Karachi City Naib Nazim Nasrin Jalil has said that various people and Taliban are coming to Karachi because of deteriorating conditions in various parts of NWFP. However, she added that the term 'Taliban' does not mean Pakhtoons but those extremist elements who put the society at the altar of extremism.
She was talking to French Consul General Pierre Seillan and Incharge of Pakistan Section Nicolas Beregeret who met her on Friday morning. Nasrin said that MQM and ANP have always been keen to maintain good relations and, during meeting of Altaf Hussain and Wali Khan both had pledged not to get divided despite all attempts by the establishment.
She said: "Today we need to promote this thinking." She emphasised and appreciated the role which Pakhtoons played in the reconstruction and development of Karachi. She said MQM has co-operated with PPP in the larger interest of the city, the province and the country, and MQM chief Altaf Husain was the first to propose the name of Asif Ali Zardari as President.
The French Consul General Seillan praised the ongoing development projects in Karachi and observed that Karachi is an attractive city for investment. He said that at present 36 French companies are operating in various sectors while some 200 students are selected from Pakistan every year for French scholarship.
The Naib Nazim informed the French Consul General that the pace of development works had slowed down because of slash in development funds. She pointed out that Karachi has a population of about 17 million and it could be determined from the fact that the city has 178 Union Councils. If each UC has minimum population of one 0.10 million, the total population would come to 17.8 million.
Nasrin said that the present city government had started work on city's development keeping the vision of MQM chief Altaf Hussain before it, and the benefits which the people of Karachi, and of the entire country, are reaping because of soothing changes that are taking place here.
She said that when K-III project was started, the plan for distribution of 100 mgd additional water, too, should have been prepared then. Now the present Haq Parast leadership undertook judicious distribution of water and carried it to those areas which hitherto were without water.
She said that the City Government has land control of only 33 percent of the city while 67 percent is with other organisations as a result of which many problems are faced in the solution of civic issues. She was of the view that all utility providing agencies should be under City Nazim.