Sindh Information and Labor Minister Saeed Ghani asked Federal Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry to highlight the Karachi projects which the Centre claims to have spent Rs1,100 billion on.
"People are being misled by the Centre claiming Sindh government projects, worth more than Rs458 billion, as federal ones," he alleged. "The development work done by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government in the last six to seven years is unprecedented," the minister said.
He added that most of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's projects were limited to announcements and papers rather than being ground realities.
"The arrival of the prime minister in Karachi and not allowing the Sindh chief minister to address the inauguration ceremony of KCR appears to be a plan," he stressed.
Ghani expressed these views during a press conference held at his camp office where leaders and workers of other political parties joined the PPP. He was flanked by Waqar Mehdi, Javed Nagori, Amanullah Mehsud, Liaquat Askani and Asif Khan.
"At the moment, those who are joining PTI are the ones who are losing elections to the PPP."
Meanwhile, former Sindh National Front vice chairman Sain Bakhsh Banglani, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan sector member Anjum Saleem, Pakistan Muslim League-Functional's Arshad Warsi, MQM Malir UC Chairman Zahid, MQM Sector Member Adnan Hussain Khan, former councilor Syed Johar Ali Rizvi, Pak Sarzameen Party Malir Unit In Charge Aftab Ali and hundreds of others announced to be joining the PPP.
Ghani said that the federal minister for information, while addressing a function on Tuesday, said that the Sindh government had not spent a single penny on Karachi. Chaudhry also claimed that federal government was spending Rs.1,100 billion in Sindh, particularly on Karachi.
"In order to increase his knowledge, I would like to point out that Sindh has one provincial annual development scheme and one district annual development scheme. This year, the provincial ADP alone cost Rs56.5 billion for Karachi, while other development schemes for the city, under various donor agencies and public-private partnerships, cost Rs.219 billion."
Meanwhile, he added foreign projects had cost Rs181.5 billion. "This comes up to Rs.401 billion for projects with the help of public-private mode and foreign agencies, while the provincial government's own ADP of Rs.58.5 billion adds up to Rs458 billion this year. In addition, the Karachi Circular Railway project, which was being followed by the Sindh government, is expected to cost Rs.250 billion," the provincial minister explained.
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Ghani said the incompetent PTI government, which used the claim of spending Rs.1,100 billion to mislead the people, had not spent a single penny on Karachi. "The announcements that have been made to date have either been just words or paperwork, whereas the ground realities are the opposite," he said.
The minister continued that the Sindh government was giving an annual grant of Rs.26.6 billion to SIUT, JPMC, NICVD and other health institutions. He said this was greatly benefitting people of the city.
Responding to questions from journalists, Ghani said that under the law and the Constitution, the land belongs to the provincial government which can provide it to various institutions according to needs. "If they do anything against such a need, the government can also take it back."
The minister added that the Sindh government had a clear position that if the federal government wanted to carry out development work in Sindh, it should be done according to the wishes and intentions of the people.
Replying to a question, he said both the prime minister and the chief minister were constitutional positions so the federation and the provinces must meet.
Replying to another question, Ghani said that work on the Yellow and Red Line transit systems was underway and one of them would be completed in the current year. "We are in favor of doing the groundbreaking after practically completing the project. We are not in favor of launching without the feasibility of projects," he said.
On a question related to a report on school desks, Ghani said he was not the education minister at present. "It is their right to decide. However, I still insist that there is no objection to the procurement and, even today, I claim that if anyone offers me the desk according to the wood quality required in the tender in Rs.20,000, I am ready to buy several hundred from my pocket and give them to the schools. I am also ready to undergo punishment if there was an element of corruption in it."
On the issue of the Nasla Tower, the provincial minister believed the chief justice of Pakistan should look into the matter on the basis of humanitarian grounds. "If a project is completely built after approval of the institutions, what is the fault of those who purchased flats or shops in it?
He urged the chief justice to inform people which letter they should obtain before buying a flat or a shop so that they can be confident that the building would not be demolished after 10 years.
To a question on the water crisis in the province, Ghani said PPP was protesting all over Sindh against the atrocities committed by the federation and IRSA against the province. "In this regard, a protest will be held from Parking Plaza to Saddar at 2.00 pm on Sunday, October 3.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 30th, 2021.
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