Crying foul: MQM wants more say in city administration

"The Sindh government should take notice of the corruption and favouritism rampant in civic departments" said MQM MPA

KARACHI:

Parliamentarians of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) have demanded its allies, the Pakistan Peoples Party, to take them into confidence regarding decisions about the administration and development of the city.

Addressing a press conference at Karachi Press Club on Wednesday, MPA Mohammad Hussain said: "The Sindh government should take notice of the corruption and favouritism rampant in civic departments and bring an end to all discrimination."

He said that bodies responsible for the provision of basic amenities to citizens, such as the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, Sindh Building Control Authority, Karachi Development Authority, and the Karachi Water and Sewage Board, were all experiencing such problems.

"Government officers are not promoted or appointed on merit," said the parliamentarian. "The senior positions in all these bodies are awarded on favouritism or to those who pay heavy bribes," said the parliamentarian.

Accompanied by MPAs Irtiza Farooqi and Mohammad Khan, Hussain said that his party, despite having an 85 per cent mandate in the city, was being deprived of jobs or good positions in government departments.

He said that maintenance of parks, hospitals, footpaths, sewerage and water lines had stopped, and the departments were blaming it on the lack of funds.

The MQM MPA warned the departments and its officers not to indulge in corruption and to solve peoples' problems, or else they would be held accountable for their actions.

Referring to the SBCA, he said: "The SBCA chief must keep a check on the bribes being taken by his department to pass maps and allow illegal constructions." He said that the party has formed committees which would meet the administrators and other government officials to discuss the issues of corruption in their departments.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 25^th, 2014.