In the late 1960s, Karachi was a swinging city. Dubai was not yet born. Bombay, to the south east, was run by mobs. Kabul was also swinging. Kabul was the epicenter of Hippy movement. Thousands of Hippy people would gather in Kabul. They would sleep in public parks. Then they would move on to Nepal, via Lahore and Delhi. The Taliban were a distant nightmare.
We held new year celebrations on the eve of January 1, 1970, in Karachi. At that time, I worked for the great British company ICI. My friend KC, also at ICI, was from the then East Pakistan (Now Bangladesh). KC owned a Triumph Herald. It had beautiful lines - like a sports car. Four of us (me, KC plus two male friends) started out at 9:30 pm. We went to the 007 room at the Beach Luxury Hotel - an old masterpiece. The drink of choice was the local Murree Beer. The bar was quiet. Too early for the serious party goers. Some girls at the corner table showed interest. We sent them some drinks. We horsed around till 11 pm. Then we moved on. We got into the car. The top was down. The weather balmy. Next stop was the 'LIDO' night club on Queen's Road (now Molvi M. Tamizuddin Khan Road). 'LIDO' was putting on a great show for the new year. The star billing was a dancer/stripper from Lebanon called Gul Pari (fairy). We toyed with the watered down drinks. It was full house. People from all over Pakistan had come to celebrate the new year. A band was playing the latest hits. At 11.30 pm Gul Pari came on. She danced, sang a few Arab songs and shed a few garments. Close to 12 midnight she was in full gyration. At 11.59 the music rose to a crescendo. Lights went out at 12. When the lights came on 1 minute later dinner interval was announced. I had a light meal (the night was still young) of Mulligatawny soup and caramel custard - the two staples bequeathed to us by the British Raj. A very rich businessman was trying to chat up Gul Pari. They could not seem to agree on a price. At 1.30am we exited and made our way to the old grandiose Palace Hotel. It had a very up market night club called LA Gourmet. We did not have reservations. A little money massage did the trick. Inside, couples were dancing. Lots of East European girls were there - seeking a fortune. Champagne was on offer at a price. We ate samosas and seekh kabab.
At 5am, after shedding many hundred rupees, we drove to the Karachi airport. The 'Airport strip' was the main drag. At the top of the road was the Hostellerie de France. It was managed by Air France. The crew stayed over for a few days. On the drag itself was the Midway House, owned by KLM and Speed Bird House, owned by BOAC, the precursor to British Airways. All three hotels had all night parties going on. We drove around to size up the situation. Most cars were parked outside Speed Bird. We went inside. A Rs 50 bribe got us a nice table. An all-girls band was playing. Quite a few Arab men were around. In those days lots of Arab men came to study in Karachi. Later on they discovered Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, etc. Dancing and Fun continued till am. There was reek of hash (opium) in the air. If one felt inclined one could order a gram or two for immediate consumption. We had breakfast of scrambled eggs with tomato sauce (ugh) hashbrowns, and Lassi (yogurt milk). By this time some couples had disappeared to the bedrooms which were available by the hour.
At 7am we drove back to the city. In 1977, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto imposed prohibition with a view to protecting or saving his government. Not much help - he was executed anyway. In the 1980s Karachi fell into the hands of a political party whose core principals were extortion, execution and turf wars. They could teach the Cosa Nostra a thing or two. Operating in the shadows were religious extremists. From 1990 to 2010, Karachi remained one of the most dangerous cities in the world. The price of a contract varied from US $ 100 to much higher - depending on the target. No partying took place on new year's eve. There was a lockdown on all hotels, clubs and restaurants. Now, under the aegis of the military, Karachi is limping back to normalcy. Speed Bird, Midway and De France have been decommissioned. Halcyon days are gone forever.
(The writer is the former Executive Director of the Management Association
of Pakistan)
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