KARACHI - Development of the megacity, Karachi, is inevitable for a sustainable development of Pakistan. To run the megacity on modern lines an integrated approach and competent management is a must, as ignoring this megacity is an economic genocide of the nation.

These views were expressed by Pasban-e-Pakistan President Altaf Shakoor while addressing a big Megacity-Mega March Rally here on Sunday.

According to details, Pasban arranged a rally to highlight the issues of the megacity that marched from the Mazar-e-Quaid to Tibet Center. A large number of citizens belonging to all walks of life including women and children carrying banners, placards and colorful balloons participated in the march.

Addressing the rally, Altaf Shakoor said any city with a population of 10 million or more is called a megacity. He said the problems of the megacities are different from the ordinary cities and the megacities could not be managed with the yardsticks of non-megacities. He said that this is why Pasban has been demanding for long to make constitutional provisions and changes in local government laws to pave way for the megacity governments. He said a different approach and mindset in needed to run the megacities. He said ignoring Karachi is an economic genocide of Pakistan.

Altaf Shakoor said the megacities are self-sufficient economies and due to their bigger size and efficiency they generate extra revenue for the nations. He said if the pace of development of Karachi that it witnessed in the fifties and sixties were continued, today Karachi would have been the richest city of the world. He said the example of Dubai is before all of us. Dubai started its development when Karachi was put on the path of economic deterioration. He said the adhocism, plugged in solutions and add-ons are not the solution to the problems of Karachi, but we need an integrated approach for the development of the megacity.

Pasban President said that the problems of the megacity are immense and complicated, adding we should have to work hard and all stakeholders need to be given a freehand with a complete coordination. He said the megacity concept needs a constitutional recognition, as presently this concept is not mentioned in our constitution as well as the city government laws. He said it requires conducting a survey to get input from many stakeholders of the megacity to ensure a better planning. He said for going to megacity approach, Pakistan would develop a competitive advantage and the world would feel the importance of our country. He said if the megacity Karachi is given a proper focus, Pakistan would be counted amongst the top ten countries of the world. He said developing Karachi and Lahore on megacity lines would create a role model as many more megacities would emerge in Pakistan in coming ten to fifteen years.

Altaf Shakoor talking about the coming interim government said our patriotic leaders and time-tested personalities should be given responsibilities in the caretaker set up, keeping in mind our supreme national interests. He said Pakistan has a lot of people who posses clean character and good track record who could conduct fair and transparent elections. He said in past, we have also experimented to bring good people like Meraj Khalid in running the caretaker setups. 

Regarding the issue of Aafia Siddiqui, he said the government should take all-out efforts for release of the daughter of the nation. He said if the government wants to release the US diplomatic official who had killed a Pakistani citizen in traffic accident in Islamabad; it should ensure that Aafia Siddiqui is released prior to allowing the US official Colonel Joseph going home.