UNLIKE today when Karachi airport does not host many international airlines, a little more than five decades back it used to be one of the busiest airstrips in the world. This fact kept the authorities associated with aviation affairs constantly on their toes and they would come up with one plan or another to spare passengers and airlines’ crew of unnecessary hassle.

On Nov 3, 1972 it was announced that air traffic handling facilities were being expanded at Karachi airport to meet the rising passenger volume owing to operations by a number of foreign airlines of wide-bodied (jumbo) aircraft. The programme would be implemented in two phases. The first phase consisted of international arrival areas, the existing transit lounge and domestic areas. The second included a new international departure-cum-transit lounge and a car park. Sounds fancy, isn’t it! The former was expected to be completed in October 1973, the most important aspect of which was streamlining of passenger flow to expedite their clearance. Three customs, three health and five immigration channels had been provided for the purpose. In the latter, a new block was to be built for departure and transit passengers with a capacity of 600 persons. Similarly, the arrival lounge would be enlarged to accommodate over 320 passengers. Ah, the good old days.

This was about air traffic. What about vehicles on the ground? The day before, on Nov 2, the media claimed that the government of Sindh had allocated a sum of Rs3 crore for the purchase of 500 buses in order to tide over the transport crisis in the province in general and Karachi in particular. As per the programme, 500 buses were to be imported for Sindh, out of which 400 would be for its capital city.

Now from commuting issues to another kind of a communication channel: on Nov 1, the programme staff of Radio Pakistan Karachi suspended work from 2.30pm and refused to go on working for extra time as a protest against the government’ s failure to set up a radio corporation. They said they would work only during office hours applicable also to other government departments. They put on black armbands rejecting the new 9am to 4.30pm schedule. As a result of the disruption, several shows were not broadcast. The staff also declined to cover an evening function at which the provincial finance minister was the guest speaker.

In those days Karachi’s compassionate outlook on life was not just limited to its working citizens; it looked after animals, too, through its famous Richmond Crawford Veterinary Hospital.

On Nov 5, Dawn published an encouraging piece of information that the city would soon have one more veterinary hospital to be built by the recently formed Constantine Foundation at a cost of Rs100,000. The foundation’s chairperson, Lady Constantine, had already approached the government to lease out a plot of land measuring about four acres near University Road for constructing the proposed fully fledged facility. Arrangements were made for at least 500 animals’ treatment at the hospital at a time which was designed to have the latest surgical equipment, an X-Ray unit, a dispensary and an outdoor patient department.

Published in Dawn, October 31st, 2022