KARACHI - Mayor Wasim Akhtar said Karachi is a city where people belongs to different caste and cultures lived and therefore interfaith harmony and promotion of equality and brotherhood is essential here.

The Aga Khan Development Network performed excellent work in Pakistan, especially in Sindh, in the education, health and other sectors. The visit of Prince Karim Aga Khan in Karachi in connection with his diamond jubilee celebrations in the first week of December was an honour for us.

All municipal facilities will be provided at the gatherings of the Ismaili community people during these programmes in different areas of the city.

This he stated while talking to a delegation of Ismaili Community led by Amin Lakhani which met with him in his office on Friday.

The delegation informed Mayor Karachi about the golden jubilee celebrations of Prince Karim Agha Khan IV and the programs which are scheduled to be held on this occasion.

They said that Prince Karim Aga Khan, 49th hereditary Imam, spiritual leader of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims will be completing 60 years as Imam on July 11, 2017. He succeeded his grandfather Sir Sultan Muhammad Aga Khan III on July 11, 1957. Ismailis, keeping with historic tradition will celebrate this occasion-the Diamond Jubilee of the Imam during July 2017 and July 2018 during which advance social, cultural and development projects will be launched.

Over the last 60 years, Prince Karim Aga Khan worked relentlessly for sustainable progress of the Ismaili community, the wider Muslim community and the people amongst whom they live. His efforts have improved the quality of life for millions and impacted all aspects of the human condition. The Aga Khan Development Network has been extended overseeing areas of development including education, health and culture, improved living conditions for people regardless of their religion, race, ethnicity or gender and uplift deprived communities.

Wasim Akhtar congratulated the delegation on the Diamond Jubilee of Prince Karim Aga Khan and expressed hope that the Ismaili community would commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of its spiritual leader in a befitting manner and this would prove a launching time of new socio economic and development projects at grass root level all over the world.

Meanwhile, a six member delegation of KarachiTajir Ittehad led by its chief Atique Mir called on Mayor Karachi Wasim Akhtar in his office on Friday to discuss with him the matter of removal of 118 shops of Baloch Park near Eidgah.

Atique Mir said that the shopkeepers who lost their shops due to anti encroachments action under the orders of the Supreme Court were presently suffering due to joblessness and they urgently need some place where they could do their work and fed their family.

The mayor assured the delegation that this matter would be reviewed on humanitarian grounds and he would do whatever be possible in this connection.

He also directed the law department and Estate Department of KMC to submit full report of the removal of these shops around the Mir Mohammad Baloch Park.