Latest news with #PasbanDemocraticParty
Business Recorder
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
PDP for converting Karachi into modern efficient liveable city
KARACHI: Megacity Karachi is one of the least developed megacities of the world and there is a need to convert it into a modern efficient liveable city, said Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor here Sunday. He said that the dream of having a liveable city is the old dream of Karachiites, which is yet to be materialized. He said we need Karachi as an efficient modern megacity that offers a high quality of life, sustainability, and opportunities for its residents. He said that Karachi has become a congested city dotted with hundreds of poor slums. Karachiites want affordable and quality housing, with diverse options for different income levels. It needs well-maintained buildings and neighbourhoods, efficient and reliable public transportation, with Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) as its backbone. It also requires reliable, affordable, and well-connected transit systems of buses, bike and bicycle lanes. Better public transport would reduce road congestion and air and noise pollution. Altaf Shakoor said that the megacity has very sparse parks and green spaces, gardens, and recreational areas. He said better safety standards, and lower crime rate is the need of hour. The safe city project is facing an extended delay which is worrisome. The megacity needs effective law enforcement and community policing, besides well-lit streets and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure. A city can't be called liveable without better access to quality healthcare and education, well-equipped hospitals and clinics, good schools, universities, and lifelong learning opportunities. He said growing joblessness is a major concern of Karachi. It needs a strong economy & more job opportunities, for which diverse industries and employment options are necessary. He said the government should support small businesses and the fisheries and maritime sector. Shortage of potable water, electricity and gas load shedding are perpetual issues of Karachi, he said, adding clean potable water, stable electricity and gas should be ensured for the Karachiites at top priority, besides well-maintained roads and public facilities. He demanded of the federal and provincial government to allocate ample funds for Karachi in the coming budget to make it a liveable megacity. Modern megacities are self sustainable efficient cities in terms of amenities and resources. Water, electricity and gas should be available to all residents at affordable prices. Circular railways connected with road networks are essential elements of the modern transportation system of smart cities. Resource allocation should be in accordance with organic population growth and migration rate. Mega cities can only be managed effectively through elected representatives operating a transparent system. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
PDP for strengthening regulatory institutions to end corruption
KARACHI: Strengthening our regulatory institutions is a must to end corruption and improve good governance in our society, said Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor here Sunday. He said that strengthening regulatory bodies is a crucial step in combating corruption because it enhances their ability to detect, prevent, and punish corrupt practices. He said that stronger regulatory bodies have better resources like technology and personnel, finding to monitor government and private sector activities. They can conduct regular audits, inspections, and real-time tracking to reduce opportunities for corruption. He said that empowered regulators can impose harsher penalties like fines, bans, and prosecutions on corrupt individuals and organizations. He said the fear of consequences deters potential wrongdoers. It also helps in reduced discretionary powers. He said transparent procedures minimize officials' ability to exploit loopholes for bribes or favouritism. He said automation of processes like e-governance reduces human interference. He said strong regulators ensure safe channels for whistle blowing or reporting corruption without retaliation. He said this public trust increases, encouraging more people to expose wrongdoing. Altaf Shakoor said mandatory disclosures like asset declarations and open contracting make transactions traceable. He said that probe bodies should be depoliticized, as the independent anti-corruption agencies can investigate impartially. He said that robust regulators can collaborate across borders to tackle money laundering, tax evasion, and illicit financial flows. He said we should replicate the models of successful international anti-corruption bodies, like Singapore's Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), whose strong legal powers and zero-tolerance policies have kept corruption low. He said another example is Estonia's Digital Governance, which has reduced bureaucratic corruption via transparent e-services. PDP Chairman suggested that political interference in regulatory bodies must be eliminated. He said adequate funding and training are essential for effectiveness. He said by making regulatory bodies independent, well-resourced, and transparent, our government can significantly curb corruption and promote fair governance. Altaf Shakoor demanded legal & institutional reforms to enhance independence of regulatory bodies. He asked to pass laws to insulate regulators from political interference, create autonomous oversight bodies, update anti-corruption laws, and criminalize bribery, embezzlement, and illicit enrichment explicitly. He asked to strengthen whistleblower protection laws, besides capacity building, better training and more funding for the regulatory authorities. He suggested adopting modern technology AI, block chain for audits. He asked for training of their staff in forensic accounting, cyber-investigations, and international anti-money laundering (AML) standards. He asked the ruling and opposition political parties to support these initiatives to give our society a better good governance. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
PDP calls for waging war against corruption
KARACHI: After successfully defeating India, now it is high time to wage a war against corruption in our own country and defeat it also, said Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor here Sunday. He said corruption and bribery is eroding the foundations of our nation. He said the corruption of the elite political class is a big curse, adding Pakistani politicians are considered amongst the highest corrupt people in the whole world. He said that Pakistan is the fifth largest nation in the world but due to widespread corruption it is considered amongst the poorest countries of the world. He said corruption of successive governments in Pakistan has resulted in a huge loan burden for Pakistanis and today this country is virtually governed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and without prior approval of the IMF we cannot make our national budget. He said financial slavery is the worst form of slavery and presently we are enduring it. Altaf Shakoor said the brave Pakistani armed forces defeated aggressive India and they could also help in defeating corruption. He said corruption is an internal security threat and thus it is the mandate of the armed forces to defeat it also. He said corruption is bleeding our economy and every year trillions of rupees are being devoured by it. PDP Chairman said unfortunately the province of Sindh is considered as the most corrupt province of Pakistan with bad governance at its zenith here. He said every department and entity of the government is filthy corrupt, with the police department topping them all. He said the megacity Karachi is hardly hit by the corrupt and inefficient bureaucracy. He demanded drastic reforms in police and bureaucracy to give the poor people of Pakistan a breather. He said a paperless governance system should be introduced in government offices to reduce bribery. He said there should be a strong whistle blowing system in the government sector to expose and punish dishonest officials. He said corrupt mafias like the sugar millers mafia are looting people with both hands. These mafias are sadly run by our politicians belonging to both treasury and opposition benches. Though these people fight inside and outside the parliament but when it comes to looting the people they always join hands. Altaf Shakoor appealed to the Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir to establish an entity within the internal security spectrum solely to fight corruption. He said if the widespread corruption is not checked it would soon affect every aspect of our national life including security. He said foolproof methods should be applied to tame our corrupt elements including the corrupt elite. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
PDP chief calls to resolve legitimate internal issues
KARACHI: Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor has said all the legitimate internal issues should be resolved immediately but the proxies and agents of foreign forces must not be spared. Altaf Shakoor said that with a weak economy and burden of loans no county can defend itself for long. He said the government instead of getting more loans should devise a strategy to cap further loans and generate resources internally by expanding agriculture, irrigation, water storage, solar power and a rapid urbanization and industrialisation. He said that our civil and military leadership should focus on these issues on war footings so that Pakistan could be made a great nation of the present times. Pakistan defeated India aggression with a blend of bravery and cutting edge technology and it shows that now adopting emerging modern technology and equipment in our defense system has become a must, said Altaf Shakoor. He congratulated the nation and countries, saying our brave armed forces have written a new history of thwarting foreign aggression and defending the homeland. He praised the leadership of Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir and the leading role of the Pakistan Air Force. He said the government also displayed an excellent diplomatic front and it was a victory for all of them. Altaf Shakoor said that now there should be no compromise on Indus Water Treaty (IWT) and India should be talked in a language of power which it understands the best. He said Kashmir is the core issue. He said the Indian occupation army should leave Jammu and Kashmir and let the Kashmiri people decide their own future. He said the recent show of power by our brave armed forces on the Line of Control shows that this matter could be resolved militarily for good if India continues to refuse giving the Kashmiri people their right of self determination. Altaf Shakoor said that now the game of warfare has totally changed. It needs to restructure the whole defence system as now drones and missiles are more important than traditional foot soldiers. He said more funds should be allocated to research and development of defense equipment, especially new breeds of missiles, drones and cyber-communication systems. He said after overcoming the external aggressor, now it is time to deal with its agents and proxies working in Pakistan in the guise of different political and rights banners and slogans. He said the armed forces fully know the traitors and the fifth columnists and now it is high time to tighten the noose around them. He said internal disturbance is more dangerous than out aggression. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
PDP urges revenge for Indian attack on water project
KARACHI: Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor said Pakistan should take revenge for the attack on Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project (NJHP) by destroying all dams in the Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. This action should be done without further loss of time as it is better to hit when it is hot. He urged for compulsory military service of citizens. Compulsory military service, also known as military conscription, is a system where governments mandate citizens to serve in the military for a specific period. This system is used by countries to build a large, readily deployable military force, particularly in times of war or national security threats. He said compulsory military service of citizens is present in countries like Switzerland, South Korea, Israel, Taiwan, Greece, Singapore, Cuba and Eritrea. He said Pakistan should also make military service and training mandatory for its citizens. He said the country is teaming with the fifth columnists, present in every field. 'Now it is high time to take decisive action against these traitors.' He said internal security is as important as external security and for this a strong action against the fifth columnists is a must. He said now the time is also ripe for China and Bangladesh to settle old scores with India. He said our air force has shown its superiority and other armed services should also follow suit. He said the whole Pakistani nation stands shoulder by shoulder with their armed forces. He said PDP is ready to fight for the nation and country at every front. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
