The Karachi Walla

You get to see certain type of people at certain type of events in Karachi. You start to recognize them as you frequent events happening across the city. The people at Dramatic Readings are distinct in their outlook. They are there to listen to Urdu Short Stories. But they are not serious Urdu readers and […]

Karachi’s lost tradition of Reading rooms. You can perhaps count remaining few in Karachi on fingertips. However Mir Muhammad Baloch Progressive Academy reading room is one vibrant community space in the heart of Marwari Lines. I find Ali Akbar, caretaker and librarian basking in winter sun outside the small reading room. He takes pride in […]

Karachi’s lost tradition of Reading rooms. You can perhaps count remaining few in Karachi on fingertips. Therefore I could not believe my luck when I accidentally discovered one such forgotten reading room in an obscure location in Lyari. I find myself in Lyari and ask my friends if there are any libraries. In their teens […]

Karachi’s Happy Street. The streets in Lyari are dull, most of them without any paint. Therefore this particular street off Atmaram Pritamdas Road stand out and catch your attention from a distance. Painted with vivid colors, paved with envicrete tiles and decorated with occasional flower pots, the street could be mistaken to belong to some […]

The Qawwali at Pakistan Chowk was a fantastic experience. Subhan Nizami is one of the finest Qawwals in the city and Pakistan Chowk has turned out to be a vibrant public space since its restoration. The combination guaranteed to entertain and engage the audience, a lot of which were from the area. It would not […]