4 ms·

I agree but it would be terrible to merge with Pakistan at this point.

ripe 5y ago
I don’t think OP was suggesting merging the two countries. My relatives in India would consider such a suggestion with horror. Pakistan rarely enters their conversations, except when there’s a terror attack. Most of them just want Pakistan to mind its own business and leave them alone. Back to the story: In terms of size, diversity, and economic potential, Karachi is comparable to Mumbai, but the two cities couldn’t be more different today.
- kashifkhattak 5y ago
  just like we consider your existence in Pakistan as unwanted, go back to your country, we don’t want untouched in Pakistan.
- d3nj4l 5y ago
  > but the two cities couldn’t be more different today. What do you mean?
  - mlboss 5y ago
    Mumbai is the financial capital of India. It drives a significant portion of India’s GDP.
    - zodiakzz 5y ago
      Well Karachi is the sole sea port of Pakistan and generates more than 20% of Pakistan's entire GDP, so not that. I think @ripe meant they're miles apart development-wise. The city doesn't even provide an ambulance service, entirely dependent on charity organizations. Public transport nonexistent. Public water supply is spotty, it's common to pay to get water delivered via a tanker truck. Electricity blackouts, etc.
  - ripe 5y ago
    Sorry, I should have clarified what I meant. (I think a sister comment did clarify, but to expand on it): Mumbai has a reputation as "a city that works". When I was growing up in India, in the 1980s, the entire country was not only poor, but also dysfunctional in terms of infrastructure: electricity, sewage, basic utilities, all unreliable or nonexistent. Whereas Mumbai famously rarely seemed to have blackouts or similar problems. Sure, the buildings looked unpainted and shabby, and the city had lots of problems including crime and extreme poverty, but the basic wheels of the machine were sound. The trains, buses, supply chains, police force, everything was miles ahead of the rest of the country. Even today, despite tremendous migration of poor people into the city looking for opportunities, business still somehow manages to work. (The rest of the country has improved a lot, too, of course). In Mumbai, you can get things done for the most part without having to break the law or bribe people. The article at the top of this thread describes Karachi, which is a similar-sized city, as a post-apocalyptic nightmare, with neighborhood-by-neighborhood gang control, violence, armed kidnappings, constant terror threats, unpredictable shutdowns, and generally an environment where you can't really plan any sort of business. A far cry from Mumbai. That's what I meant. I've never been to Karachi, but I have heard similar stories from other sources, so it does seem like a terrible place to live right now. I feel for the people who are forced to deal with the stress and fear. Hugs
- statguy 5y ago
  > In terms of size, diversity, and economic potential, Karachi is comparable to Mumbai, but the two cities couldn’t be more different today. You could say the same about Mumbai and Shanghai...
  - gremloni 5y ago
    You could and the relative difference would be about the same.
kashifkhattak 5y ago
what are you talking about, we don’t even think of India. Take back your Indians in Karachi. We just don’t consider or even like you or Bengalis, don’t talk about us because you people are not worth it.

ripe 5y ago

I don’t think OP was suggesting merging the two countries. My relatives in India would consider such a suggestion with horror. Pakistan rarely enters their conversations, except when there’s a terror attack. Most of them just want Pakistan to mind its own business and leave them alone. Back to the story: In terms of size, diversity, and economic potential, Karachi is comparable to Mumbai, but the two cities couldn’t be more different today.

kashifkhattak 5y ago
just like we consider your existence in Pakistan as unwanted, go back to your country, we don’t want untouched in Pakistan.
d3nj4l 5y ago
> but the two cities couldn’t be more different today. What do you mean?
- mlboss 5y ago
  Mumbai is the financial capital of India. It drives a significant portion of India’s GDP.
  - zodiakzz 5y ago
    Well Karachi is the sole sea port of Pakistan and generates more than 20% of Pakistan's entire GDP, so not that. I think @ripe meant they're miles apart development-wise. The city doesn't even provide an ambulance service, entirely dependent on charity organizations. Public transport nonexistent. Public water supply is spotty, it's common to pay to get water delivered via a tanker truck. Electricity blackouts, etc.
- ripe 5y ago
  Sorry, I should have clarified what I meant. (I think a sister comment did clarify, but to expand on it): Mumbai has a reputation as "a city that works". When I was growing up in India, in the 1980s, the entire country was not only poor, but also dysfunctional in terms of infrastructure: electricity, sewage, basic utilities, all unreliable or nonexistent. Whereas Mumbai famously rarely seemed to have blackouts or similar problems. Sure, the buildings looked unpainted and shabby, and the city had lots of problems including crime and extreme poverty, but the basic wheels of the machine were sound. The trains, buses, supply chains, police force, everything was miles ahead of the rest of the country. Even today, despite tremendous migration of poor people into the city looking for opportunities, business still somehow manages to work. (The rest of the country has improved a lot, too, of course). In Mumbai, you can get things done for the most part without having to break the law or bribe people. The article at the top of this thread describes Karachi, which is a similar-sized city, as a post-apocalyptic nightmare, with neighborhood-by-neighborhood gang control, violence, armed kidnappings, constant terror threats, unpredictable shutdowns, and generally an environment where you can't really plan any sort of business. A far cry from Mumbai. That's what I meant. I've never been to Karachi, but I have heard similar stories from other sources, so it does seem like a terrible place to live right now. I feel for the people who are forced to deal with the stress and fear. Hugs
statguy 5y ago
> In terms of size, diversity, and economic potential, Karachi is comparable to Mumbai, but the two cities couldn’t be more different today. You could say the same about Mumbai and Shanghai...
- gremloni 5y ago
  You could and the relative difference would be about the same.

kashifkhattak 5y ago

what are you talking about, we don’t even think of India. Take back your Indians in Karachi. We just don’t consider or even like you or Bengalis, don’t talk about us because you people are not worth it.