Even as Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and federal ministers Asad Umar and Aminul Haque pledged on Saturday to set aside their differences and worked together for the uplift of Karachi, Umar maintained that differences between the Sindh and Centre remained on multiple issues.
They were addressing a joint press conference after a meeting of the Karachi Coordination Committee, where the Sindh CM and federal ministers resolved to clean nullahs in the metropolis before the onset of the monsoon season.
Speaking to media persons, the CM said, “In the larger interest of Karachi, we have set aside all our political differences and will sit together [with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan] to chalk out plans to develop the city and make it one of the most beautiful and livable cities in the world.”
Announcing that authorities planned to clean nullahs before the monsoon season, he elaborated that the city’s stormwater drains, including three major ones, namely Gujjar Nullah, Mehmoodabad Nullah and Orangi Nullah, as well as the networks of Lyari and Malir Rivers were being remodelled. The nullah’s feeders would also undergo an overhaul, he added.
The CM further stated that other projects that the federal and provincial government would undertake to transform Karachi included the K-IV bulk water project, installations of sewage treatment plants, construction and repair of road networks, Malir Expressway, bus rapid transit projects and the Karachi Circular Railway.
Also speaking on the occasion, Federal Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar said the people of Karachi looked towards elected representatives to address their issue and it was for this very reason that “brushing aside our political differences, we have joined hands for the development of the city.”
He told media persons that the National Disaster Management Authority had engaged the Frontier Works Organisation and the bodies had mobilised their machinery to start the uplift work.
The ground work for the development of Karachi has been initiated and now, only minor impediments, such as the approval of more funds, are to be dealt with, he said.
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“I want to reiterate that we have various other things to do politics on, but as far as the uplift of the city is concerned, we have to work together,” Umar repeated.
Federal IT and Telecommunication Minister Aminul Haque acknowledged that a package of Rs1.1 trillion was not enough for Karachi. However, he was quick to add that “Something is better than nothing.”
He called for strengthening local bodies and pointed out that it was actually the job of the local government to clean the nullahs, work on water supply schemes and construct roads.
“But since the work remained pending, the federal and the provincial government have started putting in their share,” he said.
Replying to a question about the Sindh government being unhappy with its share under the National Finance Commission, Umar maintained that the provincial and the federal goverment had a difference of opinion on the matter.
Acknowledging that Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa had reservations on the 2017 census, he said it was not the PTI government that conducted the census. He then added, “I remember very well that whenever a census was conducted [in the country], the provincial governments had raised objections over it.”
Umar further maintained that the matter of Dingi and Bundal islands was “debatable”, and that the Centre and Sindh had different views on the issue.
“The Pakistan Islands Development Authority Ordinance, 2020 has expired and the provincial and federal government will have to sit together to mutually resolve the issue and start development [on the islands],” said Umar.
Answering a question about the tussle between the Centre and Sindh over three hospitals of Karachi- Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases and National Institute of Child Health- Umar said the federal government had taken control of the facilities through a notification issued in line with Supreme court orders.
However, if the Sindh government files a reference against the move in the apex court, it may be able to regain the control of the hospitals, he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 17th, 2021.
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