With dug up roads, abandoned public transport projects and crumbling civic infrastructure, the megacity Karachi has been turning into mega ruins as the rulers are least interested in making the mega polis a livable city, said Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor here Sunday.
He said for last six months Jahangir Road a busy artery in the middle of the city is left dug up, with traffic struggling through big potholes and ditches under thick dust clouds. He said despite repeated protests of the citizens, the government is not ready even to fill the ditches on this broken road, what to say about its repair and carpeting.
Motorcyclists face threats of falling into these ditches that have been left not filled after laying drainage pipeline. He said this road is a shame for a megacity like Karachi.He said even more pathetic condition is that of the University Road where the project of Red Line BRT is left abandoned after digging up the road and footpaths and uprooting thousands of shady trees. He said the dug up University Road is a nightmare for motorists and commuters, but the insensitive rulers do not have any feeling about the sufferings on poor masses.Altaf Shakoor said similarly the second phase of the Green Line RBT is left abandoned after digging M A Jinnah Road from Numaish Chowrangi to Capri Cinema. This folly on the busiest M A Jinnah Road is only could be seen in the orphaned cities like Karachi while nowhere in the world the governments even imagine to leave uplift projects started and unfinished on busy urban city roads.
He said illegal bus terminals at Taj Complex M A Jinnah Road also show how incompetent our rulers are to implement their writ. He said in Karachi we see not only incompetence of the government but also it coupled with corruption and bribery which is a lethal combination. He said the government of Sindh is bent to break all records of bad governance in megacity Karachi.Altaf Shakoor also expressed grave concerns over closure of roads in the name of cricket matches in Karachi. He said sports events should not be meant for torturing citizens. He said thousands of commuters face agonizing difficulties due to road closures for PSL matches. He said this is the breach of the fundamental rights of citizens as the constitution of Pakistan guarantees the free movement of citizens. He appealed the SHC chief justice to take suo moto notice of this human rights violation.
