By Uzma Hashmi
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah defended the province’s local government system on Wednesday, saying those criticising its performance should first assess the functioning of local bodies in their own provinces before questioning the model adopted in Sindh.
Speaking to reporters in Karachi, the chief minister said criticism of Sindh’s local government structure often overlooked the fact that local government institutions remained weak or were absent in several other parts of the country. He argued that provinces where local bodies were not functioning effectively had little justification for criticising Sindh’s system.
“Those commenting on Sindh’s local government system should first ensure local bodies are functioning in their own provinces,” Shah said, adding that local councils did not even exist in Islamabad. He maintained that while criticism was welcome, comparisons should be based on the overall state of local governance across the country rather than on Sindh alone.
The chief minister acknowledged that the provincial government’s local government framework still required improvement and said the administration remained committed to introducing further reforms. He said strengthening local institutions and enhancing public service delivery remained an important objective of the provincial government.
Shah also addressed Karachi’s worsening electricity crisis, expressing concern over prolonged power outages affecting many parts of the city. He said residents in some neighbourhoods had been forced to endure electricity cuts lasting between 12 and 18 hours a day, describing the situation as unacceptable for Pakistan’s largest metropolitan centre.
The CM criticised the federal government over what he described as delays in granting approval for new electricity generation projects proposed by the Sindh government.
