you are 50% there if you have a good voice....

The US Consulate general karachi yesterday announced on its facebook page that it has moved to its new premises located on mai kolachi near the sea  away from the city centre....
The Old US consulate building was one of the biggest US consulates in the world and a very prominent landmarks of Karachi.This impressive structure was a symbol of hope for many pakistanis and especially the young karachites mostly students hoping to get American (US) visa and green cards to enter the United states of America.
The Aims and objectives keep changing according to times.....this building located on the Abdullah haroon road opp the famous frere hall and garden....was not just a stamp embossing office for the thousands of visa applicants.This building also housed "the American center" which was a very important cultural and educational institution for karachi.the American center had a huge library with thousands of books and latest magazine from the united states. Book fairs,lectures and seminars and educational exhibitions and other social and cultural events were a regular feature of the American center during the seventies and eighties....later on the cultural and educational activities were gradually shifted to the PACC two blocks away with branches in different parts of the city.

Nineties was bad and the new millennium proved to be the worst for the US consulate general Karachi....the sense of insecurity grew with a number of bomb blast and attacks on the building in which many security personnel both from the consulate and the police suffered casualties..forcing the closure of the library and visa section.The increased security measures and road blocks around the old consulate building caused difficulties for the people of karachi as it was the main routes for people coming and going to Clifton defence saddar and other parts of the city....After much deliberations,debate and protests...it was decided that the US consulate will be moved to a new premises.....initially it was rumored that the US govt is looking for an island near Karachi to move its consulate there but they could only afford an abandoned warehouse even that on favorable terms.Construction begin two years ago and foundation stone was laid by former US Ambassador  MS Anne.w. Paterson in august 2008.
The formal inauguration is expected sometime next month but the challenges for any US functionary in the war zone called Pakistan in whatever capacity are so enormous that I don't know whether to congratulate or turn off my mobile.