Karachi should have its own empowered local government system: Rana Sanaullah

KARACHI: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Sanaullah has said that Karachi must have its own strong and autonomous local government system so that its issues can be resolved more effectively.

Speaking on ARY News programme On My Radar, he said that without meaningful administrative reforms, the current provincial system is not capable of managing major cities like Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Sukkur and Multan.

He said Pakistan either needs to empower local government institutions or restructure administrative divisions on a divisional basis. “The present system cannot run these major cities properly,” he remarked.

Rana Sanaullah suggested that if the existing provincial structure is improved with appropriate changes, governance would become significantly easier. He further questioned whether funds currently transferred from the federation to provinces should also be directly devolved to the tehsil and union council level.

He stressed that timely reforms are essential, saying that the sooner the system is corrected, the more beneficial it will be, while delays would only increase governance challenges.

Commenting on Gilgit-Baltistan, he said that merely visiting the region and delivering speeches would not increase development funds.

Rana Sanaullah also described PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as a respected political leader and an important coalition partner, but added that Bilawal’s criticism in speeches is often directed towards the prime minister or Islamabad.

He said that when Bilawal’s statements are viewed in the context of Karachi’s situation, many of the issues he highlights also reflect challenges faced by other cities.

Rana Sanaullah expressed concern over Karachi’s conditions, saying they cannot be ignored any longer and require urgent attention and structural reforms.

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