Simran Siraj

KARACHI: As the red double-decker bus pulls away from popular Zainab Market, Sakina Attaria climbs the narrow stairs to the upper deck, claiming a window seat just as Karachi opens itself below her.&nbsp;From the top, the city looks different.&nbsp;Painted bright red and wrapped in illustrations of Karachi&rsquo;s landmarks, Mazar-e-Quaid, Frere Hall, and the old Empress Market, the bus moves steadily along Shahrah-e-Faisal, the city&rsquo;s main commercial artery. Below, banks, corporate headquarters, and advertising agencies rush past, marking the daily grind of Pakistan&rsquo;s financial hub.&nbsp;&ldquo;This is my first day on the double-decker, and the experience is fantastic,&rdquo; Sakina says, smiling as the wind presses against the sealed glass. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been using public transport since April. This is good, affordable, and it&rsquo;s quite pretty too.&rdquo;&nbsp;After a gap of nearly 65 years, double-decker buses have returned to Karachi, a city of more than 23 million people struggling with traffic congestion and a chronic shortage of reliable public transport.&nbsp;The Sindh government officially launched the service on December 31 last year, with Sindh Transport Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon inaugurating the fleet. Operations for the public began on New Year&rsquo;s Day.&nbsp;The initial rollout includes five Chinese-made diesel buses running a 22-kilometre route from Model Colony in Malir to Zainab Market in Saddar. The journey begins near residential neighborhoods, cuts through downtown Karachi&rsquo;s business district, continues toward Jinnah International Airport, and then reconnects via the highway that marks both the city&rsquo;s exit and its gateway.&nbsp;Each bus can carry up to 120 passengers and is fully air-conditioned, with an adjustable roof designed for Karachi&rsquo;s extreme and unpredictable weather. Fares range from Rs80 [$0.28] to Rs120 [$0.42], depending on distance.&nbsp;For Sakina, who commutes regularly across the city, affordability matters as much as comfort. &ldquo;For students like us, transport costs add up quickly,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;This makes a big difference.&rdquo;&nbsp;Other commuters share her enthusiasm. Nida, a schoolteacher travelling on the first day, calls the service overdue. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a great experience for students, working professionals, and especially ladies,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;We need more of these in Karachi. All cities should get such buses.&rdquo;&nbsp;The novelty of the upper deck, a rarity in Pakistan&rsquo;s urban transport, has drawn young riders eager for a new perspective. &ldquo;The top-deck view makes the daily commute feel different,&rdquo; says Urooj Kaifulwara, a university student. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re very excited and hope there are more initiatives like this.&rdquo;&nbsp;But the buses are not only about the future. For some passengers, they are a moving archive of the past.&nbsp;Friends Muhammad Danish and Ahmed Khan boarded the bus to relive memories from decades ago. &ldquo;Last I saw this was in the 1960s,&rdquo; Danish recalls. &ldquo;What memories. We just came to see it again.&rdquo;&nbsp;The transport minister says the service is part of a broader effort to revive public transport in Karachi, including electric buses and expanded routes. He has announced plans to increase the fleet through 2026, with the goal of deploying double-deckers on all major roads across the city.&nbsp;For now, as the red bus glides past office towers, airport roads, and highways leading out of Karachi, Sakina watches the city move beneath her, a commuter suspended between nostalgia and necessity.&nbsp;&ldquo;It feels like Karachi is finally moving forward,&rdquo; she says, as the bus heads toward the city&rsquo;s edge.

Climate & Environment

Karachi’s iconic double-decker buses return after 65 years, offering affordable, air-conditioned travel, nostalgic city views, and hope for improved public transport as commuters welcome the Sindh government’s new service across Pakistan’s largest and busiest metropolis.

Red double-deckers roll Karachi forward, reviving memories and mobility

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;The Sindh Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on Tuesday foiled a major terrorist plot&nbsp;during an intelligence-based operation, with 2,000 kilograms of explosives recovered, according to a press statement. Addressing a press conference in Karachi, CTD Additional Inspector General (IG) Zulfiqar Ali Larik and CTD Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Ghulam Azfar Mahesar said that a &ldquo;premier intelligence agency,&rdquo; along with law enforcement agencies, received information that terrorists were planning an attack targeting the city. &ldquo;During the operation, a large quantity of weapons, ammunition, and explosive material was recovered from their possession,&rdquo; the CTD statement added. The recovered items included one hand grenade, 30 live cartridges, five detonators, 2,000 kg of explosives, primer cord, and other prohibited items. Mahesar said the terrorists were planning to attack specific targets in Karachi to destabilize national security. He added that intelligence agencies, the Special Branch, the Intelligence Bureau, and the CTDs of Sindh and Balochistan devised a strategy to thwart the plot. He said intelligence officials were deployed at multiple locations, with a particular focus on Karachi&rsquo;s western region. Mahesar said that after several days of sustained efforts, officials obtained information about a terrorist hideout in Raees Goth, Karachi, where a large quantity of explosive material had been prepared. Following the intelligence tip-off, Sindh CTD and a premier intelligence agency conducted a joint raid. He said raids were carried out at six locations based on information provided by an arrested terrorist, leading to the arrest of two more suspects who were also in possession of explosive material. During initial interrogation, he said, the arrested suspects revealed they were associated with the Bashir Zeb network of the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its Majeed Brigade. &ldquo;We captured one terrorist, while three or four others managed to escape the scene,&rdquo; he said. He added that officials recovered a truck loaded with explosive material, which had been transported to the metropolis and was &ldquo;ready to go.&rdquo; Praising the coordinated efforts, Mahesar said it was a major achievement by all agencies involved, as it prevented a large-scale attack in Karachi. He said the seized explosive material was a mix of commercial explosives and material smuggled through Balochistan&rsquo;s mountainous regions. The CTD official said further details would be shared at a later stage.&nbsp; &ldquo;After the completion of further investigation,&rdquo; the CTD statement added, &ldquo;the suspects will be produced before a court.&rdquo;

Security

The Sindh counterterrorism department foiled a major Karachi terrorist plot, seizing 2,000 kg of explosives, weapons, and ammunition. Three suspects linked to Balochistan Liberation Army networks were arrested, preventing a large-scale attack; further investigation is ongoing.

Articles tagged with "Karachi"

Red double-deckers roll Karachi forward, reviving memories and mobility

2,000 kg explosives seized, major terrorist plot in Karachi foiled: Counterterrorism officials