Calls in Karachi for the creation of new administrative units
In Karachi, Pakistan, participants in an event organized with the participation of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) party called for the creation of new administrative units or provinces and for the constitutional expansion of local government powers. They said that the country’s current provincial system is unable to cope with population growth, urban expansion and governance problems, Dawn reports.
The event, titled “A System of Empowered Local Bodies, Creation of New Administrative Units, a Developed and Stable Pakistan,” was held by Graduate Forum Pakistan jointly with MQM-P at a local hotel. It was attended by politicians, former mayors of Karachi, business representatives and civil society members.
Proposals for urban Sindh
Federal Education Minister and MQM-P Chairman Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said that the demand to create a province in urban Sindh had emerged even before his party was founded. According to him, the goal is to establish administrative units, not to weaken Pakistan. He also proposed holding referendums in areas where residents demand new provinces or administrative units.
Senior MQM-P figure and former Karachi mayor Farooq Sattar said that the four-province system preserves the political status quo and concentrates power in the hands of a few families. He proposed dividing Sindh into several administrative regions and granting Karachi special administrative status.
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Powers for local authorities
Former finance minister and senior Awam Pakistan leader Miftah Ismail said that the country could retain the current system, expand the powers of local bodies or create new administrative units. In his view, provincial authorities have repeatedly failed to establish genuinely autonomous local governments.
Politician Irfanullah Marwat stressed that Karachi cannot continue to be governed under the current rules given population growth, unplanned settlements and urban infrastructure needs. Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Rehan Hanif supported transferring powers and resources to the local level, saying that smaller administrative units would make authorities more accessible and accountable.
Entrepreneur Atiq Mir expressed support for administrative reform in Karachi and stressed that new units should be created throughout the country. Former official and lawyer Shahab Imam said there was a need for a system under which residents could make decisions regarding their own areas.
