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Express Tribune
09-06-2025
- General
- Express Tribune
Malir expressway threatens farmland, ecosystem, and local heritage
The agricultural lands of the Malir district became barren, and housing schemes were erected due to the construction of Malir Expressway. As well as the indigenous population facing several changes, the living life structure of local people will be ended. Apart from nature will be destroyed. Nowadays, birds fly with freedom, not so far; only the sounds of the vehicle could be heard. And the most beautiful and fertile region of Malir would lose its historical existence. If we turned the pages of history, we should understand that when the Malir River was a free-flowing river and safely reached the sea, its sweet water underground entered into the wells near the banks. Then, the people used that water for cultivation and as a source for drinking water. In the remaining British records, we found such evidence. Even though in the early days of Britishers in Karachi, they used to develop Dumluti wells for the availability of water, and that water comes from the Malir River. The Dumlotte well system has a lengthy historical background. Upon the British conquest of Karachi in 1839, the British troops erected camps; nevertheless, the available water supply proved insufficient for their drinking needs. The Lyari and Malir indigenous communities often excavate wells for agricultural purposes or rely on seasonal watercourses such as the Malir River. Upon the British's takeover of Karachi, a substantial influx of individuals arrived and established residence, resulting in an abrupt transformation of the societal landscape. Several initiatives were implemented by the British experts to facilitate the provision of water to Karachi. Survival of Malir River? The Malir River was a seasonal river that used to flow from the mighty mountains of the Kirthar National Park, near 10 to 15 kilometers away from Mole City – a causeway that linked the city to the port in the 19th century. Whenever the rain falls and a large quantity of water comes, fertile lands cultivate vegetables, bananas, cheeko, mangos, Sufi Bheer, and so many other fruits that bear the land of the Malir. And those were all supplied all over the country, but now there is no one who wants to eat them because of the lack of sweet water; moreover, dirty water is used for the cultivation of vegetables. Undoubtedly climate change affects the natural beauty of the Malir River, but besides that, more devastation is carried by the Malir Expressway. And another sadness is that the first portion, which is inaugurated by PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto from Qayyumabad to Shah Faisal, is renamed the Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Expressway. And soon the second phase, Airport to Quaidabad, and then the third or final phase, from Quaidabad to Kathore, will be completed as soon as possible. Most people, officials said, think it is being built on the banks of the Malir River, but according to my survey, it will destroy the whole Malir River because mining sand was extracted from the river, and after finishing this public-private partnership project of the Sindh Government, the 36km long road will eventually make the legendary Malir River a dead river, as the earlier Lyari River, Orangi River, Gizri River, and many others in Karachi had been converted into "Nalas." Despite the disagreement of indigenous people of Malir, the work of construction is at its peak. Sand mining Owing to the fact that there is an underground water shortage, indeed many regions of Malir dig up to 400 to 500 feet down through the pumps to generate water for the field. And, well, the sources of the fresh sweet water for drinking as well as agriculture became drought-stricken due to unabated sand mining from the Malir River. According to eminent late researcher and historian Gul Hassan Kalmatti, in his famous book "Karachi, Glory of the East," "Malir was famous for wells, but now Malir didn't have water in wells. Moreover, the Malir expressway dumped wells with soil and built a road upon it. In the footsteps of colonial minds, the same is being done by the so-called democratic people of the country. It is the harsh reality of modern-day Malir. Despite mining sand being prohibited under the second of 144 of the Sindh Assembly. The ratti bajri Mafia is stealing illegally from past decades. Mafia seized the land During my research visit to Memon Goth, president of the social development organization Engineer Habibullah Memon lamented, concerned that "If water can't come in wells, the land will become barren, and land mafias will build housing societies, and the outer population will soon increase, and Indigenous people of Malir will be converted into a minority. Therefore, 65-year-old Ramzan Memon remembered his past memories: "When we were children, we used to cross the Malir River for schooling, and whenever the rains came, the Malir River flowed like a wild horse. As long as Malir Expressway construction started, the land mafia or expressway authority threatened the Indigenous people to vacate their houses. Samo Goth, Sharafi Goth, and many other Goths come in the way. A woman named Hajra Baloch, who belonged to Ghulam Muhammad Goth, told me that "we have been inhabitants since the British era. She recalled, "I used to remember washing clothes in childhood along the banks of 'Nadi.' My father was a farmer who cultivated different vegetables and fruits. Further, she emphasized, Nadi was our survival; most of the women went into fields and earned handsome amounts. Now, they are asking if you are illegal. If the home is destroyed, we are unable to buy another house. Not only the human being was displaced, but the ecology of Malir—birds and animals—lost their lives. In short, Malir Expressway is an existential threat to natural life, agriculture, biodiversity, and indigenous communities. This is an elite class project to connect the DHA to DHA City, Bahria Town, and similar developments. However, social activists, civil society members, lawyers, and members of the Sindh Indigenous Rights Alliance have been protesting and arranging the seminars and highlighting the crucial issues of the green belt of Karachi being destroyed. Despite that, the construction was ongoing. Some of the researchers and environments had assured that the construction of the Malir Expressway causes floods as well as heatstroke in Karachi. And we have witnessed that continually the temperature of Karachi has been rising for the past few years. It is because we have destroyed the ecology of Malir.
Express Tribune
19-05-2025
- Express Tribune
Lyari gang war 'operatives' held
Several members of a group linked to the Lyari gang war were arrested in Purana Golimar on Monday, according to SSP Keamari. Reportedly, police reached the spot where the suspects were, and a firing exchange ensued, resulting in four suspects being arrested in an injured condition, with nine others, including a woman, also arrested. SSP reported that the suspects were affiliated with the Lyari gang war's Naeem Dada and Riasat Jadgal group, which was operating from Iran under the patronage of a person named Yasir. He further revealed that two of them were involved in supplying narcotics, drugs, and arms across the city.
Arab News
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Arab News
‘She can't do it': How a Pakistani teenage boxer fought her biggest battle before the first punch
KARACHI: In a powerful display of grit and determination, 19-year-old Aliya Soomro punched her way to international recognition, knocking out Thailand's Suthida Ganyanooch in the first round of 'The Fighter: World Boxing' match in Bangkok on May 3. Yet, for the teenage fighter from Karachi's gritty Lyari neighborhood, the real battle was fought long before she entered the ring, as she braved relentless criticism and deeply ingrained gender norms back home. In a country where many women still struggle to pursue their ambitions, especially in fields traditionally considered the preserve of men, Soomro said her victory was about more than just boxing as it challenged the limits others had set for women like her. 'They ended up motivating me,' she told Arab News at her modest residence, referring to all those who questioned her passion. 'People thought they were demotivating me, but what they didn't realize was that their negativity was actually turning into my motivation.' 'People gossiped about me, saying things like, 'Make her quit, she can't do it, this is beyond her,'' she said, recounting how many of them whispered such comments in her parents' ears. Born and raised in Lyari, an area long associated with poverty and gang violence, Soomro grew up hearing doubts about girls' capabilities and endured years of neglect. 'You know, people still follow old-fashioned thinking that girls can't do anything, that it's not in their capacity and that they should just stay at home and tend to the stove,' she said. But she was not just disappointed in people but also the sports authorities since even after being repeatedly shortlisted for Pakistan's national boxing team, she was dropped without explanation. 'I was told, 'Be ready, you'll get your ticket in the morning.' But when I got ready and sat waiting in the morning, I found out someone else had taken my place.' Soomro's father, Muhammad Hanif Soomro, a laborer and former footballer, said he made it his life's mission to help his daughter, eldest of his four children, succeed. 'I am very happy as what has happened with me is not happened with my daughter,' he said, recalling how his poverty and lack of support deprived him of making his dream of playing football for his country come true. He said he just unheard criticism of his daughter. 'If we had listened to the criticism, this would not have been possible,' he maintained. 'The answer to criticism is hard work, dedication and she proved it. That's her response.' Without sponsors or institutional backing, Soomro said she walked from company to company during Ramadan, seeking help. 'Even during Ramadan, while fasting, I would go around to companies asking for sponsorship,' she said. 'No one supported me.' Eventually, help came from unexpected place, with Muhammad Hussain Bhatti, a leader from the fishermen's community, getting her visa and tickets. 'After that, he took full responsibility for my sponsorship,' she added. The victory in Bangkok has changed how Soomro is seen. Upon her return, she was applauded by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah who awarded her a shield and Rs1 million ($3,553) cash prize. 'Now, after returning with a victory, the situation has changed,' she said. 'The chief minister is giving me great support.' She's also been offered a sports scholarship and professional coaching support ahead of her upcoming fight against an Indian opponent in Dubai. But for Soomro, the transformation is deeply personal. 'The same ground where people once gossiped about me, I was later invited there as a chief guest, and they said, 'She is our daughter.' That was a moment of pride for me,' she said. Soomro hopes her success will inspire other girls in Lyari and across Pakistan to pursue their dreams, regardless of societal pressures. 'I would just say this,' she said. 'Don't confine girls within four walls. Let them live freely. Just as you consider boys to be strong, know that women's strength is even more important in your life... Women are powerful.' She informed that boxing ran in her blood, with her maternal grand grandfather being a boxer. 'There was this one story. A cow had broken free. My great grandfather stood in a specific stance and threw a counter right, and it hit so hard that one of the cow's horns broke off,' she said, smiling. Despite being a third-year BBA student at a local university, Soomro balances her studies, training and coaching. 'Boxing isn't just a sport for me,' she said. 'Boxing is my life.' Recalling her fight in Bangkok, Soomro said when she stepped into the ring, she just wanted to win. She knocked her opponent out in just 45 seconds. When her Thai rival stood up, she hugged Soomro, saying: 'Your punch is very hard.'
