Pakistan Zindabad

Published on : http://www.regionaltimes.com/15aug2008/metro/cdgk.php

Karachi: Citizens of Karachi got themselves registered as “City Owners” on Thursday when good number of people including women responded to the appeal of City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal regarding voluntary community service for at least a couple of hours a week.

Festive mood was prevalent at the Civic Centre Lawn on 14th August-the first day of registration of city volunteers as thousands of people including laborers, students, artists, businessmen, sportsmen, government officers, elected representatives, office bearers of Arts Council, KATI, LATI, Baqai University, rickshaw/taxi drivers and even pesh imam received their membership card. City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal, City Naib Nazim Mrs. Nasreen Jalil and DCO Karachi Javed Hanif were also present on the occasion. Staff of City Government received registration forms from 10 am to 7pm on the first day. A total of 7050 forms were submitted on 14th August. Considering the rush of the people at the counter, the City Nazim also directed concerned department to set up the registration office at the ground floor of civic center on permanent basis.

Earlier the City Nazim and DCO Karachi also obtained their cards while standing in queue. Nazim Karachi remained at the venue throughout the day and inquired from the people, visiting registration counter, about their fields of interest. Most of the volunteers were included youths and common citizens while the City Naib Nazim Nasreen Jalil, Town Nazmeen, elected representatives, Secretary Arts Council of Pakistan Ahmed Shah and members of governing body, senior police officer Niaz Siddiqui, Lieutenant General (R) Saeed Azhar, Vice Chancellor Baqai University, Chairman Korangi Association of Trade and Industry, Shaikh Fazal Jalil, Vice Chairman Johar Qandhari and former Chairman Masood Naqi, Senior Vice Chairman Landhi Association of Trade and Industry Dawood Jhagora, Ashraf Tai, Behroz Subzwari, Hanif S. Kalia, Samiullah, Agha Masood Hussain, Nadia Khan, Saira Khan, Ambreen Khan, Azfar, Mani, Naila Jaffery and other renowned personalities also received their cards as “City Owners”.

Talking to media representatives on this occasion, City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal said that the citizens of Karachi could not asked for better gift than this on their Independence Day. He said that the volunteers will be issued with the same cards irrespective of their financial status or background and each one who would take the responsibility of protecting the trees or bus stop in front of their homes or business place will be the “City Owner”.

“We have installed beautiful bus stops in the city, now it is the duty of the citizens to come forward and protect these places while creating civic sense among the people. Instead of criticizing the government, citizens would now have to do practical work for at least two hours a week on voluntary basis like it happened in developed nations of the world,” he added. Nazim Karachi further said that we have constructed big parks and made the city green by planting millions of trees besides the construction of beautiful roads, flyovers and underpasses. It is now the responsibility of the peoples to guard their own assets. He said that a special section has been established at the city government for registration of “City Owners”. Instead of criticizing the government, its policies or projects, people should come forward and participate in the city’s development.