KARACHI:Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor on Saturday underscored the need for urgent political reforms and serious development of the national economy.

“The political reforms are badly needed so that the common man can also take part in local bodies’ elections. For this purpose, the steep fees for candidature of LB polls should be reduced so that ordinary citizens can also think of taking part in the elections, as presently only the elite class can afford the higher fees and expenditures of polls,” he said addressing a party meeting at Gizri.

Mr Shakoor said that to solve the lingering issues of megacity Karachi, it should be given a constitutional status of Charter City. He said people can’t bear more burden of price hike and inflation. He said supply of fuel on affordable prices should be the first step towards giving relief to the masses. He said the previous government was doomed as it failed to control the price hike, adding the present government of Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif should not repeat the same mistake.

Shakoor demanded overhauling poor public transport system in Karachi on emergency basis. He demanded accelerating pace of work on Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) and lingering bus rapid transit projects. He regretted that the Karachi in the only megacity of the world that have the worst public transport system in the world.

He further regretted that the rulers have always betrayed Karachi and the Karachiites. He said Imran Khan and his party sold Karachi cheaply and misused the mandate given to them by the megacity. He said that there are good leaders in Karachi but due to a corrupt system they can’t compete in the power politics presently dominated by the elite class. He said Karachi gives the lion’s share of revenue but still it goes neglected.

He said the skilled manpower of Karachi working abroad provides almost 70 percent of the foreign remittances. These sons of soil face the worst discrimination due to corrupt quota system that should be ended for good now. He urged the voters of Karachi to recognize their friends and foes and give vote to the people who are committed to the megacity and its people. PDP Gizri-Clifton chapter president Mian Riaz, Shahbaz Mughal Shaka and others were also present.