off, taking out a pistol as he did so. My parents and I realized before the man came to the window, what was going to happen in the next few minutes. He put his hand in; the gun pointed at my father's chest, and ordered him to take out his cell and money. He then ordered my mother to take off whatever gold she had on. As my father took out his wallet, he asked the robber if he could take out his ID card. The robber agreed, so my father searched through all the cards, took out his ID card and handed him the wallet. Instead of accepting it, the crook told my father to keep the wallet and just hand him the money. After collecting all that my parents had to give, he noticed me in the backseat. Then as an after thought, he asked for anything valuable that I had on me, which I didnít. All throughout, the other crook on the motorcycle had stationed himself on a corner of the intersection. Just as his accomplice was finishing his job, a car turned in the street. The crook on the motorcycle told him to drive off fast, or else he would be next; to which the man obeyed without hesitation. After a good few ten minutes, when the crooks were preparing to ride off, who should come by? The police! And what happens next? Like mutant superheroes they spring out of the car and start shooting after the robbers who are speeding off on the wrong way of the road. During all this, we hadn't moved as we were too shocked to do anything. The man which the other crook had asked to flee, came back to check if we were alright. This episode raised a few questions for me, and answered one. The question which was answered was whether only selfish and uncaring people live in our society these days. The answer: no. There still are people who care for others, such as the man in the car who came back. However, the questions that were raised are not easy to answer. Such as, how come the police appeared in time for the crooks to finish their 'duty' and disappear? If they weren't working together, why did the police abandon their chase after a while, something we found out the next day? And if they weren't working together, why did the police resist filing an FIR when we approached them within the hour? Isn't what goes on in their area, their concern? Shouldn't they take their feet off the table and search for such criminals? But most importantly, why isn't the government concerned? Here it is worth mentioning that I think the current government has done quite a lot of development work. Yes, they might have increased job opportunities, decreased the percentage of illiteracy, and all the other things which can be read on any of the billboards displaying our president's accomplishments. But one thing is to be pointed out; the crime rate has only gone up in their tenure. What is the use of providing everyone housing, water, and education, as they claim they have done, when they cannot protect them from random misadventures that can be put a stop to? Why is our police department so keen on living up to their reputation of being corrupt? If the people offering roti, kapra aur makaan for everyone hope to form the next government, they should do us citizens a favor. As they also have learned through first hand experience, something really needs to be done about the criminals littering the city. How about coming up with a scheme that provides roti, kapra aur makaan, for these crooks, behind the bars in jail? That is where they belong after making innocent citizens suffer in the line of crime. karachicharacter The healer Silvia Shafiq, a 20 year old girl has lived in Karachi all her life. Though a resident of the city, she does not like the city much. Like the rest of the people coming from different parts of Pakistan in search of a better life in Karachi Silvia alos hopes to make it big some day. She ardently hopes that one say she will be able to move out of Karachi and live in the Middle East. Like many other girls her age she feels caged at times and following rules set by the society is something she does out of sheer obligation. Kolachi: Have you lived in Karachi all your life? Silvia: Yes. I was born
here as were my parents; this strange place is my native city. Kolachi: How many members do you have in the family? Silvia: We are eight siblings and our parents, I'm the seventh. We are five sisters and three brothers. Kolachi: Do you study? Silvia: I have studied till the 10th grade. After that I left because my family couldn't afford my education. Kolachi: What do you do for a living? Silvia: I am a nurse, working for a health care company. Kolachi: Are you happy with what you earn? Silvia: Yes it pays for my clothes and stuff and whatever is left is contributed to the family income. Kolachi: What do you like best about Karachi? Silvia: The weather, because the weather in Karachi is never too extreme. Other than that there is not much to be appreciated. I don't like this city at all. There is nothing to do here, this place is for men only. Women can't do anything they want to because some one or the other will not take it in the right sense. Besides that everything is too expensive. Kolachi: What do you do in your spare time? Silvia: I shop. I love to shop, like all other girls. There isn't much to do in this city for girls but to shop. I go shopping every month. Kolachi: Where do you shop from? Silvia: Gulf shopping mall. Kolachi: Have you visited any tourist places in Karachi? Silvia: Yes I have been to the beach, zoo and Mazar-e-Quaid. Kolachi: Did you like these palces? Silvia: Not much, the zoo is a huge place with more than half of the cages empty. The mazar is now a little better than it was before, but I sometimes don't really understand why it was built in the first place. Kolachi: What places do you want to see in Karachi? Silvia: There is nothing much to see as I said before, but the new park in Clifton, Bagh Ibn-e-Qasim I am interested in going to, just to see what is so great about it. Kolachi:Has Karachi changed over the years? Silvia: Yes there has been a lot of development in the city but the people and their mentality hasn't evolved. So it doesn't matter how big the buildings in the city are, the people are still close minded. Kolachi: Where would you rather live if not in Karachi? Silvia: I like Dubai. I have relatives there and on my first and last visit I realized how safe it is, I can wear anything that I want and no one will say anything. Its cheaper, too. The shopping is cheap and so are the chocolates. Kolachi: Would you change your profession there if you do get to go? Silvia: No, I like what I do so I would want to continue with it. Kolachi: Did you always want to be a nurse? Silvia: No, I always wanted to be a teacher, but I wasn't literate enough to teach and my mother was in the same profession so I became a nurse too. Kolachi: Do you regret it? Silvia: No Kolachi: What changes would you like to see in Karachi? Silvia: First and foremost, the people. They need to respect women. Next, I think inflation needs to be tackled. I've been earning a fixed income for years now and cannot afford a lot of things that I like and want to buy. The high cost of everything is one of the reasons I never was able to finish my studies. Kolachi: Do you like the families you work for? Silvia: I won't say I like them all. Every family is very different. That is the fun thing about my job; I get to see how many kinds of people live differently in one big city. Sometimes the people are really nice o me they, treat me like a family member and sometimes I come across reserved people too. There is never a dull moment in my profession! Silvia is a fun loving, energetic girl who has a very idealistic mind. An avid Indian movie watcher she seems to dislike her way of life, but sees hope for herself in a different land. She gets affected by the situation prevailing in the country, but gets rid of the tension in herself by watching movies and singing songs from her favourite Shah Rukh Khan movies. She might not like the city, but Karachi has proved to be a good teacher for her. Although she has learned to live with and for the people she interacts with, she still feels she can change things around her. From disliking the way she has to dress to not seeing any thing positive in the city, this young lady still has a life, but even so she wants more... and that urge to make life better is very much a part of Karachi's character. – Photo by the author
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shrouds itself in nonchalance and smog, and people, roads,
and buildings alike wear signs of wear and tear and the abuse and turmoil
the city is stamped with.
that so much of its
beauty has been allowed to fall to shambles, also makes Karachiites hunger
for anything that will appeal to their higher senses. It sometimes actually
feels as though Karachi dresses itself up every night to please those living
within its ever expanding, blurry borders.
people. Alone, or appearing with their beloved, they seem to be from another
world, and perhaps are. Sameer has taken his inspiration from, and indeed,
copied many Chughtai paintings. Gracefully long limbs, and features
characteristic of Abdur Rehman Chughtai's paintings adorn the delicately
weathered leaves and tenderly treated surfaces Sameer paints on. "I am
a student of human nature," said Sameer, "I like painting people,
from stories and myths that have inspired me."
universities, organizations, and knock on doors of private residences,
offering his art for a price. He met with much success and profit; a single
piece of art that sold for a meager 20 rupees in Multan sold for ten times
that much in Karachi.
the Telephone Subscribers Action Committee (TSAC),
about fifty thousand telephone lines are out of order in Karachi.
