Name	Karachi
Native name	ڪراچي
Nickname	The Gateway to Pakistan, The City of Bright Lights, Mini Pakistan
Settlement type	City District
Map caption	Location of Karachi in Sindh and in Pakistan.
Pushpin map	Sindh
Pushpin mapsize	250
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name
Subdivision type1	Province
Subdivision name1	Sindh
Seat type	City Council
Seat	City Complex, Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town
Parts type	Towns
Parts style	coll
Parts	18
P1	Baldia
P2	Bin Qasim
P3	Gadap
P4	Gulberg
P5	Gulshan
P6	Jamshed
P7	Kiamari
P8	Korangi
P9	Landhi
P10	Liaquatabad
P11	Lyari
P12	Malir
P13	New Karachi
P14	North Nazimabad
P15	Orangi
P16	Saddar
P17	Shah Faisal
P18	SITE
Government footnotes
Government type	City District
Leader title	City Administrator
Leader name	Fazlur Rahman
Leader title1	District Coordination Officer
Leader name1	Fazal-ur-Rehman
Established title	Municipal Committee
Established date	1853
Established title1	Municipal Corporation
Established date1	1933
Established title	1964 Karachi Divisional Council
Established title2	Metropolitan Corporation
Established date2	1976
Established title3	City District Government
Established date3	14th August 2001
Coordinates display	inline,title
Area magnitude	1 E+6
Area footnotes
Area total km2	3527
Elevation m	8
Population as of	2010
Population total	13,052,000
Population density km2	auto
Population metro	13,205,339
Population demonym	Karachiite
Timezone	PST
Utc offset	+5
Area code	021
Area code type	Dialling code
Postal code	74200 (General Post Office)
Postal code type	Postal code
Seal	CDGKlogo.svg
Seal size	200px
Seal caption	Seal of the City District Government Karachi
Website	KarachiCity.gov.pk
Footnotes	}}

Karachi (, }}; ) is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million. Karachi is the most populous city in the country, one of the world's largest cities in terms of population and the 10th largest urban agglomeration. It is Pakistan's premier centre of banking, industry, economic activity and trade and is home to Pakistan's largest corporations, including those involved in textiles, shipping, automotive industry, entertainment, the arts, fashion, advertising, publishing, software development and medical research. The city is a major hub of higher education in South Asia and the wider Muslim world.

Karachi is ranked as a Beta world city. It was the original capital of Pakistan until the construction of Islamabad and is the location of the Port of Karachi and Port Bin Qasim, two of the region's largest and busiest ports. After the independence of Pakistan, the city population increased dramatically when hundreds of thousands of Urdu-speaking migrants or Muhajirs from India and other parts of South Asia came to settle in Karachi.

The city is located in the south of the country, along the coastline meeting the Arabian Sea; it is spread over in area, almost four times bigger than Hong Kong. It is locally known as the "City of Lights" () and "The bride of the cities" () for its liveliness, and the "City of the Quaid" (), having been the birth and burial place of Quaid-e-Azam (Muhammad Ali Jinnah), the founder of Pakistan, who made the city his home after Pakistan's independence from the British Raj on 14 August 1947.

History

Early history

The area of Karachi was known to the ancient Greeks by many names: Krokola, the place where Alexander the Great camped to prepare a fleet for Babylonia after his campaign in the Indus Valley; 'Morontobara' (probably Manora island near Karachi harbour), from whence Alexander's admiral Nearchus set sail; and Barbarikon, a port of the Bactrian kingdom. It was later known to the Arabs as Debal from where Muhammad bin Qasim led his conquering force into South Asia in 712 AD

Karachi was founded as "Kolachi" by Sindhi and Baloch tribes from Balochistan and Makran, who established a small fishing community in the area. Descendants of the original community still live in the area on the small island of Abdullah Goth, which is located near the Karachi Port. The original name "Kolachi" survives in the name of a well-known Karachi locality named "Mai Kolachi" in Sindhi. Mirza Ghazi Beg, the Mughal administrator of Sindh, is among the first historical figures credited for the development of Coastal Sindh (consisting of regions such as the Makran Coast and the Mehran Delta), including the cities of Thatta, Bhambore and Karachi.

During the rule of the Mughal administrator of Sindh, Mirza Ghazi Beg the city was well fortified against Portuguese colonial incursions in Sindh. During the reign of the Kalhora Dynasty the present city started life as a fishing settlement when a Sindhi Balochi fisher-woman called Mai Kolachi took up residence and started a family. The city was an integral part of the Talpur dynasty in 1720.

The village that later grew out of this settlement was known as ''Kolachi-jo-Goth'' (Village of Kolachi in Sindhi). By the late 1720s, the village was trading across the Arabian Sea with Muscat and the Persian Gulf region. The local Sindhi populace built a small fort was constructed for the protection of the city, armed with cannons imported by Sindhi sailors from Muscat, Oman. The fort had two main gateways: one facing the sea, known as Kharra Darwaaza (Brackish Gate) (Kharadar) and the other facing the Lyari River known as the Meet'ha Darwaaza (Sweet Gate) (Mithadar). The location of these gates correspond to the modern areas of Kharadar () and Mithadar ().

British rule

After sending a couple of exploratory missions to the area, the British East India Company conquered the town when HMS ''Wellesley'' anchored off Manora island on 1 February 1839. Two days later, the little fort surrendered. The town was later annexed to British India when Sindh was conquered by Major-General Charles James Napier at the Battle of Miani on 17 February 1843. On his departure in 1847, Napier is said to have remarked, "Would that I could come again to see you in your grandeur!" Karachi was made the capital of Sindh in the 1840s. On Napier's departure, it was added along with the rest of Sindh to the Bombay Presidency, a move that caused considerable resentment among the native Sindhis. The British realised the importance of the city as a military cantonment and as a port for exporting the produce of the Indus River basin, and rapidly developed its harbour for shipping. The foundations of a city municipal government were laid down and infrastructure development was undertaken. New businesses started opening up and the population of the town began rising rapidly. The arrival of the troops of the Kumpany Bahadur in 1839 spawned the foundation of the new section, the military cantonment. The cantonment formed the basis of the 'white' city, where the Indians were not allowed free access. The 'white' town was modeled after English industrial parent-cities, where work and residential spaces were separated, as were residential from recreational places. Karachi was divided into two major poles. The 'native' town in the northwest, now enlarged to accommodate the burgeoning Indian mercantile population. When the Indian Rebellion of 1857 broke out in South Asia, the 21st Native Infantry, then stationed in Karachi, declared allegiance to rebels and joining their numbers on 10 September 1857. Nevertheless, the British were able to quickly reassert control over Karachi and defeat the uprising. In 1864, the first telegraphic message was sent from India to England, when a direct telegraph connection was laid between Karachi and London. In 1878, the city was connected to the rest of British India by rail. Public building projects, such as Frere Hall (1865) and the Empress Market (1890), were undertaken. In 1876, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, was born in the city, which by now had become a bustling city with mosques, churches, courthouses, brothels, paved streets and a magnificent harbour. By 1899, Karachi had become the largest wheat exporting port in the East. Before the year 1880 the majority of the population in Karachi consisted of the indigenous Sindhis and Balochis (who spoke Sindhi as their mother tongue). Karachi was a small port town and part of Talpur dynasty in Sindh. The British East India Company conquered Karachi on February 3, 1839 and started developing it as a major port. As a result of British rule the local Hindu population established a massive presence in the city.

These developments in Karachi resulted in large influx of economic migrants: Parsis, Hindus, Christians, Jews, Marathis, Goans, Armenians, Chinese, British, Lebanese and Gujaratis. The population of the city was about 105,000 inhabitants by the end of the 19th century, with a cosmopolitan mix of different nationalities. British colonialists embarked on a number of public works of sanitation and transportation such as gravel paved streets, proper drains, street sweepers, and a network of trams and horse-drawn trolleys.

Independent Pakistan

By the time of independence of Pakistan in 1947, Karachi had become a bustling metropolis with beautiful classical and colonial European styled buildings, lining the city’s thoroughfares. Karachi was chosen as the capital of Pakistan, which at the time included modern day Bangladesh, a region located more than away, and not physically connected to Pakistan. In 1947, Karachi was the focus for settlement by Muslim migrants from India, who drastically expanded the city's population and transformed its demographics and economy. In 1958, the capital of Pakistan was moved from Karachi to Rawalpindi and then in 1960, to the newly built Islamabad. This marked the start of a long period of decline in the city, marked by a lack of development. Karachi had both a municipal corporation and a Karachi Divisional Council in the 1960s, which developed plans for schools, colleges, roads, municipal gardens, and parks. The Karachi Divisional Council had separate working committees for education, roads, and residential societies development and planning. During the 1960s, Karachi was seen as an economic role model around the world. Many countries sought to emulate Pakistan's economic planning strategy and one of them, South Korea, copied the city's second "Five-Year Plan" and world Financial Centre in Seoul is designed and modeled after Karachi.

The 1970s saw major labour struggles in Karachi's industrial estates (see Karachi labour unrest of 1972). The 1980s and 1990s saw an influx of refugees from the Soviet war in Afghanistan into Karachi; they were followed in smaller numbers by refugees escaping from Iran. Severe ethnic tensions between the Muhajir and other native groups (e.g. Sindhis, Punjabis, Pashtuns and others) erupted and the city was wracked with political and ethnic violence.

Today, Karachi continues to be an important financial and industrial centre and handles most of the overseas trade of Pakistan and the world, mainly the Asian countries. It accounts for a lion's share of the GDP of Pakistan, and a large proportion of the country's white collar workers.

Geography

Karachi is located in the south of Pakistan, on the coast of the Arabian Sea. Its geographic coordinates are 24°51′ N 67°02′ E. Most of the land consisted largely of flat or rolling plains, with hills on the western and Manora Island and the Oyster Rocks. The Arabian Sea beach lines the southern coastline of Karachi. Mangroves and creeks of the Indus delta can be found toward the southeast side of the city. Toward the west and the north is Cape Monze, locally known as Raas Muari, an area marked by projecting sea cliffs and rocky sandstone promontories. Some excellent beaches can be found in this area. Khasa Hills lie in the northwest and form the border between North Nazimabad Town and Orangi Town. The Manghopir mountain range lies northwest of Karachi, between Hub River and Manghopir.

Climate

Located on the coast, Karachi has an arid climate with low average precipitation levels (approx. per annum), the bulk of which occurs during the July–August monsoon season. Winters are mild and dry, while the summers are warm and humid; the proximity to the sea maintains humidity levels at a near-constant high and cool sea breezes relieve the heat of the summer months. December and January are dry and pleasant as compared to the warm summers that dominate through the late spring (March) to the pre-monsoon season (June). Compared to other parts of Pakistan, Karachi's weather is considered mild and can be compared to Florida's weather. The city's highest monthly rainfall, , occurred in July 1967. The city's highest rainfall in 24 hours occurred on 7 August 1953, when about of rain lashed the city, resulting in major flooding. Karachi's highest recorded temperature is , which was recorded on June 18, 1979, and the lowest is , recorded on 21 January 1934.

Economy

Karachi is the financial and commercial capital of Pakistan. In line with its status as a major port and the country's largest metropolis, it accounts for a lion's share of Pakistan's revenue. According to the Federal Board of Revenue's 2006-2007 year book, tax and customs units in Karachi were responsible for 46.75% of direct taxes, 33.65% of federal excise tax, and 23.38% of domestic sales tax. Karachi accounts for 75.14% of customs duty and 79% of sales tax on imports. Therefore, Karachi collects a significant 53.38% of the total collections of the Federal Board of Revenue, out of which 53.33% are customs duty and sales tax on imports. (Note: Revenue collected from Karachi includes revenue from some other areas since the Large Tax Unit (LTU) Karachi and Regional Tax Offices (RTOs) Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur & Quetta cover the entire province of Sindh and Balochistan). Karachi's indigenous contribution to national revenue is 25%. Karachi's contribution to Pakistan's manufacturing sector amounts to approximately 30 percent. A substantial part of Sindh’s gross domestic product (GDP) is attributed to Karachi (the GDP of Sindh as a percentage of Pakistan’s total GDP has traditionally hovered around 28%-30%). Karachi’s GDP is around 20% of the total GDP of Pakistan. A PricewaterhouseCoopers study released in 2009, which surveyed the 2008 GDP of the top cities in the world, calculated Karachi’s GDP (PPP) to be $78 billion (projected to be $193 billion in 2025 at a growth rate of 5.5%). It confirmed Karachi’s status as Pakistan’s largest economy, well ahead of the next two biggest cities Lahore and Faisalabad, which had a reported GDP (PPP) in 2008 of $40 billion and $14 billion, respectively. Karachi's high GDP is based on its mega-industrial base, with a high dependency on the financial sector. Textiles, cement, steel, heavy machinery, chemicals, food, banking and insurance are the major segments contributing to Karachi's GDP. In February 2007, the World Bank identified Karachi as the most business-friendly city in Pakistan. Karachi is the nerve center of Pakistan's economy. The economic stagnation caused by political anarchy, ethnic strife and resultant military operation during late 1980s and 90s led to efflux of industry from Karachi. Most of Pakistan's public and private banks are headquartered on Karachi's I. I. Chundrigar Road; according to a 2001 report, nearly 60% of the cashflow of the Pakistani economy takes place on I. I. Chundrigar Road. Most major foreign multinational corporations operating in Pakistan have their headquarters in Karachi. The Karachi Stock Exchange is the largest stock exchange in Pakistan, and is considered by many economists to be one of the prime reasons for Pakistan's 8% GDP growth across 2005. A recent report by Credit Suisse on Pakistan's stock market is a testimonial to its strong fundamentals, estimating Pakistan’s relative return on equities at 26.7 percent, compared to Asia’s 11 percent. Recently, Karachi has seen an expansion of information and communications technology and electronic media and has become the software outsourcing hub of Pakistan. Call centres for foreign companies have been targeted as a significant area of growth, with the government making efforts to reduce taxes by as much as 10% in order to gain foreign investments in the IT sector. Many of Pakistan’s independent television and radio stations are based in Karachi, including world-popular Business Plus, AAJ News, Geo TV, KTN, Sindh TV, CNBC Pakistan, TV ONE, ARY Digital, Indus Television Network, Samaa TV and Dawn News, as well as several local stations.

Karachi has several large industrial zones such as Karachi Export Processing Zone, SITE, Korangi, Northern Bypass Industrial Zone, Bin Qasim and North Karachi, located on the fringes of the main city. Its primary areas of industry are textiles, pharmaceuticals, steel, and automobiles. In addition, Karachi has a vibrant cottage industry and there is a rapidly flourishing Free Zone with an annual growth rate of nearly 6.5%. The Karachi Expo Centre hosts many regional and international exhibitions. There are many development projects proposed, approved and under construction in Karachi. Among projects of note, Emaar Properties is proposing to invest $43bn (£22.8bn) in Karachi to develop Bundal Island, which is a 12,000 acre (49 km²) island just off the coast of Karachi. The Karachi Port Trust is planning a Rs. 20 billion, high Port Tower Complex on the Clifton shoreline. It will comprise a hotel, a shopping center, an exhibition center and a revolving restaurant with a viewing gallery offering a panoramic view of the coastline and the city.

As one of the most rapidly growing cities in the world, Karachi faces challenges that are central to many developing metropolises, including traffic congestion, pollution, poverty and street crime. These problems continue to earn Karachi low rankings in livability comparisons: ''The Economist'' ranked Karachi fourth least livable city amongst the 132 cities surveyed and ''BusinessWeek'' ranked it 175 out of 215 in livability in 2007, down from 170 in 2006.

Civic administration

The city-district of Karachi is structured as a three-tier federation, with the two lower tiers composed of 18 towns and 178 union councils, with each tier focussed on elected councils with some common members to provide "''vertical linkage''" within the federation. Each union council comprises thirteen members elected from specified electorates: four men and two women elected directly by the general population; two men and two women elected by peasants and workers; one member for minority communities; two members are elected jointly as the union mayor (''nazim'') and deputy union mayor (''naib nazim''). Each town council comprises all of the deputy union mayors in the town as well as elected representatives for women, peasants and workers, and minorities. The district council comprises all of the union mayors in the district as well as elected representatives for women, peasants and workers, and minorities. Each council also includes up to three council secretaries and a number of other civil servants. The main purpose of all of the councils is to provide municipal services, with specific responsibilities allocated to the district council, the town councils, and the union councils. There are also six military cantonments which are administered by the Pakistan Army and do not form part of the City District Government.

The current system of government was brought into existence by the Local Government Ordinance of 14 August 2001, the latest in a series of administrative setups for Karachi. The first form of government was a conservancy board established in 1846 to control the spread of cholera in the city. The board became a municipal commission in 1852, and a municipal committee the following year. The City of Karachi Municipal Act of 1933 transformed the city administration into a municipal corporation with a mayor, a deputy mayor and 57 councillors. In 1948, the Federal Capital Territory of Pakistan was created, comprising approximately of Karachi and surrounding areas, but this was merged into the province of West Pakistan in 1961. However, the municipal corporation remained in existence and in 1976 became a metropolitan corporation, followed by the creation of zonal municipal committees, which lasted until 1994. Two years later the metropolitan area was divided into five districts, each with a municipal corporation.

Naimatullah Khan was the first Nazim of Karachi and Shafiq-Ur-Rehman Paracha was the first district coordination officer (DCO) of Karachi, Paracha even served as the last Commissioner of Karachi. Naimatullah Khan focused on building new parks, providing entertainment outlets to the youth (to celebrate events like Valentine's Day) and families (to celebrate events like Eid). In the elections of 2005, Syed Mustafa Kamal was elected City Nazim of Karachi to succeed Naimatullah Khan, and Nasreen Jalil was elected as the City Naib Nazim. Mustafa Kamal was previously the provincial minister for information technology in Sindh. In 2010, Fazlur Rahman became caretaker administrator of the CDGK, replacing the Mustafa Kamal.

{|class="toccolours" style="margin:0 auto; backgrond:none;" |style="padding-right:1em;"|

1. Lyari Town
2. Saddar Town
3. Jamshed Town
4. Gadap Town
5. SITE Town
6. Kemari Town
7. Shah Faisal Town
8. Korangi Town
9. Landhi Town
10. Bin Qasim Town
11. Malir Town
12. Gulshan Town

|style="background:white; padding:0 1em;" class="toccolours"| |

13. Liaquatabad Town
14. North Nazimabad Town
15. Gulberg Town
16. New Karachi Town
17. Orangi Town
18. Baldia Town

:A. Karachi Cantonment :B. Clifton Cantonment :C. Korangi Creek Cantonment :D. Faisal Cantonment :E. Malir Cantonment :F. Manora Cantonment |}

Demographics

Karachi's inhabitants, locally known as Karachiites, are a cosmopolitan population composed of many ethno-linguistic groups from all parts of Pakistan as well as migrants from several different countries and regions, making the city a diverse melting pot. The population and demographic distribution of the city has undergone considerable changes over the past 150 years. At the end of the 19th century, the population of the city was about 105,000, with a gradual increase over the next few decades, reaching more than 400,000 on the eve of independence. Current estimates of the population range from 12 to 18 million, of which an estimated 90% are migrants from different backgrounds. The city's population is estimated to be growing at about 5% per year (mainly as a result of internal rural-urban migration), including an estimated 45,000 migrant workers coming to the city every month from different parts of Pakistan.

The earlist inhabitants of the area that became Karachi included Baloch in the west, and Sindhi tribes such as the Jokhio, Mallaah and Jath in the east. Before the departure of British colonial rule and the subsequent independence of Pakistan, the population of the city included Hindus and Sikhs, but the community is still present numebering around 250,000 residents. The city was, and still is home to a large community of Gujarati Muslims, who were one of the earliest settlers in the city, and still form the majority in Saddar Town. Important Gujarati Muslim communities in the city include the Memon, Chhipa, Ghanchi, Khoja, Bohra and Tai. Other early settlers included the Parsis, also originally from Gujarat, Konkani Muslims from Mumbai (settled in Kokan Town), Goan Catholics and Anglo-Indians. The city was also home to small communities of Armenians and Bene Israel Jews. Most Jews and Armenians left the city in the 1950s, after independence, but there are still small communities of Parsis, Goan Catholics and Anglo-Indians in the city.

The partition of Panjab and the subsequent independence of Pakistan in 1947 which consisted of numerous communal riots saw the settlement of the what is now the largest ethnic community in the city, the Muhajirs who had fled India and found refuge in Pakistan. Most properties vacated by fleeing Hindus were granted to Urdu-speaking Muslim migrants who had fled India. Known as Muhajirs, their descendants now form the majority of Karachi's residents. Partition also saw the settlement of a large number of Punjabi Muslims from East Punjab, Kashmiri Muslims from the Kashmir Valley, and further immigration of Gujarati Muslims and Konkani Muslims from India. There are some Hindkowans and Seraikis who migrated much later. Within the Muhajirs, there is also a sizeable community of Malayali Muslims in Karachi (the Mappila), originally from Kerala in South India.

After the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, thousands of Biharis and Bengalis from Bangladesh arrived in the city, and today Karachi is home to 1 to 2 million ethnic Bengalis from Bangladesh (see Bangladeshis in Pakistan), many of whom migrated in the 1980s and 1990s.They were followed by Rohingya Muslim refugees from western Burma (for more information, see Burmese people in Pakistan), and Asian refugees from Uganda. One under-privileged ethnic group are the Siddis (Negro - Sheedi) who trace their roots to African slaves from earlier centuries. Many other refugees from Iran and the Central Asian countries constituting the former Soviet Union have also settled in the city as economic migrants. There also exists a small Nepali population, large numbers of Arabs, Filipinos and an economic elite of Sinhalese from Sri Lanka. Expatriates from China have a history going back to the 1940s; today, many of the Chinese are second-generation children of immigrants who came to the city and worked as dentists, chefs and shoemakers.

Karachi is furthermore host to a large number of western expatriates in Pakistan. During World War II, about 30,000 Polish refugees migrated to Karachi, at that time under British colonial rule. Many of these Polish families settled permanently in the city. There are also well-established communities of American and British expatriates.

According to the census of 1998, the religious breakdown of the city is as follows: Muslim (96.45%); Christian (2.42%); Hindu (0.86%); Ahmadi (0.17%) and others (Parsis, Sikhs, Bahá'ís, Jews and Buddhists) (0.10%).

According to the census of 1998, the linguistic distribution of the city was : Urdu: 48.52%; Punjabi: 13.94%; ; ; Balochi: 4.34%; Saraiki: 2.11%; others: 12.4%. The others include Dari, Gujarati, Dawoodi Bohra, Memon, Marwari, Brahui, Makrani, Khowar, Burushaski. Non-Pakistani languages, such as Bengali, Persian, and Arabic, are not included in the Pakistani census.

Arts and culture

Karachi is home to some of Pakistan's important cultural institutions. The National Academy of Performing Arts, located in the newly renovated Hindu Gymkhana, offers a two-year diploma course in performing arts that includes classical music and contemporary theatre. The All Pakistan Music Conference, linked to the 45-year-old similar institution in Lahore, has been holding its Annual Music Festival since its inception in 2004. The Festival is now a well-established feature of the city life of Karachi that is attended by more than 3000 citizens of Karachi as well as people from other cities. The National Arts Council (''Koocha-e-Saqafat'') has musical performances and mushaira (poetry recitations). The Kara Film Festival annually showcases independent Pakistani and international films and documentaries. Karachi is home to many theatre, music and dance performance groups, such as Thespianz Theater, a professional youth-based, non-profit performing arts group, which works non-stop on theater and arts activities in Pakistan

Karachi has many museums that present exhibitions on a regular basis, including the Mohatta Palace and the National Museum of Pakistan. Karachi Expo Centre hosts many regional and international exhibitions.

The everyday lifestyle of Karachi differs substantially from that of other Pakistani cities and towns. The culture of Karachi is characterized by the blending of South Asian, Middle Eastern, Central Asian and Western influences, as well as its status as a major international business centre. After the independence of Pakistan, Karachi received a large number of refugees from all over India, whose influence is now evident in the city's different sub-cultures. Karachi hosts the largest middle class stratum of the country and is the most liberal city in Pakistan.

Architecture

Karachi has a rich collection of buildings and structures of varied architectural styles. Many modern high-rise buildings are under construction. The downtown districts of Saddar and Clifton contain a variety of early 20th-century architecture, ranging in style from the neo-classical KPT building to the Sindh High Court Building. During the period of British rule, classical architecture was preferred for monuments of the British Raj. Karachi acquired its first neo-Gothic or Indo-Gothic buildings when Frere Hall, Empress Market and St. Patrick's Cathedral were completed. The Mock Tudor architectural style was introduced in the Karachi Gymkhana and the Boat Club. Neo-Renaissance architecture was popular in the 19th century and was the language for St. Joseph's Convent (1870) and the Sind Club (1883). The classical style made a comeback in the late nineteenth century, as seen in Lady Dufferin Hospital (1898) and the Cantt. Railway Station. While Italianate buildings remained popular, an eclectic blend termed Indo-Saracenic or Anglo-Mughal began to emerge in some locations.

The local mercantile community began acquiring impressive mercantile structures. Zaibunnisa Street in the Saddar area (known as Elphinstone Street in British days) is an example where the mercantile groups adopted the Italianate and Indo-Saracenic style to demonstrate their familiarity with Western culture and their own. The Hindu Gymkhana (1925) and Mohatta Palace are the example of Mughal revival buildings. The Sindh Wildlife Conservation Building, located in Saddar, served as a Freemasonic Lodge until it was taken over by the government. There are talks of it being taken away from this custody and being renovated and the Lodge being preserved with its original woodwork and ornate wooden staircase.

In recent years, a large number of architecturally distinctive, even eccentric, buildings have sprung up throughout Karachi. Notable examples of contemporary architecture include the Pakistan State Oil Headquarters building and the Karachi Financial Towers. The city has numerous examples of modern Islamic architecture, including the Aga Khan University hospital, Masjid e Tooba, Faran Mosque, Bait-ul Mukarram Mosque, Quaid's Mausoleum, and the Textile Institute of Pakistan. One of the unique cultural elements of Karachi is that the residences, which are two- or three-story townhouses, are built with the front yard protected by a high brick wall. Ibrahim Ismail Chundrigar Road features a range of extremely tall buildings. The most prominent examples include the Habib Bank Plaza, PRC Towers and the MCB Tower which is the tallest skyscraper in Pakistan.

Many more high-rise buildings are under construction, such as Centre Point near Korangi Industrial Area, IT Tower, Sofitel Tower Karachi and Emerald Tower. The Government of Sindh recently approved the construction of two high-density zones, which will host the new city skyline.

Fashion, shopping and entertainment

Karachi has always been proactive in organizing large events but because of the political and economic crisis in the country, activities have recently been slowed down. Karachi continues to host many different cultural and fashion shows. In 2009 a four-day-long fashion show was organized in Karachi's luxury Marriott hotel. Karachi has many glitzy shopping malls in the Clifton area, Tariq Road, Gulshan-e-Iqbal and Hyderi shopping area, such as Park Towers, The Forum, Dolmen Mall and Millenium Mall. Zamzama Boulevard is known for its designer stores and many cafes. There are many bazaars in Karachi selling different merchandise. The famous bazaars include Bohri Bazaar, Soldier Bazaar, and Urdu Bazaar. Foreign clothes brands and famous Pakistani fashion labels (such as Amir Adnan, Aijazz, Rizwan Beyg, Deepak Perwani, Shayanne Malik, Maria B, Khaadi, Sputnik Footwear, Metro Shoes, English Boot House, Cotton & Cotton, Men's Store and Junaid Jamshed) are present in shopping districts of the city. The newly built shopping center Port Grand Food and Entertainment Complex is located at Port of Karachi near Native Jetty Bridge.

Sports

Cricket is the most popular Sport in Karachi, which is played in many small grounds around the city, as well as on city streets at night and on weekends. Gully cricket is played in the narrow by-lanes of the city. The National Stadium is the city's only world-class cricket stadium, and is the second largest cricket stadium in Pakistan after the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The inaugural first-class match at the National Stadium was played between Pakistan and India on 26 February 1955 and since then Pakistani national cricket team has won 20 of the 41 Test matches played at the National Stadium. Since then, instability caused by terrorism has mean't that non-Asian sides have refused to play in Karachi. The first One Day International at the National Stadium was against the West Indies on 21 November 1980, with the match going to the last ball. The national team has been less successful in such limited-overs matches at the ground, including a five year stint between 1996 and 2001, when they failed to win any matches. The city has been host to a number of successful domestic cricket teams including Karachi, Karachi Blues, Karachi Greens, and Karachi Whites. The National Stadium hosted two group matches (Pakistan v. South Africa on 29 February and Pakistan v. England on 3 March), and a quarter-final match (South Africa v. West Indies on 11 March) during the 1996 Cricket World Cup.

The city has also hosted seven editions of the National Games of Pakistan, most recently in 2007. Sports like badminton, volleyball and basketball are popular in schools and colleges. Football is especially popular in Lyari Town, which has a large Afro-Balochi community and has always been a football-mad locality in Karachi. The Peoples Football Stadium is perhaps the largest football stadium in Pakistan with respect to capacity, easily accommodating around 40,000 people. In 2005, the city hosted the SAFF Championship at this ground, as well as the Geo Super Football League 2007, which attracted capacity crowds during the games. The city has facilities for hockey (the Hockey Club of Pakistan, UBL Hockey Ground), boxing (KPT Sports Complex), squash (Jahangir Khan Squash Complex) and polo. Marinas and boating clubs add to the diverse sporting activities in Karachi.

;Professional Karachi teams

Club	League	Sport	Venue	Established
Karachi Dolphins	Twenty-20 Cup	Cricket		2004
Karachi Zebras	Twenty-20 Cup	Cricket		2004
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: left;"			Peoples Football Stadium	2007
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: left;"			Peoples Football Stadium	1975

Education

Karachi is the most literate city of Pakistan with the highest literacy rate along with a gross enrollment ratio of 111%, the highest in Sindh.

Education in Karachi is divided into five levels: primary (grades one through five); middle (grades six through eight); high (grades nine and ten, leading to the Secondary School Certificate); intermediate (grades eleven and twelve, leading to a Higher Secondary School Certificate); and university programs leading to graduate and advanced degrees. Karachi has both public and private educational institutions. Most educational institutions are gender-based, from primary to university level.

Karachi Grammar School is the oldest school in Pakistan and has educated many Pakistani businessmen and politicians. The Narayan Jagannath High School in Karachi, which opened in 1855, was the first government school established in Sindh. Other well-known schools include the Hamdard Public School, Education Bay [EBay] school located in karachi (for higher education) Army Public School (C.O.D.), Karachi Public school, British Overseas School, L'ecole for Advanced Studies,Bay View Academey, the CAS School, Generations School, Karachi American School, Aga Khan Higher Secondary School, the Froebel Education Centre (FEC), The Paradise School and College, Little Folks Secondary School, Habib Public School, Mama Parsi Girls Secondary School, B. V. S. Parsi High School, Civilizations Public School, The Oasys School, Avicenna School, The Lyceum School, Ladybird Grammar School, The City School, ABC Public School, Beaconhouse School System, The Educators schools, Sultan Mohammed Shah Aga Khan School, Shahwilayat Public School, Springfield School, St Patrick's High School, St Paul's English High School, St Joseph's Convent School, St Jude's High School, St Michael's Convent School, Foundation Public School, and St Peter's High School.

The University of Karachi, known as KU, is Pakistan's largest university, with a student population of 24,000 and one of the largest faculties in the world. It is located next to the NED University of Engineering and Technology, the country's oldest engineering institute. In the private sector, The National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (NUCES-FAST), one of Pakistan's top universities in computer education, operates two campuses in Karachi. Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology (SSUET) provides reputable training in biomedical engineering, civil engineering, electronics engineering, telecom engineering and computer engineering. Dawood College of Engineering and Technology, which opened in 1962, offers degree programmes in electronic engineering, chemical engineering, industrial engineering, materials engineering and architecture. Karachi Institute of Economics & Technology (KIET) has two campuses in Karachi and has been growing rapidly since its inception in 1997. The Plastics Technology Center (PTC), located in Karachi's Korangi Industrial Area, is at present Pakistan's only educational institution providing training in the field of polymer engineering and plastics testing services. The Institute of Business Administration (IBA), founded in 1955, is the oldest business school outside of North America. The Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST), founded in 1995 by Benazir Bhutto, is located in Karachi, with its other campuses in Islamabad, Larkana and Dubai. Pakistan Navy Engineering College (PNEC) is a part of the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), offering a wide range of engineering programs, including electrical engineering and mechanical engineering. Hamdard University is the largest private university in Pakistan with faculties including Eastern Medicine, Medical, Engineering, Pharmacy, and Law. It has got Asia's second largest library called 'BAIT UL HIKMA'. Jinnah University for Women is the first women university in Pakistan. Karachi is home of the head offices of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP) (established in 1961) and the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Pakistan (ICMAP). Among the many other institutions providing business education are the Institute of Business Management (IoBM), SZABIST, Iqra University and the Institute of Business and Technology (Biztek). Leading medical schools of Pakistan like the Dow University of Health Sciences and the Aga Khan University are situated in Karachi. PLANWEL is another innovative institution it is a CISCO Network Academy as well as iCBT center for ETS Prometric and Pearsons VUE. Bahria University also has a purpose-built campus in Karachi. The College of Accounting and Management Sciences (CAMS) also has three branches in the city.Sindh Muslim Govt. Science College located at Saddar Town is the oldest college of Karachi.

For religious education, the Jamia Uloom ul Islamia (one of the largest Islamic education centres of Asia), Jamia Binoria and Darul 'Uloom Karachi are among the Islamic schools in Karachi.

Transport

Road

Traffic problems and pollution are major challenges for Karachi. The level of air pollution in Karachi is significantly higher than World Health Organization standards. A number of new parks (e.g., Bagh Ibne Qasim, Beach View Park and Jheel Park) have been developed and new trees are being planted in the city to improve the environment and reduce the pollution. The construction of new bridges/flyovers, underpasses and signal-free corridors (e.g., Corridor 1: S.I.T.E. to Shahrae Faisal, Corridor 2: North Karachi to Shahrae Faisal, Corridor 3: Safora Goth to Saddar) has improved the traffic flow in Karachi. The eventual completion of Corridor 4 (from the airport to Metropole Hotel) is expected to substantially reduce the travel time to reach the city centre and airport.

Rail

Karachi is linked by rail to the rest of the country by Pakistan Railways. The Karachi City Station and Karachi Cantonment Railway Station are the city's two major railway stations. The railway system handles a large amount of freight to and from the Karachi port and provides passenger services to people traveling up country. A project to transform the existing, but non-operational, Karachi Circular Railway into a modern mass transit system has recently been approved by the government. The $1.6 billion project will be financed by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation and will be completed by 2013. The city government has introduced an initiative to alleviate the transport pains by introducing new CNG buses.

Air

The Jinnah International Airport is located in Karachi. It is the largest and busiest airport of Pakistan. It handles 10 million passengers a year. The airport receives the largest number of foreign airlines, a total of 35 airlines and cargo operators fly to Jinnah International predominantly from the Middle East and Southeast Asia. All of Pakistan's airlines use Karachi as their primary transport hub including PIA - Pakistan International Airlines, Airblue, and Shaheen Air International. The city's old airport terminals are now used for Hajj flights, offices, cargo facilities, and ceremonial visits from heads of state. U.S. Coalition forces used the old terminals for their logistic supply operations as well. The city has two other airstrips, used primarily by the armed forces.

Sea

The largest shipping ports in Pakistan are the Port of Karachi and the nearby Port Qasim. These seaports have modern facilities and not only handle trade for Pakistan, but serve as ports for Afghanistan and the landlocked Central Asian countries. Plans have been announced for new passenger facilities at the Port of Karachi.

Media

Many of Pakistan’s independent television and radio channels are based in Karachi, including Dawn News, Business Plus, Geo TV, CNBC Pakistan, Hum TV, TV ONE, AAJ TV, SAMAA TV, ARY Digital, Metro One, Indus Television Network, Kawish Television Network (KTN) and Sindh TV as well as several local stations; local channels include Good News TV.

Pakistan's premier news television networks are based in Karachi, including GEO News, ARY One World, Dawn News and AAJ News. AAG TV and MTV Pakistan are the main music television channels, and Business Plus and CNBC Pakistan are the main business television channels based in the city. The bulk of Pakistan's periodical publishing industry is centred in Karachi, including magazines such as ''Spider'', ''The Herald'', ''Humsay'', ''The Cricketer'', ''Moorad Shipping News'', and ''The Internet''.

Major advertising companies including Interflow Communications, and Orient McCann Erickson have their head offices in Karachi. Karachi has also been featured in the game Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2.

Restaurants

Being a cosmopolitan city of Pakistan, Karachi has variety of restaurants from fast food to conventional restaurants and international. Port Grand or Karachi Food Street is newly build the largest food street of Asia. Port Grand project is a 13-acre world-class facility that has been designed and built in collaboration with top international architects/designers who employed the latest technology and building techniques to deliver a state of the art facility. Boat basin is also a very famous food market. Burns Road in Saddar has traditionally been the place to find traditional Pakistani food.

Health and medicine

Karachi is a centre of research in biomedicine, with at least 30 public hospitals and more than 80 private hospitals, including the Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases, National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), Spencer Eye Hospital, Civil Hospital, PNS Rahat, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Aga Khan University Hospital, Holy Family Hospital and Liaquat National Hospital, as well as Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Hamid Hospital Pvt. Ltd, Ziauddin Hospital, National Medical Centre and Lady Dufferin Hospital. Medical schools include the Dow Medical College, Aga Khan University, Liaquat National Medical College, Sindh Medical College, Dow International Medical College, Baqai Medical College, Karachi Medical & Dental College, Jinnah Medical & Dental College, Hamdard College of Medicine & Dentistry, Sir Syed College of Medical Sciences for Girls and Ziauddin Medical University.

Sister cities

Jakarta, Indonesia Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Shanghai, People's Republic of China, since 15 February 1984 Port Louis, Mauritius since 1 May 2007 Houston, United States since 8 May 2008 A twin city partnership with Chicago, United States, was contemplated and initiated in 2000, but was never implemented. Moscow, Russia (Since 28 August 2011)

Gallery

See also

List of Sindhi people

List of cemeteries in Karachi

List of parks in Karachi

List of people from Karachi District

List of places in Karachi

List of streets of Karachi

References

Further reading

The issue of squatters on land needed for new projects

Karachi: Of encroachments and mega projects

External links

Karachi City District Government

HistoricKarachi.com -

Karachi Postal codes

Port Grand - Karachi Food Street

Category:Capitals of Pakistan Category:Cities of Pakistan Category:Coastal cities and towns in Pakistan Category:Former national capitals Category:Metropolitan areas of Pakistan Category:Populated places in Sindh Category:Port cities and towns in Pakistan Category:Ports and harbours of the Indian Ocean

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Name	Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif
Smallimage
Order	12th
Office	Prime minister of Pakistan
President	Farooq LeghariWasim Sajjad
Term start	17 February 1997
Term end	12 October 1999
Predecessor	Benazir Bhutto
Successor	Pervez Musharraf
President2	Ghulam Ishaq Khan
Term start2	26 May 1993
Term end2	18 July 1993
Predecessor2	Balakh Sher Mazari (Acting)
Successor2	Moeenuddin Ahmad Qureshi (Acting)
President3	Ghulam Ishaq Khan
Term start3	6 November 1990
Term end3	18 April 1993
Predecessor3	Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi (Acting)
Successor3	Balakh Sher Mazari (Acting)
Succeeding
Order4	9th
Office4	Chief Minister of Punjab, Pakistan
Term start 4	April 9, 1985
Term end 4	August 13, 1990
Alongside4
Vicepresident4
Viceprimeminister4
Deputy4
Lieutenant4
Monarch4
President4	General Zia-ul-Haq
Primeminister4	Muhammad Khan Junejo
Governor4	Sajjad Hussain QureshiGeneral Tikka Khan
Succeeding4	Ghulam Haider Wyne
Predecessor4	Sadiq Hussain Qureshi
Successor4	Ghulam Haider Wyne
Constituency4
Birth date
Birth place	Lahore, West Pakistan, Dominion of Pakistan
Birthname	Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif
Nationality
Party	Pakistan Muslim League (N)
Otherparty
Spouse	Kalsoom Nawaz Sharif
Partner
Residence	Lahore, Punjab Province
Alma mater	Government College University(B.A. and BBA)University of the Punjab(LLB)
Religion	Islam
Data5
Military data5	}}

Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif, (Punjabi, ; born 25 December, 1949) is a Pakistani politician and business steel magnate who served as 12th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from November 1990-July 1993 and February 1997-October 1999. He currently served as the President of the Pakistan Muslim League (N-Wing). Before becoming the Prime minsiter, Sharif was the Chief Minister of Punjab from 1985 to 1990 and embarked his political career under the military regime of President General Zia-ul-Haq. A businessman and lawyer by profession, he owns Ittefaq Group, a private steel mill enterprise.

He is a wealthy businessman and a conservative politician. His first term was shortened after the Pakistan Army pressured him to resign. In 1997, he was elected on for a second term by an overwhelming margin. During his second term, he notably ordered Pakistan's first nuclear tests in response to India's nuclear tests. He was ousted in an October 1999 military coup by Pervez Musharraf. He returned to Pakistan in late 2007 after eight years of forced exile. He successfully called for Musharraf's impeachment and the reinstatement of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. He is a declining force in Pakistani politics ever since wikileaks cables exposed his private opposition reinstatement of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and his parties unpopular policies in punjab provincial government .

Early life and education

He was born in Lahore, West-Pakistan on December 25, 1949, a year after the nation's founding. He came from a family of scrap traders. His father and uncles had a small steel mill that is known as Ittefaq Steel Mills in Landa Bazar of Lahore before the creation of Pakistan.

He attended St. Anthony's High School at Lahore. However, he along with his younger brother Shahbaz Sharif later on attended Pakistan Railway High School, Moghalpura, Lahore. Both passed Matriculation from this school in 1964 and 1965 respectively. Nawaz Sharif got admission in the Government College University of Lahore. He obtained his B.A. degree, followed by another B.A. from the same institution in 1969. In 1970, Sharif then attended the Punjab University where he attained his Bachelor of Laws degree from the Punjab University Law College, which is also in Lahore.

Business enterprise: Ittefaq Group

He is a joint owner of Ittefaq Group. Ittefaq Group is one of the largest business conglomerates in Pakistan. He helped establish the Ittefaq Islamic Academy in Lahore, where students receive religious instruction in addition to their secular training. A practicing Muslim, Sharif comes from a religious family and has said he would make the teaching of the Quran, the Muslim Holy Book, a compulsory subject up to the secondary level.

He and his cousins expanded their family iron foundry. They lost control of their business in the 1972 nationalization policies by Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. It was re-established in 1977 as Ittefaq Industries in Lahore. The business was returned after Sharif developed political links with Chief Martial Law Administrator of Pakistan, and Chief of Army Staff General Mohammad Zia ul-Haq, later President of Pakistan. By 1990, Ittefaq Industries was one of Pakistan's most affluent conglomerates, with more than $450 million in annual revenues, up from approximately $16 million in 1981. It included the country's largest private steel mill, Ittefaq Foundries (Pvt) Ltd, eight sugar mills, and four textile factories. Sharif's net worth is around US $4 billion. With upwards of hundred thousand employees, Ittefaq Group .However allegation persist that nawaz sharif engages in price fixing of sugar and other commodities

Initial political career

He principally rose to public and political prominence as a staunch proponent of the military government of Chief Martial Law Administrator (designated himself as President) and Chief of Army Staff General Zia-ul-Haq during the 1980s. He maintained an alliance with General Rahimuddin Khan, who was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. During his political career, Sharif also had close ties with ISI Director-Lieutenant-General (retired) Hamid Gul, who played a substantial role in the formation of the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad- a conservative political alliance that supported Sharif.

Punjab Advisory Council

In 1981, he initially joined as a member of the Punjab Advisory Council under President General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. Shariff would also served as the Provincial Minister of Finance and Provincial Minister of Sports under the Provincial Government of Punjab Province. During his tenure, he was credited with increasing funding for sports activities and rural projects.

Chief Minister of Punjab

He served for two consecutive terms as Chief Minister of Punjab Province, the most populous province of Pakistan. (April 9, 1985 - May 31, 1988) From 1988 to August 1990, he became the Caretaker Chief Minister after Zia-ul-Haq dissolved the assemblies. Because of his vast popularity, he received the nickname "Lion of the Punjab".

First term as Prime Minister (1990-93)

Sharif became the prime minister of Pakistan on 1 November 1990 as the head of IJI and succeeded Benazir Bhutto. He campaigned on a conservative platform and vowed to reduce government corruption. He focused on improving the nation's infrastructure and spurred the growth of digital telecommunication. He privatized government banks and opened the door for further industrial privatization. He legalized foreign money exchange to be transacted through private money exchangers. His privatization policies were continued by both Benazir Bhutto and Pervez Musharraf. He took many steps to raise the issue of Kashmir on international forums, to transfer power peacefully in Afghanistan so to put an end to the drug smugglers and illegal transaction of unregistered weapons across the border which was promoting then increasing numbers of dacoits in the country. He also wanted to continue the peaceful nuclear atomic program and to make Pakistan a truly Islamic state and to do so he introduced Islamic Laws such as the Shariat Ordinance and Bait-ul-Maal (to help poor orphans widows etc.); Moreover he gave tasks to the Ministry of Religious Affairs to prepare reports and recommendations for steps taken for Islamization. He ensured the establishment of three committees.

Ittehad-e-bain-ul-Muslemeen

Nifaz-e-Shariat Committee

Islamic Welfare Committee

He believed in forming a Muslim Bloc by uniting all Central Asian Muslim Countries thus he extended the membership of ECO to all Central Asian Countries. Nawaz Sharif was pretty confident that he had majority in the assembly thus he ruled with considerable confidence. He had disputes with three successive army chiefs. He contended with General Mirza Aslam Beg over the 1991 Gulf War, with General Asif Nawaz over the Sindh "Operation Clean-Up" issue, and with General Abdul Waheed Kakar over the Sharif-Ishaq Imbroglio. To defuse the tension him and Benazir and to disperse the long march he promised her to release her detained husband and to abolish the Eighth amendment her Party’s co-operation (PPP). Ghulam took this as an attack on him by the ruling party so in order to win the presidential election he on April 1993, with the support of the Pakistan Army, used his reserve powers to dissolve the National Assembly and appointed Mir Balakh Sher Mazari as the Caretaker Prime Minister. In May 1993, Sharif returned to power after the Supreme Court ruled that the Presidential Order as unconstitutional and reconstituted the National Assembly. In July 1993, Sharif resigned under pressure from the military but negotiated a settlement that resulted in the removal of President Ghulam Ishaq Khan. Moin Qureshi became Caretaker Prime Minister.

Economic Policy

Shortly after taking power, Nawaz Sharif announced that his government would carry out a national reconstruction programme to industrialize Pakistan. He believed unemployment was Pakistan's greatest problem and that only industrial growth could solve the problem. . He also wanted to continue the peaceful nuclear atomic program and to make Pakistan a truly Islamic state and to do so he introduced Islamic Laws such as the Shariat Ordinance and Bait-ul-Maal (to help poor orphans widows etc.).Sharif wanted to follow a policy of privatization of the industrialization of the industries that which had been nationalized by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. A number of important industries, such as shipping, electricity supply, airlines and telecommunications were opened up to the private sector. He introduced several large scale projects to stimulate the economy, such as the Bartotha Hydro power project and the Gwadar Miniport in Baluchistan. He also tried to solve the unemployment problem by importing thousands of taxis for many young men, but it came at a cost. Few of the loans were repaid. Sharif built Pakistan first major motorway which was completed in November 1997 at a cost of $989 million. Sharif’s policies were undermined by lack of capital for investments. There was an influx of foreign capital when he loosened foreign exchange restrictions and opened Pakistan ‘s stock market to foreign capital, but the government remained short of funds for investments.

Co-operatives Societies Scandal

Sharif also lost support because of the co-operatives societies scandal. Co- operatives societies accept deposits from members and can legally make loans only to members for purposes that are to the benefit of the society and its members. However, mismanagement of these societies led to a collapse in which millions of Pakistanis lost money in 1992. In Sharif’s native Punjab 700,000 people mostly poor people lost all their savings when the states cooperatives societies went bankrupt. It was soon discovered that The society had granted billions of rupees to the Ittefaq group.Though Ittefaq hurriedly repaid the loans the Prime Ministers reputation was severely damaged.

Parliamentary opposition (1993-96)

After the 1993 general elections, the Pakistan Peoples Party returned to power. Sharif conceded defeat and offered his full co-operation as Leader of the opposition but soon The PPP and PML-N again came at loggerheads. Benazir's government found it difficult to act effectively in the face of opposition from Sharif and The PML-N. They worked tirelessly to undermine her government. In 1994 Sharif began a "Train March" taking him from Karachi to Peshawar during which huge crowds listened to his critical speeches. Sharif played a major part in organizing strikes throughout Pakistan in September and October 1994. By 1996, the PPP had become unpopular because of there high levels of corruption which led to their ouster in October.

Second term as Prime Minister (1997-99)

In the 1997 General Elections The Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N)won a landslide victory in the elections. Sharif was sworn in as Prime Minister on 17 February to serve a non-consecutive second term.

In August 1997, he passed the controversial Anti-Terrorist Act which established Anti-Terrorism Courts. The Supreme Court later rendered the Act unconstitutional.

In 1999, he met with Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the Wagah border and signed a joint communique, known as the Lahore Declaration.

1998 Pakistan's nuclear tests

Pakistan's nuclear tests were an important turning point in his political career. In his first term, Sharif funded Pakistan's nuclear, missile and space programme, as well as allotted funds for the science research, particularly its extension to defence. Soon after Indian nuclear tests, Sharif vowed that his country would give a suitable reply to the Indians. When India tested its nuclear arsenal a second time, it caused a great alarm in Pakistan. On 15 May 1998, Sharif called and chaired a National Security Council meeting in Prime minister Secretariat. The discussions went on for a few hours and encompassed the financial, diplomatic, military, strategic and national security concerns. The meeting had two agendas: Firstly, whether or not Pakistan should carry out nuclear tests in order to respond to Indian’s nuclear tests? Secondly, if Pakistan does go ahead with the tests then which of the two organizations, PAEC or KRL, should carry out the tests?

Mushahid Hussain Syed, Minister of Telecommunications, was the first person to propose the tests, while, Sartaj Aziz who was the Finance Minister that time, was the only person in the meeting who opposed the tests on financial grounds due to the economic recession, the low foreign exchange reserves of the country and the effect of inevitable economic sanctions which would be imposed on Pakistan if it carried out the tests. The year he was elected, Sharif made a state visit to Malaysia and Singapore where Sharif succeeded to signed a economic and free trade agreements with both countries. His proposal came a week after 10-year commemorations of the late President Zia ul-Haq. The Cabinet removed some of its controversial aspects. The National Assembly approved and passed the bill on 10 October 1998 by 151 votes to 16. However, the amendment failed to achieve two-thirds majority in the Senate. Weeks afterward, Sharif's government would suffer a military coup.

Relations with the military

During his second tenure, he removed General Karamat over the National Security Council disputes. He later had severe political confrontation with General Musharraf that resulted in a coup d'état which removed him from office.

At the end of General Wahid Kakar's three-year term in January 1996, General Jehangir Karamat was appointed Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan Army. His term was due to end on 9 January 1999. However, in October 1998 Sharif had a falling out with General Karamat over the latter’s advocacy of a "National Security Council". Sharif interpreted this move to be a conspiracy to return the military to a more active role in Pakistani politics. In October 1998, General Karamat resigned and Sharif promoted Lieutenant-General Pervez Musharraf, core-commander of the I ''Strike'' Corps that time, as 4-star general and appointed him as new Chief of Army Staff. Sharif then also appointed General Musharraf as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee despite Musharraf's lack of seniority to Admiral Bokhari. In protest, Admiral Fasih Bokhari resigned from his post as Chief of Naval Staff.

During the Kargil War in 1999, he claimed to have no knowledge of the planned attacks, saying that Pervez Musharraf acted alone.

Military coup

On 12 October 1999, Sharif attempted to remove Pakistan Army Chief General Pervez Musharraf and appoint Ziauddin Butt in his place. Musharraf, who was in Sri Lanka, attempted to return through a commercial airliner to return to Pakistan. Sharif ordered Sindh IG Rana Maqbool to arrest of Chief of Army Staff and Musharraf.

He ordered the Karachi Airport to be sealed off to prevent the landing of the Musharraf's airliner fearing a coup d'état. Sharif ordered the plane to land at Nawabshah Airport. Musharraf contacted top Pakistan Army Generals who then took over the country and ousted Sharif's administration. Musharraf later assumed control of the government as Chief Executive.

Trial

The military placed him on trial for "kidnapping, attempted murder, hijacking and terrorism". The military court quickly convicted him and gave him a life sentence. Under an agreement facilitated by Saudi Arabia, Sharif was placed in exile for the next 10 years.

Return to Pakistan

Failed attempt in Islamabad

On August 23, 2007, Pakistan's top court ruled Nawaz Sharif and his brother, Shahbaz, were free to return. Both vowed to return soon.

On 8 September 2007, Lebanese politician Saad Hariri and Saudi intelligence chief Prince Muqrin bin Abdul-Aziz addressed an unprecedented joint press conference at Army House to discuss how Sharif's return would affect relations. Muqrin stated that the initial agreement was for 10 years but "these little things do not affect relations.” Muqrin expressed hope that Sharif would continue with the agreement.

On 10 September 2007, Sharif returned from exile in London to Islamabad. He was prevented from leaving the plane and he was deported to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia within hours. His political career appeared to be over.

Successful return in Lahore

On 20 November 2007, Musharraf went to Saudi Arabia as he left the country for the first time since implementing emergency rule. He attempted to convince Saudi Arabia to prevent Sharif from returning until after the elections in January 2008. The political role of Sharif returned to the fore after Benazir Bhutto's return a month earlier. Saudi Arabia appeared to argue that if Pakistan has allowed a secular woman leader, Benazir Bhutto, to return to the country, then the religiously conservative Sharif should be permitted to return too.

On 25 November 2007, Sharif returned to Pakistan. Thousands of supporters whistled and cheered as they hoisted Sharif and his brother Shahbaz on their shoulders through ranks of wary riot police officers. After an 11-hour procession from the airport, he reached a mosque where he offered prayers as well as criticism against Musharraf.

His return to Pakistan came with only one day left to register for elections. This set the stage for an overnight shift of the political scene.

2008 Parliamentary Elections

Sharif called for the boycott of the January 2008 elections because he believed the poll would not be fair, given a state of emergency imposed by Musharraf. Sharif and the PML (N) decided to participate in the parliamentary elections after 33 opposition groups, including Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party, met in Lahore but failed to reach a joint position.

For the elections, he campaigned for the restoration of the independent judges removed by emergency government decree and Musharraf's departure.

Bhutto's assassination led to the postponement of the elections to 18 February 2008. During the elections, both parties, but the Pakistan Peoples Party in particular, rely on a mix of feudal relationships and regional sentiment for their voting bases - the Bhuttos in Sindh, Nawaz Sharif in Punjab. Sharif condemned Bhutto's assassination and called it the "gloomiest day in Pakistan's history".

Between Bhutto's assassination and the elections, the country faced a rise in attacks by militants. Sharif accused Musharraf of ordering anti-terror operations that have left the country "drowned in blood." Pakistan's government urged opposition leaders to refrain from holding rallies ahead of the elections, citing an escalating terrorist threat. Sharif's party quickly rejected the recommendation, accusing officials of trying block the campaign against Musharraf since large rallies have traditionally been the main way to drum up support in election campaigns.

On January 25, Musharraf initiated a failed four-day visit to London to use British mediation in Pakistani politics to reconcile with the Sharif brothers.

Zardari's Pakistan People's Party, boosted by the death of Benazir Bhutto, and Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-N dominated the elections. PPP received 86 seats for the 342-seat National Assembly; the PML-N, 66; and the PML-Q, which backs President Pervez Musharraf, 40. Zardari and Sharif would later create a coalition government that ousted Musharraf.

Post-2008 elections

His party had joined a coalition led by PPP but the alliance had been strained by differences over the fate of judges Musharraf dismissed last year and over how to handle the unpopular president. Sharif won much public support for his uncompromising stand against Musharraf and for his insistence the judges be reinstated. The coalition successfully forced Musharraf's resignation. He also successfully pressured Zardari for the reinstatement of judges removed by Musharraf in emergency rule. This led to the courts cleansing Sharif of a criminal record rendering him eligible to re-enter parliament.

By-Elections

In June 2008 by-elections, Sharif's party won three National Assembly seats and eight provincial assembly seats, all but one in the country's political nerve center of Punjab province, where Shahbaz Sharif heads the provincial government. The Lahore seat election was postponed because of wrangling over whether Sharif was eligible to contest.

2008 Musharraf impeachment

On 7 August 2008, the coalition government agreed to impeach Musharraf. Zardari and Sharif sent a formal request for him to step down. A charge-sheet had been drafted, and was to be presented to parliament. It included Mr Musharraf’s first seizure of power in 1999—at the expense of Nawaz Sharif, the PML(N)’s leader, whom Mr Musharraf imprisoned and exiled—and his second last November, when he declared an emergency as a means to get re-elected president. The charge-sheet also listed some of Mr Musharraf’s contributions to the “war on terror”.

On 11 August, the National Assembly was summoned to discuss impeachment proceedings. On 18 August 2008, Musharraf resigned as President of Pakistan due to mounting political pressure from the impeachment proceedings. On 19 August 2008, Musharraf defended his nine-year rule in an hour long speech.

Musharraf is presently exiled to London and Sharif continues to demand he be prosecuted for treason.

Presidential election

Pakistan's Election Commission on 22 August announced that Presidential elections would be held on 6 September 2008, and the nomination papers could be filed starting 26 August. In Pakistan, the president is elected by the two houses of parliament and the four provincial assemblies. There was speculation that Sharif would run for President, but on 25 August, he announced that Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui would be the PML-N nominee for President. Siddiqui was defeated by Zardari for the presidency.

Reinstatement of judges

Sharif supported the reinstatement of judges suspended by Musharraf in March 2007. Musharraf had dismissed 60 judges under the state of emergency and Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry in a failed bid to remain in power. Sharif had championed the cause of the judges since their dismissal. The new government that succeeded Musharraf which had campaigned on reinstatement had failed to restore the judges. This led to a collapse of the coalition government in late 2008 due to Zardari’s erstwhile refusal to reinstate the sacked judge. Zardari feared that Chaudhry would undo all Mr Musharraf’s edicts—including an amnesty that he had received from corruption charges.

On 25 February 2009, the Supreme Court disqualified Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif, Punjab’s chief minister, from holding public office. Zardari then dismissed the province’s legislature and declared president’s rule in Punjab. Zardari attempted to place Sharif on house arrest on 15 March 2009. But provincial police disappeared the same day from his house after an angry crowd gathered outside the house. The Punjab police’s decision to free Sharif from confinement was very likely in response to an army command. Sharif, with a large contingent of SUVs, began leading a march to Islamabad. In a televised morning speech on 16 March 2009, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani had promised to reinstate Iftikhar Chaudhry after pressure from Pakistan’s army, American and British envoys, and internal protests. Sharif called off the "long march". The PPP-led government continued to survive.

Removal of bar on third term

On 2 April 2010, the 18th Amendment Bill in the Parliament removed the bar on former prime ministers to stand for only two terms in office. This allows Sharif to become Prime Minister for a third time.

Personal life

He is married to Kalsoom Nawaz Sharif.

References

External links

Kim Barker exposes Nawaz Sharif

Nawaz Sharif took about US$500,000 from Osama bin Ladin for elections

BBC, Timeline: Pakistan's political rivals

Pml(N)Official website

Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz Group) Pakistan

Live Interview

PMLN site

Nawaz Sharif becomes Prime Minister

BBC Profile of Nawaz Sharif

Nawaz Sharif's Life Story (Urdu)

Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif |- |- |- |- |- |-

Category:1949 births Category:Chief Ministers of Punjab (Pakistan) Category:Finance Ministers of Pakistan Category:Ig Nobel Prize winners Category:Kashmiri people Category:Leaders of the Opposition (Pakistan) Category:Living people Category:Pakistan Muslim League (N) Category:Pakistani billionaires Category:Pakistani democracy activists Category:Pakistani exiles Category:Pakistani expatriates in Saudi Arabia Category:Pakistani politicians Category:Nuclear history of Pakistan Category:People from Jeddah Category:People from Lahore Category:Prime Ministers of Pakistan Category:Punjabi people Category:Ravians Category:Punjab University Law College alumni Category:Sharif family

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