KARACHI - Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar Thursday said that Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) was delivering despite its limited resources.

During his visit to Liaquatabad where he had gone to inspect the construction of a road, he added that the city could not be left at the mercy of the provincial government, which, he said, had always neglected the port city.

The mayor was accompanied by District Central Chairman Rehan Hashmi and other KMC office-bearers on the occasion.

Wasim said that construction and repair of roads continued in Karachi, and that in the second phase, KMC would initiate a drive against encroachments to give neat and clean look to the city.

He further said that KMC wanted to reserve a separate place for pushcarts and stalls after their removal from roadsides.

The mayor reiterated that the district government was trying its best to serve the people despite its limited resources, and that the district government and KMC were jointly working for the development of Karachi.

To a question, he said the Supreme Court (SC) had made it clear that Solid Waste Management Board (SWMB) had failed to perform and had also directed to hand over the department to Municipal Corporation. “Now we are waiting whether the provincial government complies with the orders of the apex court,” he said, and added that Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) government had destroyed Karachi during the last eight years of its rule as evident by the fact that people were deprived of basic facilities, including electricity, water, proper sewerage system, roads and transport.

He opined that a key factor behind the destruction of the city was limiting the powers of the elected local government and withholding of funds by the provincial government. “People voted for us and we are making all possible efforts for the betterment of the city,” he said.

On the occasion, he directed the concerned officials to ensure the use of better quality material in all development works underway in the city.