Noting neglect to crucial uplift of our major cities in Sindh, Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor Sunday demanded of the Sindh government to set up a separate ministry of urban development in the province.

“Urban development is a key driver of economic uplift. It has the potential to become a positive transformative force for every aspect of sustainable development, including the reduction of inequality,” he said in a statement.

He said: “When properly planned and managed, urbanisation can reduce poverty and inequality by improving employment opportunities and quality of life, including through better education and health. But when poorly planned, urbanisation can lead to congestion, higher crime rates, pollution, increased levels of inequality and social exclusion. This is what we see in Sindh’s urban centres, particularly Karachi.”

Shakoor said larger cities were generally richer but more unequal than smaller cities. “The opportunities that cities bring are unevenly distributed in space, preventing entire neighbourhoods and groups of the population from accessing proper health care, good schools, sanitation, piped water, employment opportunities and adequate housing among others. Slums are the most notable extreme of the spatial concentration of urban poverty and disadvantage.”

He said: “Cities rely on urban planning to remain functional, grow in population, and attract businesses. Every crucial aspect of an urban environment is under the effect of how its layout is planned. This includes key infrastructure, transportation, and city area layout and density.”

He said lack of proper urban planning was the main hallmark of our megacity Karachi, where posh areas get more focus and larger budget, while poor slums are neglected in both attention and budget.

Shakoor asked the PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah to create a separate ministry of urban development in Sindh manned by a competent minister preferably the CM being its incharge minister and allocate adequate budget to it for a speedy and well-coordinated urban uplift of our province.