Karachi: Indigenous economic corridors from Karachi to Hyderabad and from Karachi to Keti Bandar should be established to end joblessness from the megacity, as well as, from the province of Sindh, said Pasban e Pakistan President Altaf Shakoor.
In a statement here Monday, he said joblessness is a major issue of Karachi, as hundreds of thousands of educated youth are without jobs. He said setting up new industrial zones and corridors is a must to utilize the energies and capabilities of our youth. He said said we envision Karachi as a megacity of industries and trade, a home of jobs and an engine of economic growth. He said we demand to convert Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway and Karachi-Keti Bandar road as economic corridors on the pattern of Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor. He said if the federal, Sindh and city government of Karachi join hands to develop Karachi-Hyderabad Economic Corridor and Karachi-Keti Bandar Economic Corridor, not a single person in Sindh province could remain jobless. He said to revolutionize agriculture using saline cropping, drip irrigation and other modern technologies is necessary to end joblessness in rural areas and to make our county self-sufficient in food.
He said in past voters were lured by the professional political beggars, whi have become active again in the megacity to dope its voters in wake of coming general elections; however, this time getting vote from Karachi is linked to give this megacity its due megacity rights. He regretted that the rulers have deprived Karachi from its due status of megacity. He said nowhere in world, the megacities are treated like ordinary cities and towns, but the ruling politicians have shown a step-motherly treatment towards Karachi and its citizens. This is why this megacity lacks true urban infrastructure and facilities. He said it is shame that even towns like Multan and Lodhran have better public transport systems than the megacity of Karachi.
Altaf Shakoor said Karachi needs a megacity government system and a megacity status. We have already been demanding to make an amendment in the constitution of Pakistan to insert new articles regarding ‘megacity governments’ in it, he said. He said though some political parties are talking about a new Pakistan, but a new Pakistan could not be formed unless we make a new Karachi: a megacity Karachi. He said Karachi is not only a megacity but the future of Pakistan. He said people with different linguistic and cultural backgrounds live in this megacity and it is also giving birth to new multi-cultural values, which would surely evolve into a true Pakistani culture.
He said we also want to make Karachi a megacity of education. To open at least one university and one teaching hospital in each district of Pakistan is an old demand of Pasban. However, we demand to make Karachi a city of universities like Tokyo, he said. This city needs world class healthcare institutes to serve its citizens and also to attract international medical tourism.
He said we want a separate megacity government and policing system for Karachi. We want an elected police chief for this megacity. He said the megacity also needs mega desalination plants run on the solar and wind energy to end the water crisis for good. The city needs its own power generation plants to say goodbye to the electricity load shedding.
He said the Pasban has fully planned to launch a megacity rights drive in Karachi. He said we will educate the voters of the megacity to link their vote to the megacity rights for their city. He said the time is ripe to reject the professional vote beggars and forge unity for sustainable and true development of the megacity.
He opined that Karachi deserves Olympics standard playgrounds and stadiums. He said we also demand a long coastal park from Mubarak Village to Gharo to give the megacity new and fresh lungs and to end air pollution from it. He said we also want revival of the KCR, establishment of new metro bus routes and working on an underground train projects for the megacity. He said this megacity would be made a merit city and the most peaceful and developed city of this region.