KARACHI: Despite daily-based statements, promise and announcements, Karachi is not a liveable city, because it needs empowerment, not rhetoric, said Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor here Monday.
He said Karachi does not suffer from a lack of plans, discussions, or promises. What it lacks is empowerment where it matters most. For a city of more than 20 million people, governance cannot function through rhetoric alone. Yet that is precisely what has defined Karachi’s civic management for years — repeated assurances at the top, with little authority at the level where problems actually exist.
He said the consequences are visible across the megacity. Despite contributing nearly 60 to 65 percent of Pakistan’s national revenue, Karachi struggles to provide even basic municipal services.
It generates 14,000 to 16,000 tons of solid waste daily, yet uncollected garbage is a routine sight. Sewerage lines overflow, roads remain broken, and monsoon rains regularly paralyse large parts of the city. Citizens are not provided tap water, compelling them to buy water from the tanker mafia. These are not extraordinary breakdowns; they are symptoms of a system that talks more than it delivers.
He said at the heart of this failure lies a simple but critical flaw: those responsible for solving problems are not empowered to do so. Karachi has more than 1,200 councillors across 246 union committees, forming a wide network of elected representatives. In principle, this structure should ensure that governance reaches every neighbourhood. In practice, it has become a hollow framework, where councillors carry responsibility without real authority.
He said this is where the distinction between rhetoric and empowerment becomes decisive. Rhetoric produces announcements, meetings, and statements. Empowerment produces results. Without financial control, administrative authority, and operational autonomy, local representatives cannot fix drainage systems, manage waste, or maintain streets. A centralised system may issue directives, but it cannot respond with the speed and precision that local problems demand.
However, empowerment alone is not sufficient, he added. It must be tied to accountability and performance. Local representatives must be visible within their communities, accessible to citizens, and answerable for outcomes. Complaint mechanisms must be functional and transparent. Service delivery must be measured. When authority is combined with accountability, performance becomes unavoidable. Without accountability, even empowered systems risk inefficiency; without empowerment, accountability becomes meaningless.
Altaf Shakoor said Karachi’s governance crisis is not a mystery. It is the predictable outcome of a system that separates authority from responsibility and replaces action with rhetoric. The solution does not lie in more plans or larger projects, but in a structural correction: shifting power to where it can be used effectively.
He said an empowered, decentralised local government can transform how the city functions. Garbage can be managed at the neighbourhood level. Sewerage issues can be resolved before they escalate. Encroachments can be controlled early. Water can be supplied through pipelines, not tankers. Community disputes can be addressed through engagement rather than neglect. These are not ambitious goals — they are basic expectations of a functioning city.
He said Karachi does not lack capacity. It lacks a system that allows that capacity to operate. “The choice is clear. Continue with rhetoric, and the city will continue to struggle with the same recurring failures. Shift to empowerment, backed by accountability and measured through performance, and Karachi can begin to function as a liveable, responsive urban centre.”
He said Karachi needs empowerment, not rhetoric. Without it, nothing changes. With it, everything can.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026