Gulshan-i-Iqbal Town Municipal Corporation (TMC) has entered into a sister-town agreement with two municipalities in Türkiye’s Kastamonu province, opening a new avenue for cooperation between Karachi and Turkish local governments.
The agreement was signed with the municipalities of Inebolu and Araç. The initiative is aimed at strengthening municipal relations, sharing expertise and exploring new approaches to urban development and local government management.
Gulshan-i-Iqbal Town Chairman Dr. Fawad Ahmed signed the agreement during a ceremony held in connection with the new municipal partnership. Dr. Kamal Aydin, adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and president of the Ibn Sina Institute Türkiye, also signed the agreement on behalf of the Turkish side.
The ceremony was attended by several political, municipal and community representatives. Among those present were Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) opposition leader Advocate Saifuddin, Jamaat-i-Islami East district chief Naeem Akhtar, elected representatives and municipal officials.
The sister-town arrangement is expected to provide opportunities for Gulshan-i-Iqbal Town and the Turkish municipalities to exchange knowledge about urban planning, municipal services and local administration.
Such partnerships can help local governments learn from international experiences and identify practical solutions to common urban challenges. Karachi, as one of Pakistan’s largest cities, faces growing demands for better infrastructure, public services and sustainable urban management.
The agreement with Inebolu and Araç could therefore provide a platform for sharing Turkish municipal practices with local authorities in Karachi. Areas of cooperation may include urban development strategies, municipal administration, community services and other areas of local governance.
Türkiye has maintained strong relations with Pakistan for decades, with cooperation extending across political, economic, cultural and development sectors. Municipal-level partnerships can further strengthen these ties by creating direct channels for local institutions to collaborate.
For Gulshan-i-Iqbal Town, the agreement also represents an opportunity to expand its international engagement and develop relationships with municipalities outside Pakistan.
The participation of elected representatives and municipal officials at the signing ceremony highlights the importance of local government cooperation in addressing the challenges faced by rapidly growing urban communities.
International municipal partnerships can also encourage the exchange of ideas on smart-city development, environmental management, public spaces, waste management and efficient delivery of civic services.
The agreement with the municipalities of Inebolu and Araç marks another step toward strengthening people-to-people and institutional connections between Pakistan and Türkiye.
As cooperation develops, the partnership could lead to further exchanges, technical discussions and joint initiatives focused on improving municipal performance and urban development.
The Gulshan-i-Iqbal Town-Türkiye partnership is therefore significant not only for the participating municipalities but also for broader Pakistan-Türkiye relations at the local government level.
