Addressing problems: CM to discuss pending issues in upcoming CCI meeting

KARACHI: Chief Minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah has assured that he will take up all the unresolved issues with the federal government in the forthcoming Council of Common Interests (CCI) meeting that is expected to be held by the end of next week in Islamabad.

He said this while presiding over a meeting at New Secretariat on Tuesday. The meeting, which was held to discuss issues that will be addressed in the CCI meeting, was attended by provincial ministers Dr Sikander Mandhro, Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, Mumtaz Jakhrani, Syed Sardar Shah, Ghulam Qadir Malakani, Murtaza Wahab, chief secretary Siddique Memon and others.

The meeting was told that Karachi currently needs 1,200 cusecs additional water for domestic use. Therefore, the CM said, he will discuss this issue at the CCI meeting and ask the federal government to allocate water from the Indus River system.

He will take up the issues of the sixth population census at the CCI meeting. The CM was of the opinion that census exercise can be carried out in Sindh by engaging Pakistan Army and the Rangers. The CM added that he will discuss the matter at the CCI meeting and ask the government to decide a date to conduct census.

The population welfare, agriculture, culture, workers, health, livestock and fisheries and the energy departments also discussed their problems during the meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 3^rd, 2016.