By Aziz Khatri
KARACHI: A wide-ranging gathering of Karachi’s business community, students, civil society members, doctors, engineers, journalists, academics, and lawyers voiced strong support for granting the city the status of a separate administrative unit, alongside advocating for the creation of new administrative divisions across Pakistan.
The meeting, which included notable participants from Punjab such as Mian Amir Mahmood, provided a forum for residents and professionals to articulate longstanding grievances regarding what they described as systematic neglect and inequities faced by the city.
Speakers at the session detailed the challenges Karachi has endured over decades, including underinvestment, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and political marginalization, which they argued have hindered the city’s potential to emerge as a regional economic hub.
Several attendees emphasized that confidence in the current provincial administrative structure had eroded, calling for reforms that would grant the city greater autonomy over its governance, finances, and developmental priorities.
Drawing comparisons with major financial centers such as Dubai, Singapore, and Hong Kong, participants suggested that enhanced autonomy could enable Karachi to unlock its commercial potential, streamline infrastructure development, and implement investor-friendly policies.
Observers noted that the session reflected a growing consensus among diverse sectors of the city’s population that effective governance and economic revitalization could only be achieved through meaningful administrative reforms.
The discussions concluded with a call for coordinated efforts to push for structural changes, emphasizing that Karachi’s future as a dynamic and globally competitive metropolis depended on both political will and sustained civic engagement.
