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Comment by nfca | Hacker News Reader

There is some variability in the state of cities across Pakistan.

Karachi is the largest and most dense city by a significant margin, so its needs are much greater.

In comparison, Lahore, the second largest city in the country, and the premier city of the affluent province of Punjab hosts far better infrastructure. Consequently, it suffers a mere fraction of the magnitude of such issues as Karachi. In addition to a different geography, which, of course, is a significant factor, Lahore has received much greater investment of political will, civic planning and funds.

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As a Westerner who travels to Pakistan once in a while, of the three biggest cities (Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad), Karachi seems like an outlier in terms of corruption, even for Pakistan, with entrenched mafia rule. I don't know the reasons this is so in Karachi, perhaps as the port city smuggling is big there.

In terms of infrastructure, Karachi also seems different as you said, with lots of apartment buildings, where other cities like Lahore is almost exclusively villas, so density will be higher with more strain on infrastructure.

A very interesting development is the premiership of Imran Khan who is politically independent (excluding being beholden to the military as is all political leaders) and genuinely making a big effort in fighting corruption. It will be interesting to see how much he can accomplish.

We all thought he will remain politically independent. He isn't and never was. I was even part of his early campaigns as a youngster who were his main focus at the time. He is better and many aspects very different, but political system including almost everyone surrounding him are garbage. He is facing the same challenges now for which he use to harshly criticize previous governments. I stopped watching news but the biggest is probably currency being devalued continuously.

>>premier city of the affluent province of Punjab hosts far better infrastructure.

Curious. Which city is this?

Lahore.

> premier city of the affluent province of Punjab hosts far better infrastructure.

If I were to guess, it is because the political power has long rested with Pakistani Punjabis and Lahore is their capital city. Whilst Karachi has long been relegated as city of migrants.

I followed some Twitter troll fight during their flooding crisis. Apparently they have some constitutional amendment which gives local/state governments complete ownership of their local issues.

I don't recall what that was. But it looked like classic central government vs state government fight.

Yes. All these stuff needs to be taken care by provincial govt as per 18th amendment which transfers power to provinces but some how incompetent Sind govt blames the center.

- I am from Karachi.

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