July 20, 2006	Thursday	Jumadi-ul-Sani 23, 1427

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LAHORE, July 19: Senate Defence Committee Chairman Nisar Memon has proposed establishment of think-tanks of stakeholders for planning and governance of big cities irrespective of their party affiliations.

Speaking at a seminar on “Role of Cities in National Development” organised by the Punjab Branch of the Pakistan Muslim League in connection with the PML Centenary celebrations here on Tuesday, he said that planned development of cities was necessary for making the country strong. The people were the real defenders of Pakistan and the cities played a major role in it. The PML should take a lead in Punjab by showing large heartedness to accommodate different views within the party and with opposition to bring them in planning and governance process to make the cities magnets of hope.

He said that the cities remained the centres of indiscipline, chaos, frustration, injustice and breeding ground for hate, killing and terror as long as all the stakeholders were not involved in planning and governance process. The country needed a consensus that the cities belonged to all stakeholders. The cities could become models of development, generate substantial revenue for the country with opportunities for jobs and serve as melting pots for development of Pakistan if all the stakeholders managed these.

He said that our big cities had experienced massive migration of rural population as well as illegal migration from other countries, especially from Afghanistan. Civic services in general and housing in particular were under immense pressure as a result. This also reflected failure of our planners to plan the development of rural economy to prevent large-scale migration to urban centres. Pakistan was faced with challenges of addressing poverty, illiteracy, hunger, disease, shelter and unsafe drinking water. He proposed documentation of movement of people from rural areas to urban centres for providing necessary facilities to them.

Federal Textiles Minister Mushtaq Cheema said that large number of people migrating to cities in search of jobs created problems like pollution, housing and law and order. He said that the federal government had established district governments and devolved power to lower level to facilitate solution to problems at the local level. The government was also encouraging the growth of SMEs to solve the unemployment problems.

Punjab PML secretary-general and Communication and Works Minister Zaheeruddin Khan said that the cities played a significant role in development by facilitating growth of business and industry.

Punjab Education Minister Mian Imran Masud, Special Education Minister Qudsia Lodhi, Population Welfare Minister Nasim Lodhi and Literacy Minister Husain Jehanian Gardezi praised Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi and President Pervez Musharraf and eulogised their policies instead of speaking on the subject.