Mayor Karachi Wasim Akhtar on Thursday said a strong local bodies system is crucial for the development of country, but unfortunately the ruling governments never let the same flourish and work independently.

"They always felt local bodies system as threat to them," Wasim said addressing a delegation of Abbotabad and Hazara community led by District Nazim Abbotabad Sardar Saeed Anwer who called on the Mayor at his office on Thursday.

Mayor Karachi welcoming the delegation stressed the need for more and more interaction between local bodies in the country. "This way we could share our views and experiences on the provision of municipal services to people of our area," he said.

Mayor said the country could get progress only with a strong local government system. Giving the example of other countries where problems at grassroots levels were solved through effective local government institutions. He said the same could be achieved here.

The mayor further said it was wrong to carry out municipal functions through members of provincial or national assembly whose basic function was making laws in the assembly.

He urged the members of the delegation to raise their voice for strengthening of local governments in Pakistan which is the need of the hour. The district Nazim of Abbottabad discussed about the problems facing by members of the Hazara community in Karachi.