Mayor Karachi Waseem Akhtar has asked the media to help resolve the local bodies' issues because media plays vital role in the development of country as the fourth pillar of a democratic state. "Media should highlight the local bodies' issues giving them maximum coverage," he made this appeal at a dinner reception his Karachi Metropolitan Corporation's (KMC) hosted in honor to the participants of the first international marathon conference on media education at Frere Hall, the other night.
The '1st international marathon conference on media education' is an initiative of the Mass-Communication Department of University of Karachi. Waseem Akhtar said that great importance was attached to the local bodies system across the world, but, we hade been ignoring it here in Pakistan. He said that continued negligence had engendered complex civic issues ranging from unavailability of clean drinking water to sewerage system and from problems relating to healthcare to education.
"The rapid increase in the city's population has further aggravated the civic issues whereas the local government has been starved of funds to resolve them, properly," he said, adding that entire KMC machinery, despite all odds and challenges, is striving to make the city clean.
The mayor said that the KMC's resources were limited, but their ambitions were unlimited. Karachi mayor had announced a 100-day plan on December 1 that he will make Karachi a clean city. Since then, he has been in close contact with the stakeholders including major political parties, to persuade them to become part of his drive and play their role for well-being of the citizens. He has been demanding of the PPP-led Sindh Government for disbursement of the funds and transfer of powers to the local bodies' representatives.
Vice Chancellor University of Karachi Dr Muhammad Qaisar, head of Mass-Communication Department Seemi Naghmana, assistant professor Osama Shafique and Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM) leader Farooq Sattar and others also spoke at the reception.
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