By our correspondent
KARACHI: The government’s approach to addressing Karachi’s infrastructure and governance issues is fragmented, with patchwork solutions replacing long-term planning, said Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor on Sunday.
Speaking in Karachi, Shakoor criticised the Sindh government for copying development initiatives from Lahore for political reasons rather than addressing the root causes of the city’s poor governance and deteriorating infrastructure. He noted that while a few double-decker buses had been imported, the revival of the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) and the creation of a modern, integrated public transport system combining buses and rail remained long-standing and unmet demands.
Shakoor highlighted the city’s water crisis, saying residents are forced to buy water from a tanker mafia allegedly supported by government officials and ministers. He condemned the failure to supply clean piped water, calling it a constitutional obligation of the government, and pointed out that Lahore does not face a similar problem.
He also criticised the Safe City project, saying that despite billions spent, it remains incomplete, while crime continues to rise and citizens lose vehicles and valuables to criminals operating with impunity. Shakoor accused the police of corruption and politicisation, relying on outdated colonial-era methods and neglecting modern investigative tools.
Demanding systemic reform, Shakoor called for the interlinking and integration of all service-providing departments, connected to citizens through digital complaint dashboards—a method successfully used in cities worldwide. He said Karachi needs a dedicated megacity government, requiring amendments to the local government system to provide constitutional authority for such governance. Without this, he warned, Karachi would continue to suffer under fragmented administration.
