Sindh govt rejects KTC formed by Centre for development work

CM Shah writes letter to PM, governor saying the move is against the Constitution

KARACHI: The Sindh government has rejected the Karachi Transformation Committee (KTC) formed by the federal government, saying it is against the Constitution and the law.

“The Sindh government believes in the supremacy of the Constitution and the law as well as in implementing it,” Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah wrote in his letter sent to Prime Minister Imran Khan and Sindh Governor Imran Ismail on Thursday.

The Sindh CM hoped that the prime minister would practice his constitutional role as mentioned in the Constitution.

“Not only Karachi, but development work should be carried out all over the province,” said the CM, adding that making the Sindh governor the convener of the committee was also against the Constitution.

In his letter, Shah said, “The 20-member committee formed by the federal government for Karachi is also contrary to the Constitution. It is an interference in the matters of the provincial assembly.”

He demanded of the prime minister to withdraw the notification for the establishment of the committee.

The CM expressed serious reservations his two-page letter to the PM obtained by The Express.

The letter reads, “According to the Constitution the federal government cannot interfere in the affairs of the province and the provincial assembly; and that the federal government has no authority over the legal and administrative affairs at the provincial level.



“According to Article 105 of the Constitution, the governor is bound to perform his duties on the advice of the CM or the provincial cabinet. The objectives of the transformation committee are like taking over the provincial authority and the affairs assigned to the 20-member committee are not part of the federal legislative committee.”

Shah demanded of the PM to have the development projects implemented across the province through the Sindh government.

He also refused to suggest two names for the committee.

The cabinet division announced the formation of the KTC on special instructions of PM Imran.

Imran Ismail has been appointed the convener of the committee while Ali Zaidi, Faisal Vawda and Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar are members of the committee.

According to the notification of the cabinet division, Faisal Sabzwari of the MQM, Khurram Sher Zaman of PTI, MNA Najeeb Haroon, Samar Ali Khan, Azizullah Afridi and Naeem Butr are included in the committee while senior bureaucrat Saleh Farooqi will be the secretary of the committee.

Federal Ministry of Planning Secretary Private Sector Adnan Asad, Rohail Muhammad, Town Planner Arif Hasan and NED University VC Sarosh Lodhi have also been included in the committee.

According to the Terms of Reference (ToRs) issued by the federal government, the committee made for Karachi would devise a strategy to permanently continue the security benefits gained under the National Action Plan.

The nine-point ToRs include ensuring the immediate completion of the mass transit plans in Karachi, expansion of sewerage and sanitation system and community funding in public-private partnership while special high-power committee would prepare recommendations for collecting, disposing off and using the waste for producing energy.

The federal government tasked the committee with preparing proposals for bringing institutional reforms and implementing financial affairs with better planning.

The committee would be responsible for devising a comprehensive infrastructure plan for Karachi under vision 2047 and would compile recommendations for resolving the issues of non-availability of water.

The Sindh CM met Governor Ismail at the Governor House two days back and according to sources expressed his reservations over the high-level 20-member committee.