They don’t give a damn Majyd Aziz “They” refers to the 20 to 30 million (take your pick) denizens of Karachi. “They” also refers to political parties, social activists, business community, and more importantly, me. Yes, occasionally people do gather on the streets to protest frequent loadshedding or gas closures or, mostly, water shortage. Yes, occasionally political parties hold press conferences or put up banners. Yes, occasionally trade bodies issue strong press releases to raise hell that infrastructure shortages are destroying businesses. But, by and large, citizens just quietly bear the ordeal, stay in their silos and don’t give a damn.
The Sindh Police has installed cameras mostly in so-called Red Zone or Shahrah e Faisal in areas where there is VIP movement. Those who violate traffic rules are heavily penalized under the e-challan system. Those who violate rules such as not wearing seat belt, or not wearing helmet, or speeding, or even going the wrong way get their citations delivered to the address on their CNIC. Recently a new rule was announced. Bikers must stay out of the two fast lanes on Shahrah e Faisal otherwise be ready to receive the e-challan. Although many bikers are now wearing helmets, the large majority of nearly 4.50 million bikers don’t give a damn. The daily e-challans issued to those not wearing helmets is around 2000. They do what they feel like doing and don’t give a damn. The traffic police also don’t give a damn.
Recently, SSGC has been digging up roads and lanes and laying new pipelines in many areas of the city. Take for example KDA Scheme No 1 (Karsaz) or Muhammad Ali Society. Fast track digging done, fast track pipelines laid, and fast track the trenches re-filled. Kudos to SSGC. What is missing is that Faisal Cantonment and KMC Boards are in no hurry to pave the lanes and streets, just because they don’t give a damn. How long will this status quo continue? Neither the hierarchies of these organizations know, nor the residents know because they don’t give a damn.
Ditto is the situation on the roads and streets. If an influential person needs a new water line, the department concerned digs through these, lay the water pipeline, cover it up and vanish, not be seen again. Meantime, vehicles have to stop where the digging was done resulting in traffic jams and in some cases accidents. Take for example, Hakeem Ibn-Sina Road that leads from Nazimabad underpass to SITE flyover. Tycoons, workers, and public transports daily traverse this road, but nobody complains because they don’t give a damn. The Estate Avenue in SITE, which is the main artery in the industrial estate, was carpeted, and it was announced that it was done by world standards. Leaders of SITE Association of Industry patted each other’s back and proudly announced that under such and such rehabilitation package announced by the Sindh government, travelling on this important artery would be facilitative and comfortable. Lo and behold, within no time, sewerage damaged the roads and the shoddy workmanship created potholes (some have become mini craters). SITE Ltd and the Association leaders have not taken notice of or maybe ignored the damage because they don’t give a damn too.
The perpetual garbage on the streets and lanes are a common sight. The Sindh Solid Waste Management Board is a Government of Sindh organization responsible for managing municipal waste in major cities like Karachi but frequently outsources the actual day-to-day garbage collection and disposal operations to various private contractors. No problem with this system. The question is whether SSWMB monitors the garbage collection on a daily basis. Is there a mechanism for accountability? The garbage all over the city is proof positive that SSWMB rarely monitors the day-to-day collection by the contractors. Let the garbage stay where it is thrown because neither the SSWMB hierarchy nor the contractors nor the citizens care because they don’t give a damn. Then there are car dealers, shop owners, tea stalls, builders, hawkers, and sellers of garments, shoes or trinkets who shamelessly occupy the pavements, sidewalks, and even part of the lanes and streets. Pedestrians have to zigzag to traverse the pavements or sidewalks or resort to walking in the middle of the lanes and streets. Once in a blue moon, law enforcers do a façade of a raid, order the illegal occupiers to vacate straightaway, and for a day or two sanity prevails. But then the violators are back in business again because they have the influence and the money. Neither the violators, nor the law enforcers, nor the pedestrians want to keep the area free from obstruction because they all don’t give a damn.
Now and then, Whatsapp is full of memes and videos that inform that Karachi ranks 170 out of 173 global cities in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Livability Index, solidifying its place as the 4th worst livable city in the world. Those were the days when Karachi was called the City of Lights but that was when Karachi was truly Karachi that did not present a sleazy and horrible representation of deficient governance ecosystem. Karachi is the economic engine of Pakistan, treated like a golden goose by the Federal and Provincial governments, blatantly neglected and deserted, and given hope in the shape of lollipops. It is said that despite all the difficulties, problems. and issues, Karachi has a carefree expression of freedom. That is more or less true. This carefree expression of freedom is because the citizens of Karachi, the elected representatives, and the administration, all don’t give a damn. Even I have resigned to the ground realities. I too don’t give a damn.
(The writer is President Employers Federation of Pakistan)
