Waseem says after SC’s observations on govt departments’ poor performance,
local bodies should be granted powers and funds to do their job
The Karachi mayor said on Tuesday that the apex court’s recent decision on the poor performance of various departments was an opportunity for the Sindh government to take the local governments onboard and grant them their constitutional powers for addressing civic issues.
“After the Supreme Court’s observations on government departments including the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board, the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board and the North Sindh Urban Services Corporation, it’s time that local governments are given the necessary resources to do their job properly,” Waseem Akhtar said at press conference at his office.
“If the local governments were consulted or provided with the opportunity to serve the public, the situation wouldn’t have worsened to the extent that the Supreme Court had to give such a judgement,” he added.
The mayor said the government had not paid heed to the local governments’ requests, but now it should at least pay attention to the apex court’s observations.
“All parties in the city council are with us on Karachi’s issues and we want to help the Sindh government discard the label of bad governance,” he remarked.
“Powers and funds should be granted to the council members, who possess the required expertise to the job, so that they can work in the city’s six districts.”
The mayor cited excerpts from the Supreme Court’s March 16 judgement. He as the verdict, the provincial government had to immediately dissolve the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board and assign its functions to local councils.
He added that city council would soon hold a meeting to discuss the waste disposal problems cited in the apex court report based on its judicial commission’s findings.
“We will chalk out a comprehensive policy to address Karachi’s solid waste management issue. We want to assist the provincial government and come up with a policy so that the people of Karachi don’t suffer.”
The mayor warned that if the provincial government still did not take give the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation its due powers and funds, it reserved its right to approach the apex court or the judicial commission which had been assigned high court powers.
“We believe that the observations of the Supreme Court are in line with the concerns of the residents of Karachi and they believe that its judgement would pave the way for the elimination of years-long solid waste management problem of the city.”
The mayor was accompanied by DMC East chairperson Moeed Anwer, DMC Korangi chairperson Nayyar Raza, DMC Central vice chairperson Shakir Ali, city council member Aslam Shah Afridi, city council Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf parliamentary leader Firdous Naqvi, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam parliamentary leader Junaid Mukati, Alam Zaib Aalai of the Awami National Party, JUI’s Akbar Hashmi, and Amanullah Afridi of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.
