Mayor for changes in LG law to transfer powers to grassroots level

Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar has demanded that amendments should be made in the local government act and Article 140B needs to be introduced in the Constitution of Pakistan through which powers could be transferred to grassroots level and basic civic facilities provided to the citizens.

He said this while visiting the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah on his 70th death anniversary on Tuesday. The mayor laid a floral wreath at the tomb of the father of the nation on behalf of the citizens and offered Fateha.

He said we could not forget the vision and teachings of the Quaid-e-Azam, as, because of his sacrifices, we were living in an independent country.

Akhtar said the local governments did not receive a single penny from the National Finance Commission, and mentioned that Karachi had never ever been granted full funds, whereas it needed Rs900 billion for development.

“Karachi generates Rs900 billion for the country and there is no doubt that the prosperity of Pakistan depends upon the development of Karachi.”

The mayor said Karachi could generate additional billions of rupees for the dam construction as there was an acute water shortage in the country.

He held talks with media at the Mazar and hoped that this time the Sindh government would increase Karachi’s fund in the next budget.

Akhtar said it was bad luck of Karachi that its projects were never completed within the stipulated time period.

He said he had presented 144 development projects to the chief minister for the development of Karachi, but not a single one had been approved.

He hoped that PM Imran Khan would visit Karachi as per schedule and would settle the issues of the city. The mayor said the MQM-Pakistan would welcome the judicial commission constituted for investigating the May 12 violence. He added that his party had been demanding the making of a judicial commission since May 13 in order to expose the culprits.