KARACHI - Expressing concerns over the controversial population figures of Karachi as per the initial census results, Pasban-e-Pakistan has demanded 40 national assembly and 80 Sindh assembly seats for the mega city.
The leaders of Pasban made this demand during a protest demo here on Friday in front of the Karachi Press Club (KPC) and voiced concern over the step-motherly treatment being meted out by the rulers to Karachi and its citizens.
Addressing the demo, Pasban President Altaf Shakoor said the process of census and its initial results have not only troubled Karachi but also many other parts of the country like Fata. He said tempering in census result is tantamount to snatch due rights from the people of the affected areas.
He said provision of just and equitable resources to the people of all parts of the country is essential for peace and social justice. He said the government should take a serious notice of unrest amongst the people of the affected areas including Karachi and ensure that they would get their due share from the national resources as per their actual census figures.
He said an equal and just treatment should be meted out to all citizens as they are equal before the eye of law and constitution.
Altaf Shakoor said the mega city and the economic hub of Pakistan, Karachi, goes badly neglected. He said this city is not even at par in the terms of development and social uplift with the smaller cities of Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi and even Multan. He said roads and streets are broken in Karachi. It lacks drinking water and sewerage disposal facilities.
Its public transport system is in the shambles. Its educational and healthcare facilities are too meager to cater the needs of its mammoth population and it is not being given its due share from the national resources as per its actual census. He said the so-called political champions of the Karachi rights are only paying a lip-service to the city and its citizens. He said time is ripe to listen to the voice of Karachi and urgent steps are needed before it becomes too late.
Altaf Shakoor asked the federal and provincial governments and their ruling parties to play their due role in doling out justice to Karachi. He said Karachi needs special development fund of Rs1000billion to improve its crumbling civic infrastructure and make it a viable and liveable mega city.
He said serving Karachi is serving Pakistan as a better, more modern and more developed Karachi would also result in a more developed and prosperous Pakistan. He said Pasban has always raised a strong voice for the rights of the Karachiites and would continue to do so in future.
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