Centre, Sindh form six-man committee for Karachi

Panel to work on six priority areas; will remove hurdles to completion of mega projects

ISLAMABAD:

The federal government and the provincial government of Sindh have finally agreed to set up a six-member coordination committee to look into the issues of Karachi and to ensure early completion of development projects in the country’s commercial hub.

The committee will comprise three federal ministers – Asad Umar, Amin-ul-Haque and Ali Zaidi – and three members of Sindh cabinet – Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Saeed Ghani and Nasir Shah.

There will be no convener of the committee and both sides will work on the basis of mutual understandings. The committee will also seek to remove hurdle to completion of longstanding projects such as the Karachi Circular Railways (KCR), the K-IV, and the S-3 projects through mutual consultation.

It will work on six priority areas – water, sewerage system, transport, roads infrastructure, solid waste disposal and removal of encroachments. The federal secretary for the Ministry of Planning and the provincial secretary planning will lead their respective groups in the meeting.

"We have targeted that within two weeks, the projects will be shortlisted and it would be decided which projects are to be led by the Sindh government and which projects are the responsibility of the federal government," said Minister for Planning Asad Umar on Wednesday.

Flanked by Minister for Ports and Shipping Syed Ali Zaidi and Minister for Information Technology Amin-ul-Haque, he was addressing a press conference after meeting the Sindh government delegation led by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.

Umar said both sides met for the third time on Wednesday to find a solution to the issues of Karachi.

The minister said in all the areas – water, sewerage system, transport, roads infrastructure, solid waste disposal and removal of encroachments – some projects are already designed while some new projects are also needed to be initiated.

He said the financial and legislative matters of the projects would also be finalized within the given time of two-weeks. "But we will not wait for two weeks," he said adding that the committee would start its work from tomorrow and its next meeting would be held in Karachi on Saturday.

The minister said Karachi is the biggest revenue generating city of the country but the federal government wants the city to reach its maximum potential. For this, the city's residents must have to be provided with maximum facilities.

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan has a personal connection with the people of Karachi who elected him in the general election of July 2018.

“Nineteen (19) out of 21 National Assembly seats in Karachi belong to the PTI or the MQM [which is a coalition partner of the PTI]. Therefore, it is also the political responsibility of the federal government to work for development of Karachi.”

Umar also made it clear that the PTI and the PPP which rules the Sindh province have intense political differences but for the sake of Karachi residents they have joined hands to work for the city.

"This is a developmental coordination as there should be no differences on development works."

He also clarified that the PTI' move is only for the betterment of the people of Karachi and it must not be connected with the PTI government's accountability strategy.

"I want to make it clear that there will be no compromise on accountability process in the country."

He said even the PTI government's important leaders are facing the accountability process; therefore, no one should misinterpret it.

Minister for IT Haque – who belongs to the MQM – said the six-member joint committee will play the role of a bridge between the federation and the province for resolving chronic issues of Karachi.

He said the joint committee having representation of three stakeholders – the PTI, the PPP and the MQM – would forward proposals for resolving the issues of the city.

Haque said the infrastructure of Karachi is on the verge of complete destruction.

“The elected representatives of the city want to resolve the issues by playing their role in providing basic amenities of life to the city dwellers.

“The MQM has ideological differences with the Sindh government. However, it is ready to cooperate with the provincial government for the betterment of Karachi and resolving public.” he added.