Karachi administrator sees 'positive changes' in city soon

Karachi Administrator Iftikhar Ali Shallwani has said that positive changes in the city are expected soon as deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners, police and other agencies are fully cooperating with him for systematic uplift of the metropolis.

He said this while addressing a webinar hosted by Karachi Council on Foreign Relations (KCFR) on Friday.

Shallwani said that by replacing an elected mayor, a lot is being expected of him not only by the public but also by Sindh and federal governments.

He said that the port city is “mini Pakistan” and as its population increases, so do its problems, adding that there is never a dull moment in administrating such a big city.

During the webinar, Shallwani talked about waste management, water supply, sewerage, transport and other issues of the city and also responded to questions of the members of KCFR.

The Karachi administrator said that he is grateful to the Sindh as well as the federal government for choosing him for such an important position. "Being a bureaucrat myself, I found cooperation and assistance from DCs, ACs, police and other agencies headed by other bureaucrats," he said and added that he expected to see positive results in the metropolis soon.

He said that few Chinese companies are given contracts to collect waste and by and large are doing a “good job” in this regard. However, few shortcomings have been pointed out, he added.

Shallwani said that improving water supply to the citizens of Karachi is among his top priorities. However, number of agencies including DHA, Cantonments, KMC, CDA, MDA and others are involved before the water reaches the end-user but despite all odds, visible changes in this regard can be witnessed in the city.

Talking about the woes of the daily travellers, he said that the port city is facing a huge transportation problem. However, he added that this issue would be resolved soon since transportation systems like Red line, Green line, Orange line and Brown line are nearing their completion in different areas of the city.

The Karachi administrator said that few BRTs would need some time to be built but some are nearing completion and could start functioning by early 2021.

He said that Turkey has proposed a tram service from Metropole to Tower via Gymkhana, assuring that the project would be completed keeping in mind modern transportation needs.

Speaking about operational issues he is currently facing, Shallwani said that drainage and sewage system is a “great headache for the city administration as it is very old”. However, a number of projects have been initiated to improve the sanitation system of the city, he added.

He said that he is also planning to turn Karachi into a "walkable city" akin to some European and South American cities but at present many areas do not even have a footpath. "When tourists arrive here, they do try to walk around but there is not footpath," he said and added that footpaths in many areas would soon be built.

People of the city, Shallwani said, would soon see many new sports complexes and improvement in the current ones, adding that the people love cricket and he would try to encourage sports activities.

Karachi as a tourist hotspot, he said, has a huge potential and he is trying to provide necessary facilities in this connection. "There are few roads that even resemble old city centres in Italy and Spain," he remarked. Iftikhar said that local tourists would also visit Karachi instead of people from here going to the northern areas of the country.

He also pointed out that a portion of Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) would get operational soon. However, the entire project would take longer, he maintained.