The ('''FCT''') around
Karachi was the original
Capital Territory of
Pakistan . The FCT was created in 1948 from the city of Karachi and surrounding areas as the location for Pakistan's capital following independence. The FCT was bordered by the province of
Sind to the northeast and the
Princely State of
Las Bela to the northwest with the
Arabian Sea to the south.
Karachi became the first capital of the new country of Pakistan in
1947 . The FCT was created in 1948 to enable the federal government to operate from a nationally-held territory. At that time it had a population of 400,000 people which began to increase rapidly because of the political focus on the city and the fact that it was the major commercial seaport for western Pakistan. When the territory was absorbed into the province of
West Pakistan the city had a population of about 1.9 million.
The main ethnic groups in the FCT were
Sindhis and
Baluchis . However these were soon outnumbered by
Muhajir refugees who had left
India for Pakistan. This change in the ethnic make-up of the city would result in considerable tensions and violence.
The Federal Capital Territory occupied 2,103 km&
2 compared to the current City-District of Karachi which occupies 3,527 km&
2. Apart from Karachi city, the Federal Capital Territory also contained several small villages and towns which have now been subsumed in the metropolitan area of Karachi. The territory covered rolling plains bound by hills to the north and west, the river
Indus to the east and the
Arabian Sea to the south. Several smaller rivers flowed through the heart of the territory including the river
Malir and the river
Layari . The
Port Of Karachi was located in a protected bay to the southwest of the city, protected by several small islands. The climate of the territory was moderated by the influence of the sea with relatively mild winters and warm summers. There was low
Precipitation and high
Humidity for much of the year except during the short
Monsoon rains.
Karachi was and still is the financial capital of Pakistan, accounting for the largest share of the nation's
GDP and generating the largest share of the national revenue. The
State Bank Of Pakistan and most commercial banks had their headquarters in Karachi together with Pakistan's first and largest
Stock Exchange - the
KSE .
The FCT was served by the old
Quaid-e-Azam Airport terminal which is now used for
Hajj flights and cargo facilities. In addition there was an airport at Mauripur which is now the Masroor
Pakistan Air Force base. Karachi had the only major port in western Pakistan while
Chittagong was the main port for eastern Pakistan. The city was linked to the rest of the country by railway with the main stations at Karachi City Station and Karachi Cantonment Station.
