Mayor Karachi Wasim Akhtar on Monday said 18th Amendment in the constitution created 'a state within a state'. The Sindh government had withheld all powers and the authority of a councilor was being encroached upon by a provincial minister. Mega projects were the responsibility of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and the provincial or federal government could not initiate such projects if those were not approved by the KMC Council, "however the constitution has been violated and works beyond authority done here," he added.
He expressed these views while addressing a gathering of newspapers editors and owners at the Editors Club of the Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors (CPNE).
The Mayor Karachi said his party (MQM-P) has ready to accept the offer of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to join the Sindh government, but the PPP Chairman must correct the local government system first. "Only then will we think about any cooperation with them," he added. He said the federal and provincial governments were violating the constitution and the SLGA 2013.
He said the government was recovering he local taxes while KMC facing a shortfall of Rs60 million in disbursement of staff salaries.
He expressed hope that the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court would now initiate action on his petition regarding city problems.
The Mayor Karachi said that sewerage condition in city has worsened, causing the outbreak of diseases. KMC hospitals being run through donations by city's philanthropists.
He said he went to every political party after elected as mayor of Karachi for joint efforts and cooperation but no one supported. He said that MQM could not take advantage of the powers it got in past.
Secretary General CPNE Club Dr. Jabbar Khattak and Deputy Secretary General Aamir Mehmood also spoke on this occasion whereas the chairman of the club Hamid Hussain Abidi thanked the mayor for his visit and also announced club's honorary membership for the mayor Karachi.-PR
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