Saad Rafique Criticizes Proposal to Replicate Karachi-Style Local Government System
Islamabad: Senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Saad Rafique has criticized the proposal to introduce a Karachi-style local government system in Lahore and Islamabad, rejecting the idea and questioning its effectiveness.
In a statement, Saad Rafique responded to remarks by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari regarding the expansion of Karachi’s local government model to other major cities. He argued that holding local government elections under a system similar to Karachi’s would be worse than not conducting elections at all.
“Rather than holding local government elections like those in Karachi, it would be better not to hold them at all,” Rafique said.
The PML-N leader further remarked that anyone seeking details about the effectiveness of Karachi’s local government system should consult Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman or Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, suggesting that both leaders are well aware of the challenges associated with the current municipal setup in the country’s largest city.
The comments add to the ongoing political debate over local government structures and administrative powers in Pakistan’s major urban centers, with different political parties advocating competing models for municipal governance and service delivery.
