Karachi: Federal Minister for Health Mustafa Kamal has said that the discussion of creating new administrative units in the country should be seen as an administrative necessity rather than a political opposition. He says that MQM Pakistan supports taking a constitutional path in this matter.
Addressing a gathering in Orangi Town, Mustafa Kamal said that 27 amendments have been made to the constitution so far. According to him, if a constitutional amendment is required to improve the administrative system, this possibility cannot be ruled out.
He said that MQM Pakistan is advancing the demand for administrative units within the ambit of the constitution and law. According to him, the purpose of new administrative units is not to change the boundaries of a province but to make administrative matters more effective. In recent days, the MQM leadership has also declared the establishment of new provinces and administrative units as an administrative necessity of the country.
Mustafa Kamal also objected to the Karachi census data. He claimed that in the 2008 census, Karachi’s population was around 16 million, while in the 2023 census, the city’s population was shown to be less.
The federal minister said that after the objection of the MQM, the re-examination process revealed the population of Karachi to be more than 20 million. These figures are his political stance, while there have been differences between political parties and authorities over the official census figures at different times.
Mustafa Kamal also criticised the quota system in Sindh. He said that the quota system in Sindh has a different form compared to other parts of the country and the concerns regarding the accurate population count of Karachi and Hyderabad must be removed.
Referring to the development problems of Karachi, he said that many important projects in the city could not be completed for a long time. According to him, the construction of University Road has also been facing problems for years. He stressed on devolution of powers to the lower levels under Article 140A of the Constitution.
The federal minister alleged that the division of powers between the provincial government and local bodies in Sindh is not clear. According to him, urban problems can be resolved at the local level by providing effective powers and resources to local governments.
Referring to the financial resources transferred from the federation to the provinces, Mustafa Kamal said that a total of Rs 8,884 billion was given to the four chief ministers, of which, according to him, Sindh got Rs 2,263 billion.
He also expressed concern over the situation of government schools and said that local governments must be given more powers to improve the system of basic facilities, including education.
Mustafa Kamal is of the opinion that the main purpose of changing the administrative structure should be to provide the people with a decision-making system closer to their problems. According to him, strong local bodies can play an important role in the provision of urban facilities and better utilization of resources.
The issue of new administrative units is currently a major topic of political debate. MQM Pakistan has also recently supported the establishment of new provinces in the country according to population and administrative needs, and has given more importance to this demand in Sindh.
