The Sindh Information Department is a provincial government entity in Sindh, Pakistan. Its primary role is to ensure effective and strategic media coverage of government activities through both electronic and print platforms.

Lyari through lens of Aditya Dhar

In Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar, Lyari is portrayed as a violent neighbourhood marked by gang wars, racketeering, police raids, drug trafficking, arms race, and terrorism. Ranveer Singh’s character, Humza Ali Mazari, lands in Pakistan and eventually finds his way into Lyari, depicted in the film as part of Karachi—often described as one of Pakistan’s most dangerous cities.

According to several reports, Lyari comprises some of Karachi’s poorest settlements, where crime has historically thrived amid an alleged nexus between gangs and law enforcement. The area is also shown as the birthplace of Rehman Dakait—played by Akshaye Khanna—who, as per BBC reports, was born to a drug peddler Dad Mohammad and his second wife, Khadija. He made his place early in the crime world in the area, soon rising to its very height.

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What is Lyari’s history?

Historically, Lyari is believed to be one of Karachi’s oldest inhabited areas and is often referred to by its residents as the “Mother of Karachi.” The name is said to be derived from the Sindhi word lyar, a tree that once grew along the banks of the Lyari River. The area was originally inhabited by Sindhi fishermen and Baloch nomads.

Lyari was a predominantly Muslim area within Karachi, which was largely Hindu prior to Partition. During the British period, the neighbourhood was reportedly neglected as colonial development focused on the port and the eastern parts of the city.

The area’s first criminal gangs began to take root in the 1960s. The 1970s saw the emergence of a vibrant local music scene known as “Lyari Disco,” even as the neighbourhood increasingly became a hub for drug trafficking.

The situation worsened in the 1980s when weapons from the Soviet–Afghan war flooded the area, and drug addiction became widespread. During the 1980s and 1990s, Lyari’s gangsters became closely entwined with local politics. Reports suggest that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) backed gangs led by Uzair Baloch and Rehman Dakait to counter the MQM-backed Arshad Pappu.

In 2014, Karachi was ranked the sixth most dangerous city in the world. By 2022, however, it had dropped to the 128th position.

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According to a report by Caravan magazine, Lyari has long been a political battleground—an area where political parties are made or broken. It is also the birthplace of some of Pakistan’s most celebrated footballers and boxers. The place was also known for sustaining the most liberal resistance to the dictatorship. Political activists reportedly risked their lives to fight the oppression of a fundamentalist military regime.

However, the same report noted, “It’s no longer sports or rebel politicians that bring Lyari to life for Karachiites. Now it’s the violence—the gangsters who have terrified the area and waged bloody turf wars for the better part of the decade.”

The report further described Lyari as living proof of the state’s civic failures—a case study in how prolonged political incompetence and corruption have shaped everyday life for its residents.