Karachi 1960 - Can our young generation will believe this?

Karachi 1960

Once upon a time Karachi was counted in the world's best cities in the 60s,

What was Karachi ?

Can our young generation will believe this?

An interesting Story!

It was told to me by a former US embassy diplomat in America. I went to America for a tour in 2002, my friend took me to an old American embassy diplomat in New York, who was stationed in Pakistan during the tenures of President Ayub Khan to Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto but after the marshal law of General Zia-ul-Haq he was transferred to Latin America, he was retired later and was enjoying life in 2002.

I sat in his studio in front of him, he started scattering the ash of the old days; he told that Karachi was counted in the world's best cities in the 60s, it was a peaceful city, where the world diplomats, tourists and hippies used to freely stroll around.

The hotels, Discos and Bazar were populated at all times. The beach of Karachi was in the world's ten stunning beaches, the PIA was among world's four major airlines.

European, American, Middle Eastern, Arab Countries and Soviet Union’s aero planes going to Japan and India used to land in Karachi and Passengers would spend two hours in the bazars of Karachi before going to their destination.

·          Double decker buses were moving in the city, the city government had completed the excavation of the underground train and so Karachi was to become the first city in Asia to have the facility of commute by Metro.

·          The lights of Karachi used to convert night into day. All the diplomats called Karachi as the city of lights.

·          The beaches of Karachi were fabulous between, we Goras used to spend our weekends of Sundays and Sundays laying down on the hot sandy beach,

·          we used to ride bicycles along the coast, ships used to travel from around the world to Karachi and thousands of passengers used to came to Karachi by those ships.

Karachi was also a junction (train). From Europe, people used to come to Istanbul by train, from Istanbul to Tehran, from Tehran to Quetta and Quetta to Karachi.

·          After spending some time, they used to travel India and from there reached to Nepal and Bhutan.

·          Karachi had the world's most advanced products;

·          I bought my first tape record, first color TV and first heavy motorbike from Karachi.

·          Karachi was a huge market of large vehicles. Expensive cars from Japan, Europe and America used to come to Karachi and Karachi's Seth (big businessmen) used to buy these vehicles by regular bidding.

·          Karachi's railway station was counted one the best stations in the world.

·          Trains were innovative and comfortable and within the trains the food was clean and good standard too.

·          Most of us were planning to stay in Karachi after retirement. We used to try to buy property in Karachi as well.

·          The city was clean, the atmosphere was very good and climate was moderate both in summer and winter.

Bureaucracy was educated, patriotic and cooperative and officers were highly educated and cultured.

I saw in one of Ayub Khan's counselor's house the largest private library that I had ever seen in my life. People were courteous as hosts.

There was no tension and fear in the city. There were no security guard or police in front of any of Karachi’s embassy, we used to open and close the gate of embassy by ourselves, with our hands.

Pakistani did not need any visa to travel to other countries, Pakistani people used to climb on the plane, land in Europeans countries and used to get visas on the airport… reason for it was an interesting one that Pakistan was the only country in the world where only those genuine passengers (travellers) were given passports who really wanted to travel.

To get a passport a Pakistani citizen had to be rosperous, had proof of property and show reason to travel.

So, the citizen of Pakistan who had a passport meant that he was a genuine passenger, so all the countries used to give him/her a visa on arrival.

Pakistan's quality education was higher throughout the region. Students from Europe, Arab countries, Africa, Middle East, Iran, Afghanistan and China used to come to Pakistan to study and enrolled in colleges and universities of Karachi and Lahore.

·          US and Europe professors used to turn to Pakistan for employment.

·          There were a thousand foreign doctors, professors and medics in Karachi city.

·          Pakistan's banking system was modern and fool-proof. Electricity, telephone and gas efficiency was very good, sewage system was excellent, roads used to get dry in half hour after a normal rain.

·          Employment opportunities were excellent, factories were being installed and goods were being exported.

·          Television was new, so long lines of antennas on houses roofs could be seen in Karachi.

The World Bank and IMF officials used to come to the US Embassy at that time, and asked us that we should force Pakistani government to borrow.

When we used to talk to the Finance Minister, he used to say " We do not need it… what will we do with this money?”.

At that point the American diplomat grasped for air and said with regret, "We diplomats used to ask each other that would Karachi be the largest city by 1980 or London or New York… and we did not have answer to it”.

After that, the diplomat again took a deep breath said,

" I see the situation in Karachi on TV today and read the news about it, I feel sorry and I keep thinking for a long time, is it really the city that has been my home for fifteen years and it was the world's supreme city. "

Source: Whatsapp Group