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Korangi Creek Cantonment

The Korangi Creek Cantonment or Korangi Cantonment is a cantonment town of the city of Karachi, in Sindh, Pakistan. It serves as a military base and residential establishment. It was established by the British Indian Army in 19th century British India, and taken over by the Pakistan Army in 1947. The cantonment maintains its own infrastructure of water supply, electricity and is outside the jurisdiction of City District Government of Karachi.

In April 2008 Pearl Chicks Breeding Farm filed a petition against the Korangi Creek Cantonment Board and Military Estate Officer for what is maintains is an illegal demand for development charges. The petitioner maintained that he has paid all government dues, taxes and levies and action by the Korangi Cantt board, including steps to damage the construction at the farm, are illegal and violative of Articles 18, 24 read with Article 4 of the Constitution of Pakistan. The court was prayed to declare that the respondents have no right or legal authority to demand development charges or else, restrain them from taking any action against the petitioner.

Korangi Industrial Area is one of the largest industrial estate of Pakistan. Established in mid 60s and made operational in 1970. It is spread over an area of 8500 acres. According to a rough estimate more than 4500 industrial, commercial, and service concerns operate here providing employment to roughly two-three lac workers. Industries of Large, Medium and Small scale contribute revenue of Rs. 270 million on daily basis. Units representing the most important sectors of national economy are housed here. To name a few, Textiles, Jute, Wool, Leather, Pharmaceuticals, Cosmetics, Sanitary, Chemicals, Engineering, Rubber Products, Paint, Oil Refineries, Food and Automobiles Industry.

Karachi is the largest city in Pakistan. It is the twentieth largest city of the world in terms of metropolitan population and is Pakistan's premier center of banking, industry, and trade. Karachi is also the home of Pakistan's largest corporations that are involved in entertainment, arts, fashion, advertising, publishing, software development and medical research. It also serves as a major hub of higher education in South Asia, and the wider Islamic World.

The town was annexed to the British Indian Empire when Sindh was conquered by Charles James Napier in Battle of Miani on February 17, 1843. On his departure in 1847, he is said to have remarked, "Would that I could come again to see you in your grandeur!". Karachi was made the capital of Sindh in the 1840s. On Napier's departure it was added along with the rest of Sindh to the Bombay Presidency, a move that caused considerable resentment among the native Sindhi's. The British realized the importance of the city as a military cantonment and as a port for exporting the produce of the Indus River basin, and rapidly developed its harbour for shipping. The foundations of a city municipal government were laid down and infrastructure development was undertaken. New businesses started opening up and the population of the town began rising rapidly.

The arrival of troops of the Kumpany Bahadur in 1839 spawned the foundation of the new section, the military cantonment. The cantonment formed the basis of the 'white' city where the Indians were not allowed free access. The 'white' town was modeled after English industrial parent-cities where work and residential spaces were separated, as were residential from recreational places.

Karachi was divided into two major poles. The 'black' town in the northwest, now enlarged to accommodate the burgeoning Indian mercantile population, comprised the Old Town, Napier Market and Bunder, while the 'white' town in the southeast comprised the Staff lines, Frere Hall, Masonic lodge, Sind Club, Governor House and the Collectors Kutchery [Law Court] located in the Civil Lines Quarter. Saddar bazaar area and Empress Market were used by the 'white' population, while the Serai Quarter served the needs of the 'black' town.