New urban province termed ‘an unavoidable necessity’ for Karachi

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan Chairman Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui has called for the creation of a new urban province in Sindh, asserting it is an "unavoidable necessity" due to Karachi's burgeoning population and economic importance. Speaking at an event organized by his party, Siddiqui, who also serves as the federal education minister, highlighted that the city's prosperity hinges on empowering local governments and implementing administrative reforms.

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A new urban province, within the constitutional framework of Pakistan, has become an unavoidable necessity.

Politicians, intellectuals, and urban development specialists present at the event concurred that Karachi faces chronic injustice and weak governance. They emphasized the need for genuine devolution of powers and effective implementation of Article 140-A of the Constitution to address the metropolis's long-standing challenges. Participants pointed to decades of neglect and flawed governance structures as key issues hindering the city's progress.

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The truth is that whatever development Karachi enjoys today is largely the result of MQM’s efforts.

Siddiqui defended his party's historical role, claiming significant development in Karachi occurred when the MQM held local government authority. He addressed past allegations, including those related to the killings of Hakim Saeed and Amjad Sabri and the Baldia factory fire, stating that no accusations against the MQM have been proven in court. "The truth is that whatever development Karachi enjoys today is largely the result of MQM’s efforts," he asserted.

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From the murders of Hakim Said and Amjad Sabri to the Baldia factory fire tragedy and weapons recovery cases, no allegation against MQM has ever been proven in a court of law.

Further elaborating on his proposal, Siddiqui argued that a new administrative framework, including a new urban province within Pakistan's constitutional bounds, is essential. He also raised questions about the utilization of provincial resources and called for an accurate population count to ensure fair representation and fund allocation. MQM-P leader Javed Hanif echoed these sentiments, lamenting the lack of political will to implement existing solutions and stressing that Karachi's future should be decided by its residents.

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The solutions to Karachi’s problems exist, but there is a severe lack of political will.