THIS is with reference to the editorial `Broken metropolis` (Jan 12), which stated that in 2023-24, Karachi`s large tax office collected a staggering amount of Rs2,522 billion in taxes, which worked out to be 30.74 per cent of the total tax collected in the year.

Despite this unambiguous data, the metropolis is a picture of neglect, suffering chronicinfrastructuraldecay and alack of basic amenities. As such, these miseries continue to add to the woes of the people.

To that must be added potholed roads, inadequate transport with exacerbating congestion, over-priced energy, natural gas shortages, persistent loadshedding, and shortage of potable piped water.

Indeed, the list is definitely not exhaustive, and the problems highlighted happen to be the responsibility of the provincial government, which grabs a massive chunk of the national revenue under the National Finance Commission (NFC) awards, leaving the federal government with no option but to go on a borrowing spree.

On the same day the said editorial appeared (Jan 12), there was a report titled: `Bilawal slams `discriminatory attitude` of Centre towards Sindh`.

While speaking at the opening ceremony of a segment of the Malir Expressway since renamed the Shahrah-i-Zulfikar Ali Bhutto the chairman of the ruling party in Sindh praised the enduring contribution of his party and three generations of his family to the development of the city.

As things stand today, there are not many signs validating the claim of three generations` contributions to the city. Had there been any such sign, it would have been visible to the public.

S.R.H. Hashmi Karachi