KARACHI - Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar said here on Monday that he would take all parties on board before appointing city administrator after the completion of local bodies’ tenure. “A competent government officer would be appointed as a new administrator. Prime Minister Imran Khan has tasked the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) with cleanliness of drains. A committee, consisting members from each party, would be formed to resolve issues of the port city,” he added.

After inaugurating the two-kilometer long road at Nazimabad Block, he said that Centre, Sindh government and he himself (mayor Karachi) were stakeholders in the city, asserting that solution to city’s problems lay in empowering the local government system. District Central Chairman Rehan Hashmi, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s Works Committee Chairman Hassan Naqvi and other officials were also present on the occasion. 

“Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has already submitted its report on the empowerment of local bodies, but we will submit our report soon,” he said, and added that he had elaborated on the city issues, including water scarcity, lack of proper transport and garbage disposal system during his meetings he had with the federal and provincial government representatives earlier. He was of the view that the miseries of citizens could be lessened to some extent, if these issues were resolved.

“Sindh government is supposed to issue a notification for forming a committee. People should be given a priority in future,” he stressed. Wasim Akhtar said that the road was in a dilapidated condition for a long time and the people were suffering, adding that construction of the raad was amongst his priorities.

He said that 4,000 running square feet road would be completed besides fixing of water and sewerage lines and streetlights. The mayor said that chocking points in drains would also be plugged and all these works would be completed soon. “The issues of the masses are not going to be resolved until local governments are empowered. Throughout the world, local bodies system is strong as this can provide relief to the people in a more efficient manner,” he concluded.