Mustafa Kamal second best mayor in the world

The Foreign Policy magazine of the United States has chosen Karachi Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal as the second among the best three mayors in the world for 2008.Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit and Chongqing Mayor Wang Hongju were the other two “mayors of the moment”, a press release issued by the Karachi City District Government said.

The magazine said: “No city globalises on its own, but with shrewd investments and smart urban planning, a mayor can help turn a regional player into a global powerhouse. Here’s how three of the world’s top mayors are climbing the ladder.

”The ‘Foreign Policy’, which is published by the State Group, a division of the Washington Post.Newsweek Interactive, LLC, said that the mayor of Karachi was an unlikely poster child for innovative urban planning.It said: “The 36-year-old Syed Mustafa 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 all that. He’s courting foreign investment, encouraging international ties, and boosting the city’s tourism.”

According to the magazine, Mr Kamal is not shy about his goals: He has said he wants to turn Karachi into the next Dubai. His ‘Green Karachi’ project aims to plant thousands of trees in the city. He has threatened to arrest anyone who tries to cut down the new saplings, it added.