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The PM’s claim that he will direct Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar to expedite the projects rings hollow when considering that many of these projects are considered essential. Bus and train projects are critical to improving transportation in the country’s financial hub and biggest city. Running water is a luxury for many in Karachi, making K-IV a necessity as well. The PM also previously expressed his desire to initiate projects in Karachi, including a ‘comprehensive package’ of Rs162 billion for the city’s development. But these are still not concrete. Even Umar recently said the PM would visit Karachi in February to inaugurate some development projects, but details remain limited.
During the trip, the PM also met Pir Pagara, but oddly, there were no official meetings with MQM-P leaders. Separately, Imran also spoke at a Kamyab Jawan Programme event, where he repeated details about the project and the government’s Hunarmand Jawan and Ehsaas for Students programmes. Mostly though, despite being premier for 18 months, he was still repeating anti-corruption and meritocracy-related election rhetoric. The reality is that meritocracy is taking a backseat to realpolitik. All three PTI governments — Islamabad, Punjab, and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa — are fraught with infighting and palace intrigue, which is affecting performance.
The PM’s criticism of the Sindh government’s performance may be objectively fair, but his reluctance to focus on the failings of his own party’s governments is becoming more worrying by the day.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 29th, 2020.
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