Saeed Ghani, Waseem Akhtar face off over creation of Keamari district

KARACHI: Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani and Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar debated the creation of another district by the provincial government Thursday night, as the PTI and MQM-P accused the PPP of dividing Karachi for political reasons.

 Ghani said the setting up of Keamari district in the port city of Karachi was purely an administrative issue – an argument of the Sindh government which has been rejected by opposition parties in the province.

“The issue [relating the establishment of the Keamari district] had been long under discussion and was delayed by numerous administrative problems,” said Ghani in the Geo News current affairs programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath’ on Thursday.

Ghani went on to say that Karachi used to have three districts which later increased to seven, adding that new districts have been formed in other cities of the province as well.

He said that new districts had been carved out of the city to facilitate the people and ensure better management.

However, Mayor Karachi Waseem Akhtar lashed out at the provincial government’s decision to set up the Keamari district, saying "May God have mercy on this decision of the Sindh government".

He challenged Ghani's assertion that the new district was made for better management of the city, adding that everyone was a witness to what had happened to the Malir district after it was created.

Akhtar said Karachi had been destroyed after it was divided into six districts. He complained that the local government was not approached before the decision about the new district was.

Brushing aside Akhtar’s complaint, Ghani responded by saying that the local government had nothing to do with the creation of the new district and instead, it’s the job of the revenue department to do that.

Carving out a new district is not the domain of the local government, he added. He also pointed out how Karachi is a division that comprises different districts and Lahore is not a district, it’s a division that includes Kasur and Sheikhupura districts as well.

The Karachi mayor said, “Our petition regarding the demarcations are pending before the Election Commission of Pakistan.” He said all departments, including police, should be brought under the control of the mayor.

Sindh establishes seventh district in Karachi

The Sindh cabinet on Thursday approved to establish the seventh district in Karachi after bifurcating the existing district West.

The cabinet, with Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in the chair, was told that the district West has a huge area and has the highest population of 3,914,757. It comprises seven sub-divisions, Manghopir, SITE, Baldia, Orangi, Mominabad, Harbour and Maripur, seven circles, nine Tapas and 23 Dehs which calls for better administrative management for the convenience of public.

Later, the cabinet approved the creation of Keamari district comprising four sub-divisions of SITE, Baldia, Harbour and Maripur with a population of 1,833,864. The new district will have three circles, five Tapas and 11 dehs. This new district has some visible pockets of PPP strongholds.

CM Shah said the districts of Karachi has peculiar names such as South, East, West, Central, etc, which should be renamed like Nazimabad district in place of Central and South could be renamed as Karachi. He also directed the Board of Revenue to suggest new names for the districts.

Furthermore, the Sindh chief minister, on the recommendation of some cabinet members, directed the Board of Revenue to prepare a comprehensive proposal for creation of more districts in the province. Those who have more population and vast areas should be bifurcated in two for the convenience of the local population.