ABOUT KARACHI
Karachi is the capital of the province of Sindh, and the largest city in Pakistan. Located on the coast of the Arabian Sea, north-west of the Indus River Delta, the mega city is the largest city, original capital and cultural, economical, philanthropic, educational, and political hub, as well as the largest port, of the country.
The metropolitan area along with its suburbs comprises the world’s second most populated city, spread over 3,530 square kilometers. The city credits its growth to the mixed populations of economic and political migrants and refugees from different national, provincial, linguistic and religious origins who have largely come to settle here permanently.
It is locally termed as the City of Lights for its liveliness and the City of The Quaid, for not only being both the birth and death place of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah the founder of Pakistan but also his home after 1947. Residents and those born in the city are called “Karachiites”.
USEFUL FACTS ABOUT KARACHI HELPFUL DURING ASHARA 1439H
Temperature during Ashara days will vary between 29-33°C.
Transportation is ample, taxis rickshaws are easily available every where, make sure to negotiate the fare first, as taxi and rickshaw drivers don’t use meters here.
Alternately UBER or CAREEM rides are very common and safe, apps can be downloaded on your phone.
Mobile SIMs can easily be purchased from airport or franchise offices scattered throughout the city
Popular networks are Ufone , Mobilink, Zong , Telenor, all have different call and data packages starting from 5$
Karachi is a huge metropolis and is ranked as 6th biggest city in the world, so traffic is there especially during peak hours
Airport (Jinnah International) is about 20 km from down town Saddar area
Karachi is also referred to as the food capital of world, there are unlimited countless dining options and restaurants suiting every budget and every taste.
There are dozens of malls and shopping areas; most popular malls are:
Dolmen Mall SeaviewOcean Mall CliftonAtrium mallLuckyOne Mall GulshanMillenium MallThe Forum Clifton
Wholesale Mega Stores:
Naheed Super Market
Imtiaz Mart
Chaseup
Makro
Carrefour (Hyperstar)
Metro
Shopping districts/bazaars
Tariq road
Gulf Shopping Mall Clifton
ZamZama
Zainab market (best for Pakistani made export garments)
1 US$ is equal to approx 107 Pakistani rupees.
Highest note is of Rs 5000.
There are no safety issues as such, Karachi is as safe as any other city but caution should be taken at all times.
Burger King, Mc Donalds, PizzaHut, Nandos, Dominos, Dunkin Donuts, KFC, TGI Fridays, Subway, Gloria Jeans, Fat Burger, Hardees, etc. All international food chains have dozens of outlets through out the city.(all halal)
Food delivery is very common in Karachi and almost all restaurants offer free delivery. Popular food ordering app is FOODPANDA
Tap water is not suitable to drink – Mineral water bottles are recommended which are easily available in stores