On 20 August 2026, Shehri – Citizens for a Better Environment (Shehri-CBE) organized an educational field visit to Hyderi Market, Karachi, for students of the Department of Mass Communication, University of Karachi. The visit was conducted under Component 2: Voices of Democracy – A Civic Media Fellowship, as part of the broader Youth Empowerment for Engaged Citizenship initiative. The activity focused on the case study “Investigating Fire Safety Vulnerability of Urban Markets”, with Hyderi Market serving as the field site.
The field visit provided students with an opportunity to engage with a real-world urban safety issue and understand the challenges associated with fire prevention, public safety, emergency preparedness, and safe evacuation in busy commercial markets. The visit also aimed to strengthen students’ understanding of how civic research and community engagement could contribute to practical solutions for public safety.
The session began with a welcome address by a representative of the All Hyderi Business Traders Welfare Association, followed by an introduction to Shehri-CBE’s work in promoting good governance by Farhan Anwar and Hawwa Fazal. Laiha Bilal, Project Team Lead, then introduced the Aagahi project, providing participants with an overview of the project’s objectives and its focus on community awareness.
A key component of the visit was a dedicated session on Fire Safety Awareness and Emergency Preparedness, led by Ishtiaq Ahmed, Chief Fire Officer. The session focused on important fire safety measures, emergency response, prevention, and preparedness. Participants were also given an opportunity to discuss fire-related risks and share their existing knowledge, experiences, and concerns regarding safety in the market.
The visit also included remarks on fire safety and public safety, community awareness discussions, and an extended question-and-answer session. These engagements enabled participants to connect the issue of urban fire safety with broader questions of community responsibility, governance, and public awareness.
The field visit contributed to the broader objective of developing a practical model for creating a more informed and prepared community at Hyderi Market, particularly around fire prevention, safety awareness, and emergency preparedness. The learnings and documentation generated through the activity were intended to support the development of approaches that could be replicated in other markets and public spaces.
Through this experiential learning activity, Shehri-CBE continued to provide young people with opportunities to connect civic education, field research, community engagement, and public safety. The visit enabled Mass Communication students to observe a real civic issue firsthand and understand how awareness, communication, and community participation can contribute to safer and more resilient urban spaces.
