Karachi has an undisputed place in the economy of the country and in the affections of its citizens. The glowing capital of Sindh is loved in spite of its glaring shortcomings. In the imagination of its people it stands for a lifestyle that is at once modern and yet more leisured than the frenetic megacities elsewhere. Its citizens are capable of dealing with their problems. Karachi is a new city but it is old in its wisdom and tolerance. Above all it is a cosmopolitan city which demands civilized attitudes from its most unruly citizens. It is this mainstream Karachi that this book is about.
Karachi Megacity of Our Times is the story of the transformation of a sleepy town of under 20,000 people into a vibrant metropolis, one of the largest in Asia today. Thirteen prominent writers of Karachi take the reader through post-independence developments in politics, economics, the arts, demography and architecture. Some of the articles are very personal, evoking nostalgia for the Karachi that was; others are analytical, drawing on available data to predict the course that this turbulent city will take in the future. Part of the book is also devoted to the long nineteenth century when the Englishman ruled and divided the city into white and native quarters, and there is a section on people who have contributed to the citys welfare. The book is profusely illustrated with maps, photographs, and illustrations.