“The bugs seem to be everywhere in every neighborhood, bazaar and shop, sparing no one. They’re a bullying force on sidewalks, flying in and out of stores and cars and homes, and settling onto every available surface, from vegetables to people.” Those were the words of New York Times reporter Saba Imtiaz, describing a 2019 fly infestation situation in Karachi.
What the citizens of all stripes endured in what is Pakistan’s foremost city came to mind while reading Samira Shackle’s Karachi Vice: Life and Death In a Contested City. As this very interesting book’s title makes plain, life isn’t easy in Karachi. Most Americans couldn’t handle it, regardless of income level. It’s a reminder that “poverty” brings new meaning to relative.
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