Federal Health Minister and Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Mustafa Kamal shared key features of his party’s draft constitutional amendment, proposing the disbursement of districts’ shares through the National Finance Commission (NFC) as the provinces failed to transfer funds to local bodies.

He was addressing a gathering held at the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industries on Monday.

Kamal said regional autonomy comes when all stakeholders are empowered and autonomous decision-making powers are devolved from the chief minister to union council chairmen.

He said that there is a mechanism for disbursing funds from the federal government to the provinces, but no mechanism for transferring funds from provinces to local bodies.

“It’s up to a person’s will to either grant Rs1,000 billion to someone or to grant nothing to another.”

He highlighted that Article 140a of the Constitution stressed the devolution of political, administrative, and financial powers to elected local representatives.

“Every CM interprets this according to his own will,” the health minister said.

MQM-P leader said, “Our party held deliberations and drafted a constitutional amendment to propose some structural reforms in the NFC divisible pool.”

Kamal maintained that the constitutional amendment draft prepared by his party proposed disbursing the shares of districts and local bodies through the same mechanism used to transfer federal funds to the provinces.

“We want to add the districts in the central divisible pool of the NFC as the provinces are, so the local bodies may get their shares directly from federal government without the intervention of provinces.”

The former mayor of Karachi lamented that his tenure as the mayor ended in 2010; however, the local bodies election held in 2015 was held on the orders of the Supreme Court.

He criticised the then-provincial government for running the affairs of a metropolitan city through a government-appointed administrator rather than a people-elected mayor.

“Can you imagine cities like New York or Shanghai even running for five days without a mayor?” he boasted.

The minister said Karachi was among the 12 rapidly developing cities when he was the mayor.

“I feel saddened by the current situation of this city, as Karachi has now become one of the four worst cities to live in.”

Kamal said, “I have said multiple times on the floor of the parliament that the IMF cannot lift our country from this economic quagmire, but Karachi can.”

“There are two operational seaports in Pakistan, which serve as the economic gateway; both are situated in Karachi, but sadly, this city doesn’t have quality drinking water,” he grieved.

“The tanker mafia steals our city’s water to sell to us because powerful circles are backing them.”

He added that the country’s external enemies cannot harm us; the real threat comes from enemies within.

Kamal also responded to critics of his party for being in government but unable to deliver.

“These ministries that we have are not a benediction bestowed upon us; I handle them with utmost care,” he said.

He added that his party is here to utilise whatever space remains to deliver results.

“We voice our concerns at all the relevant platforms; authorities listen to us, acknowledge our concerns; however, we need an immediate fix.”

“No one ignores the potential of Karachi, no one says that we don’t want to fix the issues of this city, but when will this fixation begin? No one knows.”

He retorted to his political opponents, “We are not in power in this city nor in this province. Those who have been in power could have sidelined us from politics through their performance, but why do people still remember what Mustafa Kamal did?”

“We have never extended our hands in front of anyone for any favour; we want to fix the system through the constitution.”

The federal minister deplored the structural gaps in the system. He said that he feels helpless against the system of this country, as even the transfers and postings in his own ministry are approved by the cabinet.

“It’s already too late. I am scared of reaching the point of no return.”