Karachi City

 

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            Karachi, city (1998 population. 9,269,265), largest city and former capital of Pakistan, Se Pakistan, on the Arabian Sea near the Indus River delta. The capital of Sindh province., it is Pakistan's chief seaport and industrial center, a transportation, commercial, and financial hub, and a military headquarters. It has a large automobile assembly plant, an oil refinery, a steel mill, shipbuilding, railroad yards, jute and textile factories, printing and publishing plants, media and entertainment industries, food processing plants, and chemical and engineering works. Karachi airport is one of the busiest in Asia.

           An old settlement, Karachi was developed as a port and trading center by Hindu merchants in the early 18th cent. In 1843 it passed to the British, who made it the seat of the Sindh government. Steady improvements in harbor facilities made Karachi a leading Indian port by the late 19th cent., while agricultural development of the hinterland gave it a large export trade.

           Karachi served as Pakistan's capital from 1947, when the country gained independence, until 1959, when Rawalpindi became the interim capital pending completion of Islamabad. Karachi has a university and other educational institutions; the national museum, with a fine archaeological collection; and the tomb of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan. The political base ),  the Muslim immigrants who fled to Pakistan following partition in 1947; in the late 1990s the government began efforts to suppress the violence.

          Karachi, the largest and most populous city, and commercial hub of  Pakistan is located on the shores of Arabian Sea, with the only harbor in Pakistan. Its history goes back to the 18th century when it was a small fishing village known as "KALACHI-JO-GOTH". It's selection as Pakistan's Capital in 1947 (year of Pakistan's independence from India), added to its importance which accelerated its rate of growth, development and population. Though the seat of Government moved to Islamabad eventually, Karachi still remains the center of commerce & industry. Karachi is the capital of the Sindh province.

         Karachi is the capital of the Sindh province. It is a bustling center of commerce and industry, a big port and the largest city of Pakistan. It has an International Airport which is a major link on all east and west air routes. Karachi has sunny beaches at Sands pit, Hawks Bay, Paradise Point and Clifton. It has a lot to offer, including the National Museum, the Hill Park, a golf course, a squash complex and modern medical facilities.

         Pakistan's commercial centre and largest city is a sprawling place of bazaars, hi-tech electronic shops, scurf-infested older buildings and modish new hotels. Its sights are spread far and wide so a taxi or rickshaw is necessary to travel between them. A good place to start is the Quaid-e-Azam Mausoleum, a monument to Pakistan's founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah which can be charitably described as distinctive. More impressive is the remarkable white-marbled Defence Housing Society Mosque. The single dome, claimed to be the largest of its kind in the world, will make your gum cleave to the roof of your mouth. Above the mosque is Honeymoon Lodge, birthplace of the Aga Khan. Other sights include the Holy Trinity Cathedral and St Andrew's Church (both good examples of Anglo-Indian architecture), the city's zoo, and the Zoroastrian Towers of Silence, hills where the dead are traditionally exposed to vultures. South of the city is Clifton, a former British hangout and now an exclusive coastal corner for the local wealthy, the popular but rather drab Clifton Beach, and Manora Island, a less-crowded beach resort.

       Saddar, the city centre, is the main shopping area with thriving markets selling carpets, fur coats, leather jackets, snake-skin purses, silk scarves and the country's biggest range of handicrafts. It also has a number of food stalls and cheap restaurants and the majority of budget hotels. Nightlife in Karachi is an oxymoron. If travel outside of Karachi is possible, then the archaeological site of Moenjodaro - once a city of an Indus Valley civilization - and the Chaukundi tombs are well worth a visit.

     Karachi is a city that has a large variety of places to go and things to do. In every part of the city there is some club or organization. No matter where you are, you can be guaranteed a good time. However in order to find these places and things to do you have to know where to look Karachi, commercial and industrial capital of Pakistan. An ancient settlement, Karachi was a small fishing and trade centre when captured by the British in 1839 and annexed three years later. Under British rule, it became the chief outlet for Indus Valley cotton and grain exports.

 

SOME OF  KEY ATTRACTIONS.

 

THINGS TO DO

Karachi General Information 

         Official language is Urdu, but English is widely spoken & understood. Karachi is 5 hours ahead of GMT. No health certificates are required for entry to Karachi; but check any health restrictions before departures. Karachi has a sub-tropical and temperate climate, with sunny, blue skies expected most of the year (occasional monsoon rains in summer).

All visitors require a visa.

         Karachi has a fairly relaxed dress code; but care should be taken not to give offence by wearing clothing considered revealing. Women, in public places, should wear long skirts or pants and full sleeve blouses.

 Places to see

Mosques, Museums, Cathedrals ,Beaches, Islands.

Lakes/Parks

Mangho Pir, Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, Masjid-e-Tooba, Masjid-e-Khizra, Quaid-e-Azam's Mausoleum, Liaqat Hall, National Museum

St. Patrick's, St. Andrews, Holy Trinity, Sand spit, Hawks Bay, French Beach, Paradise Point, 2-mile beach., Oyster Rocks, Baba and Bhatt Islands, Manora, Chaukundi Tombs, Bhanbore, Makli, Haleji Lake, Keenjhar Lake, Kirthar National Park, Burns Garden, Frere Hall Garden, Safari Park, Bagh-e-jinnah. Empress Market, Wazir Mansion, Mereweather Tower, Keamari, Bohri Bazaar, Sindh High Court      

Languages

  National: Urdu, Official English, Regional: Punjabi, Pushto, Sindhi and Balochi.

Religion

 Islam, Minorities include Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and Parsis.

Sunday is weekly Holiday and Friday is half working day. Muslim Holidays are observed on Lunar Calendar.

Flying Time: Flying time to Karachi International Airport from Addis Ababa 5 ½ hours; New York is 17 ½ hours: Tokyo 10 ½ hours; Hong Kong 5 ½ hours; London 8 hours; Jeddah 3 ½ hours; and Abu Dhabi 1 ¾ hours;

PST (Pakistan Standard Time);

G . M .T + 5 hours

International airports at Karachi

Airport Departure Tax

        International RS 800/= for the first class passengers, RS.600/= for business class, Rs.400/=for economy class passenger and Domestic RS.40/=.

          Foreign Travel Tax of RS 1,500/= is imposed on all passengers with tickets issued within Pakistan. Those exempted from the Tax include foreign diplomats, infants and supernumerary crew even if their tickets are issued in Pakistan.

          Car Hire, Taxi Services. There are car hire facilities at all International Airports. Agencies also function in major hotels. In the streets you get yellow cabs or taxis. Metered taxis of different capacities are available everywhere in the big cities. In case of difficulty, get the assistance of Police officials on duty.

          Apart from a valid driving license for self-driven rented cars, firms insists on a minimum age of 21 and may refuse to rent a car to any on over 60. Post & Telegraph Services: Country wide postal, telegraphic and telephone facilities are available. Fax and telex services are available. Cellular mobile telephones are also available in big cities. They can also be hired on daily basis. Pay card phone booths are also installed at important places in big cities. Electricity 220/240 volts 50/60 cycles AC. Newspapers Three English language daily newspapers appear every morning from Karachi. These are ‘DAWN’,’ The News' and ‘The ‘Business Recorders’. These are also available, in all cities in Sindh, later in the morning. Shopping In Karachi try the Cottages Industries Sales and Display Centre and wander around the old bazaar, you might visit Bohri Bazaar, the Sadder Cooperative Market, the little shops along MA Jinnah Road, Tariq Road in the PECHS (Pakistan Employees Cooperative Housing Society) Area, and Kehkashan Market in Clifton, about 4 miles south of city.

            The State Bank of Pakistan is the Central Bank. There are domestic commercial banks – Allied Bank, Habib Bank, National Bank of Pakistan. United Bank, Cooperative Bank, 8 development finance organizations and 15 principal foreign banks including Nederland, NV, American Express and City Bank

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