Various parties demand making Karachi a province

Save Karachi Save Pakistan moot by PAT bemoans sorry state of affairs in 'mini-Pakistan'

KARACHI:

Leaders of various political and religious parties have said that the solution to Karachi's problems is to make the city a province.

This city should be given an empowered local government system. These views were expressed by Pakistan Awami Tehreek Central President Qazi Zahid Hussain, central secretary general Khurram Nawaz Gandapur, provincial president Qaiser Iqbal Qadri, general secretary Rao Kamran Mehmood in a seminar on "Save Pakistan Save Karachi" organized by Pakistan Awami Tehreek at the Karachi Press Club on Sunday.

MQM Revival Committee Head Dr Farooq Sattar, Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) leader Sardar Rahim, MQM-P representativer Hanif Javed, Majlis-e-Wahdat-eMuslimeen Political Secretary Taqi Zafar, Al-Falah party leader Nasir Rahim, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-eAzam (PML-Q) Sadiq Sheikh, Moeez-ul-Hassan and others addressed the gathering. These leaders said that the only solution to the problems of Karachi is its provincial autonomy.

By making Karachi a province, its deprivations should be eliminated and powers should be transferred to the local bodies.

They said that under the 18th Constitutional Amendment, those seeking provincial autonomy have deprived local bodies of their powers. Powerful local bodies are the guarantors of Karachi's prosperity and prosperous Karachi is the guarantee of a prosperous Pakistan.

The mayor and deputy mayor should be directly elected. In Sindh, the quota system created prejudice and the rights of citizens were violated. The ruling parties in our province are also the ones who protect the quota system and fake census.

It is necessary to abolish the quota system and restore merit. Karachi, the highest tax-paying city in Pakistan, received nothing but deprivation in return. Karachi's tax is ending up in corruption instead of being spent on its development. Thirty million citizens in Karachi are longing for a drop of water while the city's water is being sold to the tanker mafia.