18th Amendment has made provinces a state within a state, says Karachi mayor.

HYDERABAD -- Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar has said that his party had supported the 18th Amendment in hopes that it would lead to devolution of powers but it backfired and caused concentration of powers in provinces, turning them into states within a state.

Therefore, he said, necessary amendments needed to be made to the Sindh Local Government Act 2013 and the 18th Amendment to help resolve longstanding issues of urban and rural population.

He was speaking to journalists at a programme for distribution of Eid gifts among the needy at Quaid-i-Millat Park in Latifabad on Autobahn Road late on Thursday night.

He said that though Sindh government was demanding increase in financial resources under National Finance Commission (NFC) Award but it denied the same to local governments.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement had supported the 18th Amendment with sincere intentions and hoped that it would lead to transfer of powers down to local governments but it did not happen, he said.

He said that MQM was ready to quit federal government the very day if it helped resolve problems. The party had been taking up issues of Sindh and its cities, especially Karachi, and local governments with provincial and federal governments, urging them to find their solution.

He said that the onus was on the parties which had formed governments with majority votes in elected houses to resolve issues. Amendments needed to be made to Sindh Local Government Act 2013 and 18th Amendment forthwith, he said.

Asked about reports of governor's rule in the province, he said that federal government had clarified its position on imposition of governor's rule in Sindh and even governor had issued a clarification in this regard.

He said that MQM had taken up issues of traders and business activities amid lockdown with Sindh government. Traders had forwarded their demands to MQM which the party presented to provincial and federal governments, he said.

Akhtar said that provincial government was told that it should increase time for business activities to help minimise shoppers' crowds in markets. All people throng shops at the same time because of short working hours and it led to over-crowdedness in markets, he said.

He said that traders also...