KARACHI: The Sindh cabinet on Monday approved further amendments to the Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Bill, making next Karachi mayor as a member of the governing bodies of the city’s development authorities and chairman of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board.

The meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, discussed a proposal presented by the local government department that the mayor of Karachi might be appointed as a member for the governing bodies of the Karachi Development Authority (KDA), Malir Development Authority (MDA) and Lyari Development Authority (LDA).

It was also proposed that the mayor should be appointed as KWSB chairman.

Similarly, the mayor or chairman of other districts might also be made a member of the governing bodies of the development authorities where they exist.

Approves creation of Karachi Metropolitan University; city mayor to head water board

It should be mandatory to hold a meeting of the governing body every three months. The cabinet approved the proposals and referred the same to the provincial assembly for legislation.

The chief minister, in consultation with the cabinet, decided that taluka headquarters would be declared as Town Committee and district headquarters as Municipal Committee in case the town committees or municipal committees were not available.

Administrator Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab, who is also the CM’s law adviser, briefed the cabinet that Karachi Metropolitan University might be established with the Karachi Medical and Dental College as its affiliated college, and Abbasi Shaheed Hospital as its teaching hospital.

The chief minister said that Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had directed him to establish a university or a campus of a university in every district.

“We would also establish universities/campuses in the newly created districts of Sujawal, Tando Allahyar, Tando Mohamamd Khan and Kashmore,” he said.

He directed the minister of universities and boards to float a summary for the purpose.

The chief minister also said Mr Bhutto-Zardari directed him to regularise all katchi abadis in Karachi and other districts of the province for which he directed the local government department, Board of Revenue and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation to collect data so that their cases could be considered.

Culture Minister Syed Sardar Shah told the cabinet that the spelling of Mohenjo Daro was written incorrect as ‘Moenjo Daro’. He said that in 1942 when this site was discovered and officially reported in the annual report of Archaeology Survey of India by Sir John Marshall, it was mentioned as Mohenjo Daro. The cabinet after thorough discussion approved Mohenjo Daro as the ancient city’s new spelling.

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2022