KARACHI:
The ongoing national discourse regarding administrative restructuring, governance failures and the creation of new administrative units gained fresh momentum following Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s candid remark that “the system has collapsed.”
While debates over institutional reform and provincial realignments dominate political talk shows these days, ordinary citizens experience governance not in macro-level policy whitepapers, but on the asphalt beneath their tires. Driving through Islamabad today, always known for and celebrated as a meticulously planned, world-class capital, one is hard-pressed to disagree with the minister’s diagnosis.
Deep potholes, uneven patchwork, missing lane markings and broken surfacing plague primary arteries and sector avenues alike. These are not merely cosmetic nuisances; they represent serious road safety hazards, vehicle damage and unnecessary traffic congestion in a city designed around mobility and order.
If the institutional framework has indeed broken down, the antidote begins with immediate and visible municipal action. The CDA operates under the direct oversight of the Ministry of Interior. Before overhauling the national map or lamenting systemic collapse, the honourable minister has an immediate, actionable opportunity: directing the CDA to begin a comprehensive, quality-assured road repair and maintenance drive across the federal capital.
True administrative reform is proven through service delivery. Restoring Islamabad’s roads would demonstrate that basic operational action can still take place within the existing framework, flaws and all.
Ahmed Qadir
Islamabad
