Written by Komal Rehman
Throughout my academic journey, all times I have come across or studied about Karachi, whether it be history or its contemporary state. I had always built a negative image in my mind, with the abundance of western authors everywhere who think Karachi is a backward city, with no or arguably less potential, my thoughts were inevitable.
Upon learning about the Heritage Walk, Karachi, as I faintly recall, I was in my A levels at the time when I stumbled upon the initiative on Instagram. Working alongside that very initiative and ending up being trained to be a guide for a day was a dream come true. I have been born and raised in Karachi and share a lot of my memories in this space, my heart belongs to this city. Through this walk and through being a part of it, I realized how much potential my city has and how much history it has.
Walking through Pakistan Chowk with the participants was a bittersweet feeling, the kinds of buildings I saw had been exactly like the ones my Grandmother had once told me stories about, the same kind of pillars, grills and windows. I could almost imagine my young Grandmother alongside them. But seeing the fate of these spaces, was an utterly bitter feeling, the light filtering through the hollow facades, the trash piled up next to abandoned structures, I wondered to myself why must they be destined to such a cruel fate?
More than anything, I think the walk has triggered a sense of ownership in me for my own city, I no longer look at these spaces as an observer but as a civilian and as a resident. And sincerely hope for a better future for Karachi and its multi-cultural heritage.