PM assures Sindh of funds releases

KARACHI:

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday offered full cooperation of the federal government to the Sindh government and announced that Sindh’s share in funds from the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award would be released.

During his maiden visit to Karachi as the prime minister, Shehbaz discussed public sector schemes and development projects of the province, including drinking water, transport schemes and transfer of three public sector hospitals to the province and other matters.

Shehbaz assured the Sindh government that the Centre would request China to include the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) project in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and directed for early completion of development projects in Karachi.

Shehbaz visited the metropolis on the second day of assuming the office of the prime minister. He held a meeting with Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and his cabinet members, besides visiting the head offices of his government’s major ally, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).

After a meeting at the Chief Minister House, Shehbaz issued directives for early completion of K-IV bulk water supply project, construction of all roads in the industrial areas of the city and financial support to the provincial government in the procurement of buses for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) projects.

“The federal government will fully cooperate and release Sindh’s share without any delay," Shehbaz told reporters after chairing a meeting at the Chief Minister House, following his visit to the mausoleum of Qauid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

“We all have to work hard for the development of all the four provinces to steer the nation out of poverty and unemployment,” he said. “We have been facing the biggest challenge that is potable drinking water for the country,” he added.

“Here, I have requested the chief minister and other officials to expedite the development work on K-4 and other schemes,” Shehbaz continued. “We will request China to include KCR in CPEC,” the prime minister added.

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Shehbaz also said that the issue of air-conditioned buses for Karachi and the rest of Sindh was also discussed. “Transporters will be provided loans from banks at low-interest rates, while the bidding process will be transparent to provide facilities to commuters,” he added.

The meeting was attended by Chief Minister Shah and his cabinet members. MQM-P’s Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Khuwaja Izhar and Kanwar Naveed; Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Ahsan Iqbal, Marriyum Aurangzeb and Miftah Ismail of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N); Akram Durani and Maulana Asad Mahmood of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) were also present.

The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) chairman, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) chairman, besides a number of federal secretaries and the Sindh Planning Development chief also attended the meeting.

“This meeting, with the participation of all the partners, will prove beneficial for the people of Pakistan, particularly of Sindh,” Chief Minister Shah said in his welcome remarks at the outset of the meeting.

K-IV augmentation

On the issue of water scarcity in Karachi, the prime minister was informed that the augmentation works of K-IV would cost Rs52.34 billion. Officials also informed the prime minister that 260 MGD K-IV, Phase-I, costing Rs126.4 billion was being executed by Wapda with federal funding.

The chief minister requested the prime minister to finance Rs10 billion for the K-IV augmentation work because the funds committed by donor agencies would arrive in January 2023. He also urged the prime minister to make all the required funds of K-IV available so that it could be completed in time.

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The prime minister said that his government would support Sindh in completing the augmentation work well in time. He also promised to provide all the required funds in time and directed the Wapda chairman to start work on war-footings to provide water to the city.

Karachi Transformation Plan

The prime minister also assured the chief minister of his full support for carrying out the Rs1.17 trillion Karachi Transformation Plan (KPT), under which mega schemes, including BRT, storm water drains, sewerage projects etc had been planned.

The prime minister was informed that in 2016, the Rs207.5 billion KCR project was included by 6th Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) for its inclusion in CPEC projects. But later it was revised down to Rs181 billion under the public-private partnership (PPP).

However, Shehbaz stressed that under the PPP mode, the project would be delayed. He decided to include the project in CPEC. On the road projects, including the motorways projects in the province, the prime minister directed the National Highway Authority (NHA) to complete projects at the earliest.

Cash development loans

The chief minister also raised the issue of the outstanding cash development loans and requested the prime minister to write off Rs17.505 billion loan amount and interest payment of Rs12.027 billion. The prime minister asked the chief minister to file a request with him so that action could be taken.

Meeting with MQM-P

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif visited the MQM-P head offices in Bahadurabad along with Chief Minister Shah and the PML N leaders, accompanying him during the Karachi visit. MQM-P leaders Dr Siddiqui, Amir Khan, Nasreen Jalil and other Rabita Committee members welcomed the delegation.

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“I have come here to thank the MQM for supporting us in the prime ministerial election,” Shehbaz said after the meeting with the coalition partner, adding that his government would work with all the coalition partners for the development of the country.

Dr Siddiqui said that both sides “discussed the entire political situations and the points on the agreement” signed among his party, the PML-N and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). “The prime minister has assured us to implement the written agreement in the best interest of Sindh and Pakistan."

Earlier, the chief minister along with his cabinet members received the prime minister upon his arrival in Karachi. The chief minister personally drove the prime minister to the mausoleum of the Quaid, where they offered Fateha.