KARACHI  - Dividing the Karachi city into six districts administratively, PPP’s Sindh government on Tuesday carved out a new district in the provincial metropolis, besides changing boundaries of the sub-divisions under the delimitation process.
The MQM, main opposition party in Sindh Assembly, has opposed the formation of new district in Karachi, however, PPP leaders in the city have demanded the government to declare Lyari as a new district immediately.
The Board of Revenue Department of Sindh government has issued a notification, declaring the Korangi as a new district. The number of districts in the provincial metropolis has now risen to six.
The notification says that Korangi, Landhi, Shah Faisal Colony and Model Colony will be the part of the Korangi district.
Earlier, Korangi was part of the East district. The notification states that Sindh government, besides creating a new district in Karachi division, has also changed the limits/boundaries of existing districts including South, Karachi East, Karachi Malir and Karachi West. New sub-divisions and talukas have also been created in Karachi.
According to new map, the district South Karachi will comprise seven sub-divisions including Saddar, Arambagh, Civil Line, Garden, Lyari, Harbour and Maripur.
District East Karachi will consist of four sub-divisions including Ferozabad, Jamshed Quarters, Gulshan-e-Iqbal and Gulzar-e-Hijri (Scheme-33).
District Malir Karachi will comprising six sub-divisions including Bin Qasim, Ibrahim Hydri, Shah Mureed, Gaddap, Airport and Murad Memon.
District West Karachi will have five sub-divisions including Orangi, Mominabad, SITE, Baldia and Manghopir.
The official notification states that Central Karachi district will comprise five sub-divisions including Liaquatabad, Gulberg, Nazimabad, North Nazimabad and New Karachi. The new district Korangi Karachi will comprise four sub-divisions including Model Colony, Shah Faisal, Korangi and Landhi, adds the notification issued by the revenue department.
With the addition of new district, number of the administrative districts has gone up from five to six including South, West, East, Central, Malir and Korangi districts.
Meanwhile, the party’s Karachi chief Abdul Qadir Patel and other leaders of the ruling PPP have demanded of the provincial government to declare Lyari as new district of the city.
Sources said, at a meeting of the Sindh government held before finalising the delimitation and new district of Korangi, the PPP leaders suggested the Sindh government to increase the number of districts in the city from five to eight including Lyari and Bin Qasim districts.
Though, the PPP leaders have claimed that formation of a new district in Karachi has no political basis yet sources confirmed that changes in the boundaries and increase in the number of districts as well as sub-divisions, would also increase the number of national and provincial assemblies’ seats in the new delimitation process to be initiated before next general elections.
Senior Minister for Education and PPP leader Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said each district of the city comprised three towns as six districts will be having status of district municipal corporations.
He said creation of Korangi as a new district did not mean that Lyari was not close and dear to the ruling PPP, adding that carving out of new district was only meant for providing facilities to the people. On the other hand, the MQM have opposed the delimitation process and carving out of new district of Korangi in the city. A meeting of the MQM’s coordination committee was mulling over a suggestion to challenge the step of the Sindh government in court of law.