Karachi mayor says powers of councillors exercised by Sindh govt

KARACHI: Mayor Karachi Wasim Akhtar said the 18th Amendment in the constitution has created a state within the state. The Sindh government withheld all powers and the authority of a councillor was being utilised by the provincial minister. The mega projects were the responsibility of the KMC and the provincial or federal government could not initiate any such project without the approval by the KMC Council, however, the constitution has been violated and work is being done beyond authority. He expressed these views while addressing a gathering here on Monday.

The mayor Karachi said we are ready to accept the offer of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, however, the People’s Party must first correct the local government system and only then we could think of any cooperation with them.

He said the federal and provincial governments was violating the constitution and SLGA 2013. More than 18 organizations were providing basic municipal services to people in the city without a central coordinating authority and in this situation how could the problems be solved. The mayor said the government was recovering local taxes and KMC was facing a shortfall of Rs6 crore in disbursement of staff salary. He expressed the hope that the chief justice of the Supreme Court would initiate action on my petition regarding the city problems.

Akhtar said that sewerage condition in the city was worsening and is becoming a major source of spread of diseases. The KMC hospitals are being run through donations by city philanthropists. He said he went to every political party after the election as the mayor was seeking their cooperation and addressing the issues with joint efforts but no one supported. -