KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) MNA Aamir Liaquat Hussain on Monday moved a writ petition in the Sindh High Court (SHC) challenging the Sindh government’s decision of carving a new district in Karachi.
The PTI leader stated in his petition that the provincial government’s decision to create Keamari district by bifurcating District West is biased. He said the local government was not taken into confidence over the creation of the new district.
He claimed that the appointment of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman’s brother Zia-ur-Rehman as the deputy commissioner of Central district was a part of this plan against Karachi. He added that he has the complete support of the prime minister in filling the petition.
READ MORE: Sindh govt approves creating Keamari district in Karachi
On 20th August, the Sindh cabinet approved Keamari Town as the seventh district of the city just days before the local government completes its tenure. Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah also proposed renaming South district as ‘Karachi District’ and suggested that districts should be named after popular areas.
The cabinet recommended to include SITE, Baldia and Harbour into district Keamari and also proposed making Maripur a new district. There are currently seven sub-divisions in District West, the second-largest district in Sindh population-wise.
Regarding the local government institutions, the chief minister said that Sindh was the only province where local government institutions have completed a five-year term. He said the Sindh government allowed Mayor Waseem Akhtar to work freely with all resources and supported him for the uplift of Karachi
The chief minister said that the provincial government was working on a new local government system and will make new amendments. The Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) has opposed the formation of a new district in Karachi.
District South Karachi comprises seven sub-divisions including Saddar, Arambagh, Civil Line, Garden, Lyari, Harbour and Maripur. District East Karachi consists of four sub-divisions including Ferozabad, Jamshed Quarters, Gulshan-e-Iqbal and Gulzar-e-Hijri Scheme-33. District Malir Karachi comprising six sub-divisions including Bin Qasim, Ibrahim Hydri, Shah Mureed, Gadap, Airport and Murad Memon village.
