Karachi: Mustafa Kamal ranked world's 2nd best mayor

[Naveed Yaseen]

In its report, a reputed journal, Foreign Policy, declared Karachi Nazim Mustafa Kamal the second best mayor in the world for 2008.

Foreign Policy report titled `The Mayor of the Moment' stated that Germany's Berlin City Mayor Klaus Wowereit, 55, topped the best mayors of the world for 2008 list and Karachi Nazim Mustafa Kamal, 36, placed second on the basis of his performance in the last three years.

The Global Cities Index complied the report that assessed the performance of the world's major city mayors and created a better investment and planning opportunity for the cities they govern.

The journal praised Kamal for his hard work and said the he was making a difference in Karachi with his innovative ways of city planning. The report stated that Kamal is not only playing a key-role in strengthening international ties, promoting foreign investment and tourism but has also managed to change the outlook of Karachi in a short time.

The magazine said no city globalises on its own but with shrewd investments and smart urban planning, a mayor can help turn a regional city into a global powerhouse.

The magazine wrote that the mayor of Karachi is an unlikely poster child for innovative urban planning. Kamal governs a city that's more often in the news for religious violence than cosmopolitan ways but the hard-charging Kamal is looking to change it all. He's courting foreign investment, encouraging international ties, and boosting the city's tourism.

Kamal thanked God for this appreciation and congratulated his party leader Altaf Hussain. In a statement from London on Sunday, Kamal said that all the credit should go to his party leader Altaf Hussain who has selected representatives from the lower and middle class, who represent 98 percent of Pakistan's total population. He said that in the past there was no concept of owner ship in Karachi, however now we own this city and carry out development work on a large scale. He added that despite all the work that has been done, a lot still remains to be done and the city is still far from being an ideal city.

He said that provided the Haq Parast continues helping the city government, all problems will also be solved in the near future. Kamal said that despite all the obstacles, different challenges and difficulties faced by his team, it has never let the people of Karachi down.

Citing the absence of one command and controlling authority of the city, Kamal said that at present 13 organizations are controlling the city's municipal affairs this has made developing the city difficult. He said that Karachi is no ordinary city it is the backbone of Pakistan's national economy. Developing Karachi can develop the rest of the country and can help the people of Pakistan get the fruit of prosperity. Kamal said that his whole team from the peons and drivers to the top city government officials, City Naib Nazim, town nazims, union nazims and all elected representatives of Karachi played an important role in the recognition of my performance on an international level. agencies

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...008_pg12_1