Centre, not Sindh govt will spend major chunk of Karachi uplift package: Asad
Asad urged the all stakeholders to keep all their political differences aside and work jointly for the development of Karachi. PHOTO: FILE
The PTI-led federal government will spend the major chunk of Karachi development package of Rs1.1 trillion announced by Prime Minister Imran Khan a day earlier, clarified Planning Minister Asad Umar on Sunday.
“The federal government will bear 62% expenses while the remaining 38% to be spent by the provincial government,” he said while addressing a press conference in Karachi along with Maritime Affairs Minister Ali Zaidi and Information Technology Minister Aminul Haque.
On Saturday, PM Imran during his visit to the port city had announced a development package of Rs1.1 trillion for Karachi under its transformation plan in the wake of recent unprecedented heavy rains leaving the infrastructure of the metropolis in tatters and its civic agencies struggling to mitigate the woes of its residents.
The planning minister was responding to a statement allegedly made by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari that the Sindh government would spend the major share of the development package.
Asad said that Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah in a meeting had agreed upon not to reveal the details of share of both the governments.
However, the PPP leader’s video clip doing rounds on social media in which he claimed that the Sindh government has major share in the package, Asad lamented.
He urged all stakeholders to keep their political differences aside and work jointly for the success of the “historic” transformation plan of the city. “The progress of Pakistan is linked with progress and development of Karachi, which is an economic hub of the country.”The federal minister said that major hurdle in the development of the metropolis is the absence of centralised authority.
He expressed the hope that the Sindh chief minister would be allowed by his party leadership to work jointly with the federal government for the betterment of Karachi.
In first phase, Asad said, the rain drains would be completely cleaned, whereas the provincial government had taken responsibility to rehabilitate the displaced people from the illegal encroachments.
About the completion of public transport projects, the planning minister said that the Green Line Bus Rapid Transport System would complete in 2021 and the Karachi Circular Railway in 2023.
Speaking on the occasion, Ali Zaidi said that the historic transformation plan announced by the prime minister both the federal and provincial governments have agreed to execute the plan jointly.
Minister Haque hailed the federal government for the announcement of development package, saying it is not a favour but a right of the metropolis. “The more government will spend on Karachi, the more it will earn in terms of revenue from the city.”