President Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) Mohammed Tariq Yousuf has requested Commissioner Karachi Iqbal Memon to establish ‘Special Reporting Cells (SRCs)’ at all districts in Karachi so that the local representatives could able to submit their recommendations about the infrastructure development work requirements in their respective areas. “Setting up the proposed SRCs would certainly help in prompt commencement and completion of development work and improve roads and drainage system in Karachi to some extent”, he added.
While expressing deep concerns over rising activities of drug peddlers during a meeting held at Commissioner Karachi’s Office, President KCCI pointed out that all such illegal activities were widely being carried out from slum areas where drug peddlers have established dens to sell narcotics which have to be completely cleansed by initiating anti-narcotics drive so that our youngsters could be saved from falling prey to these anti-human elements.
Seeking Commissioner Karachi’s help in dealing with rising encroachments, President KCCI pointed out that although the government has been expanding roads from time to time to ensure smooth flow of traffic but unfortunately, traffic usually gets clogged for hours at some of the well-known and most busiest roads of the city as a substantial portion of these roads has been illegally taken over by restaurants, particularly tea sellers who place chairs and tables on roads as well as footpaths to provide dine-in facility to customers.
He said, “You’ll seldom find such an example in any other country except Pakistan, particularly in Karachi where dine-in facility was being provided either on a footpath or road whereas the fruit vendors can also be seen occupying almost two lanes of the roads, chocking the main boulevards, especially the road near the underpass which connects Site area with Nazimabad.”
He also pointed out that the sufferings of people living around the National Stadium was uncalled for and totally unparallel as people inhabiting in these areas are denied access to their own homes. “There has to be some other security measure which can be undertaken to protect the teams playing in the National Stadium but at this point in time, it is really a big harassment to the people living around the vicinity of national stadium, hence, the local administration has to come up with ideas to minimize the grievances being faced by the public”, he added.