Connections: The Quarterly Journal ISSN 1812-1098, e-ISSN 1812-2973 Hussain & Shelley, Connections QJ 15, no. 3 (2016): 5-15 https://doi.org/10.11610/Connections.15.3.01 Research Article Partnership for Peace Consortium of Defense Academies and Security Studies Institutes Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 Karachi: Organized Crime in a Key Megacity Nazia Hussain a and Louise Shelley b a United Nations University Centre for Policy Research, Tokyo, Japan, http://cpr.unu.edu/ b Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University, Arlington, VA, USA, http://policy-traccc.gmu.edu Abstract: Crime and terror groups are key non-state actors in Karachi and employ crime and violence to achieve political and economic gains. They have a different relationship with the state than crime groups in Italy where the state has more resources to share with the crime groups. In- stead, much more complex relationships exist between the state and the non-state actors in this difficult environment where crime and terror groups have become a part of diffuse governance of the city, including provision of housing and water. Our analysis differs from others who suggest that crime and terror groups have stepped into a power void. We suggest that the political par- ties rather than the crime and terror groups are at the forefront of violent and criminalized politics. Therefore, violent non-state actors are not the ultimate arbiters of the political order. Crime and terror groups remain vulnerable as they may lose the state’s support and without this they face difficulty surviving in this highly competitive environment. Keywords: Karachi, crime, terrorism, megacities. Introduction Megacities are developing across many regions of the world – in particular in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. These cities are growing rapidly as migrants from rural areas or those escaping conflicts gravitate to urban areas. Migrants often settle in informal urban settlements that frequently lack infrastructure and services. In the absence of state presence, or in areas where the state’s presence is substantially weakened, criminals and other non-state actors be- come the providers of services needed by citizens. Many security specialists write that the rise of criminal groups in megacities presents a critical challenge