WHEN people arrived from India at the time of partition, many came to Karachi, the capital of Pakistan, and its neighbouring cities.

As the capital, Karachi enjoyed all privileges. Unfortunately, Ayub Khan, shifted the capital to Islamabad at great unnecessary cost, thus depriving Karachi of its rightful status although the Quaid-i-Azam himself, and one and all had accepted Karachi as Pakistan’s capital much before partition.

Though wrongly and unfairly labelled “refugees”, the people had migrated for good and not temporarily to carve out a new destiny for themselves and their progeny having left behind everything they held dear. They were true immigrants just as most Americans, Australians and Canadians and other similar migrating people around the world were once:

Within the world I was
A wanderer like perfume,
For having left it once
I never returned home.

— Khwaja Haider Ali Atish

There has been talk recently of making newer provinces, in the media and even the assemblies, to bring justice and a sense of belonging to the Hazaras, Saraikis and other ethnic groups, why not then in Sindh? The MQM may be right in asking for ‘four administrative regions’ for Sindh, keeping in view the growing population and the silent addition of different ethnic people in large numbers in Karachi from time to time.

In doing so, nothing will be lost or taken away from the province, except the loss of hold and manipulation of the people by feudal lords and politicians.

Let us also not forget that we lost half of Pakistan when the mandate of the ‘Awami League’s majority winning vote’ was rejected by a prime minister hailing from Sindh.

I am not a member of any political party, but as a concerned Karachiite, I feel that unless proper population count is undertaken, and more seats and representation for the Urdu-speaking people provided for in the legislatures, and the illegal ‘quota system’ abolished altogether, and local body elections held at the earliest to ensure true democracy at the grass roots, the existing problems will sadly persist.

Karachi should also be given all privileges and funds that it once enjoyed as the capital of Pakistan.

Orooj Ahmed Ali
Karachi

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2014