The Karachi Walla

It felt as if I was in a different timezone, a far off geography – definitely not present day Karachi. There are many shrines around the city with their peculiar ways of celebrating words of Sufi saints. Qawwali is perhaps the most popular ritual but communal dhikr is not uncommon either. However you perhaps would […]

[Originally published for Dawn.com] Pakistani Cinema has defined entertainment for decades in our country before getting into hibernation in later part of the century. Magnificent single screen Cinemas were found in abundance in metros, and even small towns had one or two cinemas of their own. Slowly and gradually they have given way to a […]

One of the oldest churches in the city. It smells of nostalgia. The stories of bygone days echo inside. Just like rest of the churches in Karachi, there is a school adjacent to the church. The school was founded in 1846 and the church was added to the compound in 1856. The patron of the […]

‘Footprint Pakistan Handbook’ calls Dhobhi Ghat one of two most interesting sights for people-watchers’ in Karachi and It lives up to this distinction. The Ghat stretches approx. two kilometers along the banks of Lyari River. I was there with a British visitor and we reached there from Garden road. I expected a lot of attention […]

Originally published on Dawn.com Karachi is often termed as a dull city, sometimes even dangerous. In a city of 20 odd million, there is a dearth of public spaces and limited avenues for cultural activities. The much praised diversity has also come under scrutiny, with minorities migrating to greener pastures abroad and those staying back […]