PSP chief puts forward six-point plan to resolve Karachi's issues

Mustafa Kamal calls for increasing Karachi's representation in NA and PA, making it a single district

KARACHI:

Presenting a six-point plan for resolving Karachi's issues, Pak Sarzameen Party chairperson Syed Mustafa Kamal stressed on Tuesday the need for enhancing the city's representation in the National and Sindh Assembly, devolving power and funds to local government bodies and making Karachi a single district.

Addressing a press conference, Kamal claimed the population of Karachi would turn out to be around 25 million to 30 million if a consensus was carried out properly in the city. On the basis of this estimate, he demanded that the number of Karachi's seats be increased in the National Assembly, as well as the provincial assembly.

"Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, which has a population of around 36 million, has 64 seats in the National Assembly," he said, implying that a comparison of these numbers with those of Karachi would justify increasing the latter's representation in the assemblies.

Moving on to his next demand, Kamal criticised Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and said the 18th Amendment had only empowered him and not any local government body or the administration. He demanded that power be devolved to the lowest tier of the government at tehsil and union council levels and called for transferring funds received under the National Finance Commission to local government institutions as well.

He also called for the separation of the Master Plan Department from the Sindh Building Control Authority and making it an autonomous institution.

The PSP chief further demanded to withdraw the decision of establishing Keamari as separate district and making Karachi a single district.

Besides, he said, all 18 municipal bodies, cantonment boards, Defence Housing Authority, Karach Port Trust, Port Qasim, Malir Development Authority, SITE Limited, Railways, Civil Aviation Authority and other residential colonies should be brought under the control of the city district government, in accordance with the Supreme Court's orders, headed by a single person- an elected mayor.

He claimed that the condition of the city would have been better if 16-points, presented by the PSP earlier, had been implemented in Karachi.