KARACHI: Town Municipal Corporation (TMC) Gulshan-e-Iqbal has signed a sister-town agreement with the municipalities of İnebolu and Araç in Türkiye’s Kastamonu province to strengthen cooperation in municipal governance, urban planning and smart-city development.
The agreement was signed by Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town Chairman Dr Fawad Ahmed and Dr Kamal Aydin, adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and president of the Ibn Sina Institute Türkiye, at a ceremony attended by Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Opposition Leader Advocate Saifuddin, Jamaat-e-Islami East district chief Naeem Akhtar, elected representatives and municipal officials.
Under the agreement, the three municipalities will work together on urban development, city planning, smart-city initiatives, modern municipal services, technology and the exchange of expertise. The partnership is also expected to help the municipalities learn from each other’s development models and successful local-government practices.
Dr Kamal Aydin said the agreement could lay the foundation for a brighter future for Gulshan-e-Iqbal by helping transfer Türkiye’s experience in urban development and municipal management to the town.
He said Pakistan and Türkiye shared a longstanding brotherly relationship that was recognised around the world, adding that the new agreement would further strengthen ties at the municipal level. Recalling his association with Lahore, he said he had long been inspired by the ideas of Allama Iqbal and Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi.
Dr Fawad Ahmed said Türkiye had made remarkable progress in municipal governance and urban development, describing the partnership with the two Turkish municipalities as a valuable opportunity for Gulshan-e-Iqbal.
He said Turkish municipalities played an important role in providing public services throughout people’s lives and noted that Pakistan’s local governments could learn a great deal from the Turkish model.
Dr Fawad said the agreement introduced the concept of “sister towns” rather than the traditional idea of twin cities. He described it as the first initiative of its kind linking sister towns and friend smart cities from Pakistan, Türkiye, Azerbaijan and other D-8 member countries.
He said the Ibn Sina Institute had supported the initiative and announced that a health park would also be established in Gulshan-e-Iqbal under the institute’s patronage.
Highlighting the importance of empowered local governments, Dr Fawad said an effective municipal system could solve many of Pakistan’s problems. He cited the 2001 local-government system as an example, saying Karachi had shown its potential when local institutions were given greater authority.
He said Gulshan-e-Iqbal aimed to set an example for Karachi’s 25 towns through the new sister-town initiative.
“The benefits of this partnership will, God willing, extend beyond Gulshan-e-Iqbal and become an example for Karachi and Pakistan,” he said, calling the agreement an important milestone towards development.
He added that the partnership would help make Gulshan-e-Iqbal more modern, attractive and efficient in delivering municipal services, while efforts were also under way to develop it into a model that could be replicated across Karachi and other parts of the country.
KMC Opposition Leader Advocate Saifuddin and JI East district chief Naeem Akhtar welcomed the agreement and described cooperation between Gulshan-e-Iqbal and the Turkish municipalities as a positive step.
Officials said the agreement would strengthen institutional links between local governments in Pakistan and Türkiye, encourage the exchange of expertise and create opportunities for joint development projects, ultimately improving municipal services for residents.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026