Pakistan: ② Walking Down the Streets of Karachi

Heavy Traffic...

I visited Karachi quite often sometime during the period from September or October of 1987 into the early 1990s. It was some 2 decades ago but I still have pretty vivid memories of certain places and scenery where my Iranian driver cum guide took me around to.

However, the first local bazaar in downtown Karachi I was taken to this time did not seem familiar to me. It was a no-frills shopping centre, old and dilapidated, filled with lots of small individual shops of mainly casual clothes like T-shirts, jeans, jackets, Pakistani dresses and the likes. I had no idea how many storeys the building had but I'd guess probably 3 to 5.

I bought about a dozen or so pashmina shawls whilst my local friends were shopping for some souvenirs for friends back in the UAE. Seemingly there was no sight of tourists or foreigners in the shopping centre, only local Pakistanis.

Local Shopping Mall

The second shopping mall I visited, which I believe was adjunct to the Paradise Hotel, instantaneously brought back all the vivid memories just like a flashback the moment when I walked into it.

Everything I saw in there - the narrow lanes, countless, colourful sarees on display, how uniquely the shops and stalls were arranged, chairs on the corridors for the prospective customers to sit down and haggle with the shopkeepers, and every single characteristic of the atmosphere - seemed so familiar to me.

Undoubtedly this was the one of the places I had visited earlier. I remember having spent time here haggling over the price of sarees (and I did get myself quite a few!) over a cup of rich milky local chai.

Men's Fashion à la pakistanaise

It was all too vivid as if it had been only yesterday, and the next thing I knew I was overwhelmed with a wave of nostalgia. Did it ever cross my mind that I would come across by chance the very same shopping centre after all these years and find it almost intact as if I had literally 'time-travelled' into the past??

It could have been demolished leaving behind no traces of having ever stood there or refurbished and redecorated out of all recognition.

Anything could've happened during those years, yet here I was once again standing in the very same place just as the 20-years-younger me had done so. Wow, what a nostalgic feeling.

Tourism seems virtually none existent now or then. Even aboard the flight, I reckon almost 98% of the passengers were of Asian subcontinent origin. A local source told me that Karachi was once a lively city but its vibrancy has faded away over the last 2 decades and how it tears him apart. Civil unrest, political instability and security concerns have been a major impediment to progress.

Mind you, being the largest city of Pakistan with 15 million inhabitants Karachi is the country's de facto capital of commerce, banking, and industry, and one of the largest cities in the world in terms of population. There may not be as many tourists as there used to be, but traffic is heavy and the streets are bustling with activity, a far cry from sleepy or dead, really.

Colourful Rickshaws

During my 5 days, I spotted an American couple having lunch at my hotel. They seemed to be visiting on business. I also saw at the Japanese restaurant a group of Western and Pakistani businessmen having dinner. Other than that I didn't really see any foreigners. After I returned to Dubai, I came across a Canadian man who told me he had visited Peshawar a couple of months earlier.

I'm sure there are people who are travelling to Pakistan as I speak, but very few. Some developing countries like Thailand, Egypt, China to name just a few are extremely successful in marketing tourism and generating a great deal of income from visiting foreigners, marking a significant portion of their respective GDPs.

As far as Pakistan is concerned, most of the tourists to this part of the world are heading for India or perhaps Sri Lanka. The recent negative news and images of Pakistan are amongst the factors that sadly deter people from having anything to do with Pakistan. You may have to be a savvy traveller to visit Pakistan solo. Well, I've done it before and I may do it again.

Fruit Vendor

I didn't face any challenges or difficulty getting about. However, following my local friends advice, I refrained from doing so on my own, which was a bit pity as I felt totally fine and capable.

Yet I must say I was much grateful for their assistance and practical advice as to what to do and what not to do. They provided me with a sense of security and assurance, making my trip come to fruition.