'Ex-mayor misused pension funds'

Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani has stated that most departments attached to his ministry are paying pensions to retired employees, but unresolved dues from the past remain a huge burden.

While speaking during the question hour in the Sindh Assembly session on Friday, the minister accused former Karachi mayor Waseem Akhtar, who belonged to the MQM, of misusing pension funds for other purposes.

He said that the Sindh government allocates Rs1.2 billion monthly to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) for salaries and pensions. While KMC's pension payments are now regular, there are Rs13 billion in outstanding dues, with payments made up to July 2017 and subsequent dues still pending. Ghani clarified that KMC is responsible for paying District Municipal Group (DMG) employees' dues until 2023, while towns should handle dues for new employees.

The minister further revealed that the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) owes its employees Rs3.8 billion in unpaid dues since September 2020. Despite this, the Sindh government provides Rs400 million monthly to KDA for salaries and pensions.

Regarding sanitation, Ghani disclosed that a Chinese company's contract for garbage collection in District East was not renewed because the firm refused payment in Pakistani currency. Other contracts have been adjusted to ensure payments are made in rupees to control expenses.

Responding to complaints from MQM-Pakistan MPA Amir Siddiqui about poor sanitation in Jamshed Town, Ghani admitted that the entire District East faces similar issues. He added that door-to-door garbage collection has not yet begun. Employees transferred from towns to the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board were permanent workers reassigned to other tasks, while some "ghost employees" were fired.

On the issue of charged parking, the minister clarified that KMC and some towns have designated parking areas. However, eliminating illegal parking falls under the jurisdiction of police and law enforcement agencies, not the Local Government Department.

Ghani said that the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) has Rs5.1 billion in outstanding dues from July 2020 to December 2024. This includes Rs2.1 billion owed by various government departments and Rs2.5 billion claimed by the KMC. Federal institutions also owe KWSC Rs12.5 billion, which is currently being reconciled.

Also speaking in the assembly's question hour, Sindh Transport Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon announced key developments in public transportation.

The minister also touched on cycling lanes, saying that while the idea is commendable, it is more feasible in cities with less traffic congestion. He said that bicycles are permitted on Red Line and Green Line tracks, but Sharae Faisal remains unsuitable due to frequent misuse of footpaths for motorcycle parking.