Watch: Pakistani cop turns his real-life police stories into gritty novels

Karachi: Once a quiet port nestled on the Arabian Sea coastline, Karachi was transformed by the flood of refugees from neighbouring India after partition in 1947, setting the stage for disputes that needle the metropolis to this day.

Years later the port became a conduit for weapons, narcotics, and a new flood of refugees from war-torn Afghanistan, transforming politics and ratcheting up violence to make Karachi one of Asia's most dangerous cities.

"The last 30 years have been a rollercoaster ride," explains Hamid.

"If wasn't politico-ethnic violence it was sectarian violence in Karachi that lead to jihadist terrorism."

Writing, he explains, was a release.

"I had a lot of frustrations about things that had happened in my career until that point," said Hamid.

"I felt a need to vent about them."

The themes Hamid explores may surprise those looking for screeds to lionize the police and demonise its enemies, with stories of extrajudicial killings and corrupt officials frequently appearing.

Though he often takes aim at Karachi's dangerous and powerful, he has received little blowback, he admits.

But he says his latest novel "The Fix" released in June may ruffle more feathers, as he explores corruption in cricket.

"For a nation of cricket fanatics and conspiracy theorists, it's strangely been an area that has never really been explored," he explains.

For all his explorations of Karachi's darkest corners, Hamid remains hopeful for his beloved home, while admitting the sweltering, overflowing city may seem like "an absolute hellhole" to outsiders.

"It may not be everyone's cup of tea," he shrugs. "But as a city, it will keep going."