Azizabad
Encyclopedia
Azizabad is one of the neighbourhoods of Gulberg Town in Karachi
, Sindh
, Pakistan
. It is named after reputed civil servant Aziz-ul-Haq.
, Sindhis
, Kashmiris
, Seraikis
, Pakhtuns
, Balochis
, Memons, Bohras Ismailis, etc. Over 99% of the population is Muslim
. The population of Gulberg Town is estimated to be nearly one million.
Azizabad is famous because of MQM's Headquarters (House of Altaf Hussain) and as the home town of Khalid Shahanshah
, the PPP
leader and politician.former M.P.A of MQM khalid bin wilayat was also a resident of azizabad . Famous T.V. actor Imtiaz Ahmed (Uncle Urfi fame) was a resident of Azizabad. Nighat Seema, a T.V singer of past also lived in Azizabad.Behzad Lukhnavi(late),kaif Rizwani lived at #4,K Most of the population of Azizabad is educated middle class and peaceful. Vast majority belongs to Urdu speaking migrants from India or their descendants. Other significant groups are Memons, Aga Khanis and Punjabis with small numbers of Sindhis and Pakhtoons; and all ethnic groups live in harmony and offer a good example of peaceful co-existence. Azizabad has various residential blocks: 1, 3 and 8. MQM's head office "Nine-Zero"(which was Altaf Hussain's old residence) is in block 8. In Block 8, there is Comprehensive High School for boys, which is one of Karachi's largest public schools and used to be a centre of best quality education. Close to Nine-Zero is "Mukka Chowk" which is a roundabout with Liaquat Ali Khan's famous "Mukka"(fist) sculpture in the centre, surrounded by beautiful fountains and colourful lights. Nowadays, the worst traffic congestion is witnessed almost every day at Mukka Chowk due to this small roundabout and extreme pressure of traffic. Close to Nine-Zero and Mukka Chowk is Jinnah Cricket Ground, where regular cricket matches and tournaments were played in the past and great cricketers like Javed Miandad and others played matches there. Nowadays this ground is mostly used for political gatherings of MQM and telephonic addresses of Altaf Hussain from London.
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. It is named after reputed civil servant Aziz-ul-Haq.
Location
Azizabad is located in Federal B. Area (or F.B.Area) Karachi, and is surrounded by Dastagir Society block 9, block 9of F.B Area, Karimabad, Gharibabad and Yasinabad. It was the first low-cost housing initiative in Pakistan aimed to settle low-income families in proper houses rather than in hutments.Ethnic groups
There are several ethnic groups including Muhajirs, PunjabisPunjabi people
The Punjabi people , ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ), also Panjabi people, are an Indo-Aryan group from South Asia. They are the second largest of the many ethnic groups in South Asia. They originate in the Punjab region, which has been been the location of some of the oldest civilizations in the world including, the...
, Sindhis
Sindhi people
Sindhis are a Sindhi speaking socio-ethnic group of people originating from Sindh, a province Formerly of British India, now in Pakistan. Today Sindhis that live in Pakistan belong to various religious denominations including Islam, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Christianity...
, Kashmiris
Kashmiri people
The Kashmiri people are a Dardic linguistic group living in Kashmir Valley in Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir and parts of the Pakistani territory of Azad Kashmir who speak the Kashmiri language...
, Seraikis
Saraiki people
The Saraiki people or Multani people are an ethnic group from the central and south-eastern areas of Pakistan, especially the former princely state of Bahawalpur and the districts of Multan, Lodhran, Vehari, Khanewal, Rahim Yar Khan, Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh,...
, Pakhtuns
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
, Balochis
Baloch people
The Baloch or Baluch are an ethnic group that belong to the larger Iranian peoples. Baluch people mainly inhabit the Balochistan region and Sistan and Baluchestan Province in the southeast corner of the Iranian plateau in Western Asia....
, Memons, Bohras Ismailis, etc. Over 99% of the population is Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
. The population of Gulberg Town is estimated to be nearly one million.
Mukka chowk
This is one of the famous landmarks of Federal-B-Area called ‘mukka chowk’ located at the interestion of Block 8 and Block 9.Mukka chowk got remodelled in October 2009. Following is a night shot of this rondabout from November 3, 2009.Population
The population of Azizabad is estimated to be 67,863 as of 2006.Azizabad is famous because of MQM's Headquarters (House of Altaf Hussain) and as the home town of Khalid Shahanshah
Khalid Shahanshah
Khalid Shahanshah was security chief of Benazir Bhutto's residence. Bilawal House Security in-charge Khalid Shahanshah, was also personnel bodyguard and Chief of Security of slain Pakistan Peoples Party chairperson Benazir Bhutto. Khalid Shahanshah was also the right hand of the current president...
, the PPP
Pakistan Peoples Party
The Pakistan Peoples Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International. Pakistan People's Party is the largest political party of Pakistan...
leader and politician.former M.P.A of MQM khalid bin wilayat was also a resident of azizabad . Famous T.V. actor Imtiaz Ahmed (Uncle Urfi fame) was a resident of Azizabad. Nighat Seema, a T.V singer of past also lived in Azizabad.Behzad Lukhnavi(late),kaif Rizwani lived at #4,K Most of the population of Azizabad is educated middle class and peaceful. Vast majority belongs to Urdu speaking migrants from India or their descendants. Other significant groups are Memons, Aga Khanis and Punjabis with small numbers of Sindhis and Pakhtoons; and all ethnic groups live in harmony and offer a good example of peaceful co-existence. Azizabad has various residential blocks: 1, 3 and 8. MQM's head office "Nine-Zero"(which was Altaf Hussain's old residence) is in block 8. In Block 8, there is Comprehensive High School for boys, which is one of Karachi's largest public schools and used to be a centre of best quality education. Close to Nine-Zero is "Mukka Chowk" which is a roundabout with Liaquat Ali Khan's famous "Mukka"(fist) sculpture in the centre, surrounded by beautiful fountains and colourful lights. Nowadays, the worst traffic congestion is witnessed almost every day at Mukka Chowk due to this small roundabout and extreme pressure of traffic. Close to Nine-Zero and Mukka Chowk is Jinnah Cricket Ground, where regular cricket matches and tournaments were played in the past and great cricketers like Javed Miandad and others played matches there. Nowadays this ground is mostly used for political gatherings of MQM and telephonic addresses of Altaf Hussain from London.