Newly-appointed Karachi Administrator Dr Saif-ur-Rehman has announced suspending charged parking fees — part of his several measures after taking charge.
Rehman, while chairing a meeting comprising representatives from different departments, said: "The KMC [Karachi Metropolitan Corporation] will not collect parking fees anymore. The staff collecting the fee [should be stopped] and until the new auctions take place, the citizens can enjoy free parking."
KMC employees are involved in authorising parking spaces on a contractual basis — may it be Safari Park or any other park.
"From today onward, all the contracts that the KMC employees have taken up will end and no employee of the corporation will be involved in such activities," the administrator warned.
Dr Rehman announced an increase in the rent of KMC-owned shops in a week and directed that in the first phase of rehabilitation, 28 major roads should be repaired immediately.
The new-appointed administrator said trees should be planted on the green belt between the roads, all pedestrian bridges should be repaired immediately, and the encroachment drive should continue.
Dr Rehman was appointed as the port city's administrator Wednesday after the Sindh government accepted former administrator Murtaza Wahab's resignation, a notification from the Sindh Local Government Department said.
"In exercise of powers, vested U/s 21(3) of Sindh Local Government Act, 2013 [...] and with the approval of the competent authority, upon acceptance of resignation of Barrister Murtaza Wahab [...] Dr Syed Saif-urRehman, an officer of PAS (BS-20) [...] is hereby appointed as Administrator, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation."
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) nominated Dr Rehman for the slot.