The trend of street racing in Karachi is not a new one: race competitions in recent history can be traced back to the decade of the 1990s. The phenomenon found much support among the youth of the city in particular, and support within youngsters continues till date. What is surprising, however, is the fact that no special efforts have ever been made by the authorities concerned to cater to the needs of this spectator sport.  

"In advanced countries, there are proper tracks or circuits for racing. This concept seems to be alien in Pakistan. How many proper tracks or arenas do you see in Karachi which are made for enthusiasts of car racing?" said Syed Ahmed, a sports car racer.

"The government allows the import of such cars without providing any infrastructure for them, and even after seeing all the stunts and accidents, they continue to be oblivious to the cause," he maintained.

According to law, car racing in Pakistan is not an offense in if it is done at a safe and secluded place, and further that there are no accidents or injuries in the sport. "Our duty is to monitor and see if every person is following basic traffic rules in order to maintain a smooth flow of traffic. There are no laws that we know of in Pakistan which limits citizens to a normal consumer vehicle. But whenever there is any accident involving a sports vehicle, we ask the person concerned to ensure that the car not taken outside city limits," said Sub-Inspector Chaudhry Iqbal of Darakhshan police station.

In the absence of appropriate rule and regulations, the racers did not see any reason to hold back on their prime source of entertainment.

"We used to race in front of Area 51, but when the DHA patrol became active and placed barriers, we shifted next to the Golf Club . Races usually started in the evening on Saturday, and continued till late into the night. There were no street lights in the area, and at times all one could see and hear were piercing HID lights, screeches, engine/exhaust boom, rubber burning and often the turbo's whistling" said Syed.

"When the road leading from Village to the Emaar construction opened, it was car paradise" he said. "Then the Bikers, or as we say organ donors, started pouring in. They did their willy`s, reckless stunts, racing with cars, hooting- we shifted our scene to Sundays," he said.

"Sometimes open races are set, sometimes secret races are held -- usually on the Emaar Road. Khayaban-e-Ittehad was a potential point for high-speed driving, till the authorities realized they had to close down another avenue," Syed added.

Serious efforts to organise and promote events for racers have only recently been made by local car enthusiasts and the media, providing much entertainment and satisfaction to racers and spectators alike. In particular, a couple of auto cross (time trial races) held near Sea View attracted much attention. Racers were invited from across the country, and proper tracks were laid for these events. The authorities were pre-informed, which made the event a safe source of entertainment, while people from all walks of society turned out to enjoy the day's events. A burnout competition held at a Korangi warehouse by a local music channel was also well-received.

The popularity of the sport is such that there has been an increase in the number of big engine and sports cars: Mazda RX-7 and RX-8, Mitsubishi Evolution, Toyota Supra, and Nissan 350-Z have all been imported into the country. There are groups of individuals who own these cars, modify and upgrade them, make them monsters on wheels, and capable of beating the other group's cars.

"The sudden availability of all types of sports cars has fuelled the rage to imitate the latest car tricks in movies, and to be like their onscreen idols. Many youngsters try to either convince their parents, or trick them, into buying these sports cars. A lot of cash is also spent in racing, accidents and damages, while the upgrading of tyres, rims, engines, turbo's, stickers or paint jobs are routine expenses," said an imported cars dealer at Clifton.

"It has even become a fashion, or say a prestige point in social circles, to own the latest biggest car," he continued. "Those who don't own `sports cars` have converted their otherwise regular cars into sports sedans by injecting huge sums of money in bigger engine transplants, brand-new looks for their cars, and well, street racing," he added.

"There is a reason why there is a sudden growth of car performance shops across the city, selling anything and everything to modify all forms of sports cars, from their mechanical aspects, to electrical to physical to their aero dynamics is a proof of this.  Modified cars only have the heart of a sports car, they don't have their souls. They become unreliable, and they have to be taken to the mechanic a number of times. Huge sums are spent on keep cars in tip-top shape and ready for the next showdown," the dealer said.

For Ahmed and many other sports car owners, however, car racing is an undying and electrifying experience. "Every day, we see a boy racer trying to be the next drift king or beat the next person, even if he is not driving a sports car. There is a certain charm to racing. The screeching sound of tyres, the roaring engines, speed that thrills, and the adrenaline rush – all these are part of the unique experience of racing," Ahmed said.

--The News photos

There are three phases in the racing scene in Karachi, a car dealer at Khalid Bin Waleed road told Kolachi. In the first phase, most cars imported were American and Japanese-made, but also included some British and German-made cars. Ford Mustangs, Chevy Camaros, Pontiac Firebirds, Dodge Chargers, Toyota Celica, Mazda RX-7, Datsun 240-Zx, Datsun/Nissan 280-Zx and 300 Zx were widely sought at the time.

"It was in the late 60`s when cars like American V-8`s and so on could be seen on the roads. At this time, people were mostly collectors racing their American muscle cars, British cars and some Japanese cars. But these were only a handful of people who were actual car enthusiasts, who were proud of what they had and cherished it. Then there were the foreign embassies and consulates, who imported their cars," he said.

The second phase was in the early 1990`s, when numerous reconditioned Turbo Charades, Starlets Turbo-S and other Japanese cars became popular. "This was the start of our generation's passion into racing. One could see races on every road and especially as the signal turned green, these cars would disappear in front of your eyes," he said.

Till the late 1990's and even 2000, races were held on various roads inside what is now known as DHA Phase-VIII, next to the creek city building which is now closed and near Sea View. The races were usually pre-arranged, there were no designated roads and only those roads chosen where there were no bikers and had smooth surfaces. These races were mostly held on Saturdays and Sundays. The same area was used for car racing some three decades ago, but the scene wasn't as significant as there were very few people racing.

According to the car dealer, the third phase lasted from 2006-07 specifically, when government reduced the duty on the import of heavy duty cars. "German Mercedes, BMWs and sports cars such as Supra Evolution, Mazda RX 8 etc, were imported through the seaport in Karachi. The cars that we now see on our roads are these," he said.

Current sports cars racers meanwhile maintain that the actual scenario of racing started with advent of movies such as `Fast and the Furious` and `Gone in 60 Seconds`. They said that with every sequel, the concepts, the races, the cars, and engine upgrades became the talk to the town. The quarter mile drags, burnouts and the new `in thing` drifting also started under the influence of these movies.--SS

The absence of female car racers in the metropolis, which is home to number of car lovers, doesn't come as a surprise. Already in this male chauvinist society, the females who dare to bring their cars out on the roads are looked down upon, stared and ogled by their male counterparts. In such an environment, and among such people, car racing is a mammoth challenge that females refrain from taking.  Consider the example of 18-year-old Alishay Adnan, a student at a private A-levels school who has been longing to 'drift' her car one day at the famous car racing spot. "I have been driving since I was 14 years old, but when I think of showing off my driving skills, I get scared of thinking of what the consequences might be, and therefore I don't think much about it." The insecure atmosphere, the taunts and the hooting of the other gender drivers doesn't let Adnan follow her wishes. "I know I wont be able to race my car around here as I feel female drivers are very much threatened by the male ones."

Another student, Farwa Hasan studying at Szabist agrees with Adnan, "In today's time, female drivers feel very insecure. When I am behind the steering wheel, I make sure I cover my head, and lock the doors." While Hasan would love to drive around, and have full control of the car, she feels that in our part of the world it is thought of as 'a boy's thing' and thus would be greatly discouraged by her family and relatives, if she tried it.

Meanwhile, 20-year-old Aqsa Tariq, while talking to Kolachi explained her helplessness at the situation and said, "I envy my four brothers when they race around in the city, screaming and honking. I on the other hand would never imagine doing that as everyone around me would make fun ," she said with a disappointed look.

Karachi has its share of underground sports and street racing is just one of them. The sport has travelled a long way from its inception and has become increasingly popular over the years. "Like opium and marijuana are to a drug addict, speed is to me, and racing cars is my passion," 20 year Faizan Ur Rehman told Kolachi. Since childhood he wanted to race cars, "I used to put all of my money into my father's car's accessories since I was 12" Faizan added.  Faizan, the owner of a modified 1995 model civic believes that street racing is something that was practiced earlier at the Devil's point and Area 51 but not too extensively. According to Faizan, the real boom in street racing started after the release of the Hollywood flick 'Fast and the Furious.' The release of the film brought a new wave of passion amongst the racers and car modification went to another level.

The main market for car spare parts and accessories is in Shershah where parts for foreign cars come via the port.  "The real market of car modification is in Shershah and the markets in Zamzama and Tariq road are a mere decoration," says Faizan.

Faizan himself is a passionate racer and his car is counted amongst the best modified civics of Karachi. However, he is not very happy about the new sports cars coming in to the business. "Earlier North Nazimabad and Gulshan-e-Iqbal used to be the hub of street racing as the main Karsaz road and the roads of North Nazimabad are very wide and good for the sport, but as the racing in Defence started, all the youngsters from rich families brought in their expensive sports cars and it ruined everything," Faizan told Kolachi.

He further added that cars like Accord CL 9, RX 8, Nissan Sky line, Nissan fair Lady and Toyota Supra are present in Karachi and are used in street racing but the advent of these cars has killed the spirit of modification which can even convert a normal Sedan into a sports car. Faizan believes that a properly modified civic 1995 model has the potential to beat an RX8. "If you buy the B 16 Engine of a Japanese car which is easily available in Sher Shah and replace it with the engine of a civic, then you will have an edge of 700 cubic centimeters over RX 8 as it has an engine of 1300 cc and the Japanese engine is of 2000 cc", Faizan told Kolachi while explaining the technicalities involved in car modification. He stressed on the presence of a turbo charge in the civic which enables good air mixing with the engine. Another essential thing is the material of the bonnet and bumper; if they are made out of fibre then the car has less weight to pull and therefore runs faster. Regardless of the form of street racing, there are a few things that every racer should take care about. This includes a good road grip, suspension, wheel alignment, head lights, an efficient engine performance and above all a perfect braking system.

Street racing can start in a most unplanned way when one racers start to pin (tease the other car on the road) and the other car responds by accelerating twice with full exhaust and turbo sound. "It once happened with me when I was going to my university and suddenly a car pinned my car. We started racing from Drigh road to the end of Shahrae Faisal on a busy morning at 10 am. I was driving at 120km per hour and although the traffic was getting disturbed, I had to finish the race and I did by beating my opponent with a distance of 200 meters. Although I missed my class that day, the satisfaction of winning a street race was far more fulfilling," said Faizan while speaking about his racing experiences.

As far as the financial aspect of the sport is concerned, there is a lot of money required to maintain a sports car because while racing a lot of parts are ruined which need to be properly maintained. The money required to modify a car varies from Rs 10,000 to 20 lac, as this craze has no limits. Noumi, one of the owners of an automobile store at Zamzama is the proud maker of Karachi's fastest civic, but he believes that the owner of the car had a lot of money to spend so he got the return. "We made Karachi's fastest civic a year ago and the owner spent Rs 15 lac only on the accessories and the engine. It was one great sports car to watch," Noumi told Kolachi.

He further added that the business of car modification was an uncertain yet lucrative one. "Owning a car modification shop in Zamzama is a blessing because people here like to throw money like anything. The craze is at such a level that we have got head lights from worth rupees 10,000 to 60,000. And believe it or not, all of them get sold". Noumi added.

Although disappointed by the state of street racing after the advent of new cars, and children from posh families coming into the sport and throwing money to win races, Faizan is still hopeful about the street racing scene in Gulshan-e-Iqbal and North Nazimabad. "Racers from Gulshan and Nazimabad always had better modified cars and racing tactics and they had a separate group of racers known as group A and B at the Devil's point.  We even have our own car modification mechanics in North and Gulshan who are far better and cheaper than those at Zamzama".

The recognition of street racing in the 'Apna Karachi' race contest was a ray of hope for the street racers in Karachi because being recognized by the officials of City District Government Karachi (CDGK) was a great achievement.

The motor sports in Karachi have grown with time be it in terms of street racing or off-roading. However, life security of the drivers and the people around them are blanks that need to be filled. Despite the frequent accidents that occur in the sport, the love for car modification and street racing seems to keep increasing. The new signal free corridor connecting Mazar-e-Quaid and CDGK parking plaza could be the next venue of the often lethal motor sports.

Former parliamentarian Kunwar Khalid Yunus reminiscences about Pahar Ganj -- an area where he grew up, but which is now at the mercy of land grabbers. What jogs his memory, however, is the area next to his new neighbourhood: Neelum Colony

About five months ago, I acquiesced to moving homes from my old residence in North Nazimabad to Clifton--an area of the city popularly considered as posh. For over forty years, I had lived in Hussain D'Silva Town – the area is now better known as Pahar Ganj. What I hadn't realized back then was that my move was merely cosmetic: I was actually replacing one Katchi Abadi with another.    

Pahar Ganj is North Nazimabad's backyard. Legend has it that the area was named by a Delhiwallah some 30 years ago after the Mughal-era Pahar Ganj of Old Delhi fame. A series of hillocks marks the boundary between Pahar Ganj and Orangi Town, but my neighbourhood was always defined by the residence of respected and well-known personalities. Television celebrities, industrialists, business persons, advertisers, poets, bureaucrats and even high-ranking generals lived in the area.    

Things, and indeed our fortunes, started changing when it was announced that the Capital city would be Islamabad. Karachi then became an orphan, and we felt the pinch.

 By the early 1970s, stories of encroachments started cropping up, and with it the mushrooming of a number of illegal settlements. Many have alleged that this phenomenon was because of a former commissioner of Karachi having consciously allowed and supervised encroachments. A vicious race seemed to have started to illegally occupy Karachi's prime and vast hinterlands.

 The residents of Pahar Ganj were among the greatest sufferers of these land violations. A 15-acre plot had been reserved for a children's hospital, and was to be built with the aid of the Japanese government. Following the encroachments, no suitable plots were left where a hospital for the area could be constructed. Resultantly, the multi-million dollar children's hospital project was shifted to Islamabad.

 Even after 47 years since the shifting of the Capital, no federal or provincial legislation has been brought about for the protection of Karachi's land from the land grabbers. Till this day, land continues to be encroached upon with impunity – a fact Pahar Ganj bears witness to.

 D'Silva Town is now covered by encroachments on three sides, which leaves the main road -- Shahrah-e-Noor Jehan -- the only avenue open for entrance and exit. Once a sparkling neighbourhood of the city, Pahar Gunj is presently one of the filthiest neighbourhoods not only in North Nazimabad, but perhaps also across Karachi. Grime and sewage dot the main and side streets of Pahar Gunj, and dwellers are forced to walk over and across the filth.  

Things were not always this way. I remember that my backyard window opened towards the area where the Christian community lived. Both the front and right sides of the house faced the hillocks where Pashtuns had settled. It was a different world with a very different style of life. 

When I now open my backyard window in my Clifton residence, I now face the sprawling Katchi Abadi of Neelum Colony. The settlement – a slightly better slum – is composed of a large mix of Hindus and Christians, while many hail from Punjab and Kashmir. Compared to Pahar Gunj, Neelum Colony is relatively clean but deficient in civic services. 

Despite shifting homes, I could not avoid a common middle and lower-middle class dilemma: having used our life savings to purchase plots and construct houses, often with the aid of bank loans, can we still not escape encroachments?

 In 2006, I visited Mumbai, where I got the opportunity to see Dharvi, Asia's biggest Katchi Abadi. Dharvi was the site where Oscar-winning movie 'Slum Dog Millionaire' was filmed. We were told that Mumbai's Katchi Abadi problems were much worse than those of Karachi's, but now the city is being transformed with the help of local, provincial, federal and international aid to its Jhonper Pattis (Katchi Abadis). The State of Maharashtra allotted its land liberally to Mumbai's Jhonper Pattis for relocation outside the City's suburb.

 Perhaps we need such measures too. Having spent their lives' earnings on building a house, nobody wants to live next to a Katchi Abadi. The proximity of Katchi Abadis to regular settlements leads to a number of situation where the physical environment and services afforded to residents of a particular area are compromised.