There's a debate going on the sidelines of the HQ-9 induction regarding air defence in Karachi and Lahore. Team Lahore has gone a bit sentimental talking about the cultural and historical significance of Lahore and it being a population hub, basically all of the things that don't matter in air defence.
First, let's analyze what air defence is primarily used to defend:
- Airbases
- Defence Production Facilities
- Cantonments
- Strategic Infrastructure
- Arms Depots
- Nuclear facilities.
Now, let's do the required comparison.
Lahore
IV Corps HQ
Lahore Cantt
Allama Iqbal International Airport
Karachi-Peshawar Railway Line
Major Locomotive Works
Karachi
V Corps HQ
Karachi Cantt
Malir Cantt
Jinnah International Airport
PAF Base Malir
PAF Base Korangi Creek
PAF Airbase Faisal (Karachi's airbases are tasked with defence of Southern Sindh)
PAF Airbase Masroor (All of PAF's Naval Squadrons)
PAF Airbase Bholari (close proximity)
Port of Karachi
Port of Bin Qasim
Petroleum Facilities at Port Bin Qasim
Beginning Point of Karachi-Peshawar Railway Line
Karachi Shipyard And Engineering Works
PN Facilities at Manora
Navy Dockyards (Primary Naval Base, a little searching on Google Maps would make clear its importance)
Kanupp II and III
Major installations related to our jawab if India goes naughty
I understand that the Karachi-Lahore rivalry will never die, but please leave your petty sympathies and politics at home when discussing defense. O7.
Sidenote:
All areas of Pakistan deserve to be defended equally
. This post was just a comparison to make clear priorities.