Mayor asks CJP to take up his plea for empowering local govts

Karachi’s mayor has requested the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) to take up his petition seeking the local government’s empowerment, saying that after voicing his concerns for the past four years, the authorities concerned are now demonstrating seriousness towards the city’s issues.

Addressing the inauguration of the 3D Park in Lines Area, Mayor Wasim Akhtar expressed hope that the elected local government will be provided with its due powers. He said it does not matter if the local government gets its powers through the Sindh government or the federal administration. “The people of Karachi and Hyderabad have given their mandate to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement [MQM], and this mandate can’t be suppressed.”

Akhtar said that the resolution of issues lies in an empowered local government system. He said that both provincial and federal governments have now admitted that the concerns for Karachi being voiced are genuine, so they have started to find a mechanism for resolving the issues.

The mayor lauded the efforts of the department concerned for the 3D Park. East District Municipal Corporation Chairman Moeed Anwar, UC-10 Chairman Muhammad Mursaleen, Vice Chairman Nadeem Khawaja and other local government representatives were also present on the occasion.

Akhtar stressed the need to develop the infrastructure of Lines Area and other localities of Karachi. “Children have the right to get a healthy environment, parks and playgrounds, but they are unfortunately forced to play around storm water drains and heaps of garbage.”

He expressed displeasure over the provision of contaminated water to Lines Area, saying that the infrastructure of the neighbourhood has been destroyed. He also pointed out that the water and sewerage lines of Lines Area need to be replaced.

He asked the federal and provincial governments to resolve the issues of the masses. He said the people elect the prime minister, chief ministers, MNAs and MPAs, but they get nothing in return.

The mayor said the people who are running the country by generating 95 per cent and 65 per cent of the revenue for Sindh and the federation respectively are getting contaminated water.

He said the people of Lines Area had voted for the MQM, which aims to resolve the issues of the residents. “We change our policy according to the circumstances just to facilitate the people of Karachi, Sindh and Pakistan, but we’ll never compromise on their rights.”

He censured the Pakistan Peoples Party for being in power in Sindh for the past 12 years and allegedly ruining the entire province, and Karachi in particular. Akhtar said the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation should be empowered under Article 140-A of the constitution. “Our vote bank is intact, and once again we’ll win by a wide margin from Lines Area and all the other parts of Karachi and Hyderabad.”