Prime Minister Imran Khan announced a massive development package for Karachi. It seems that this time federal government is enough serious to resolve the issues of the city of lights.
Karachi plays greater part to run the economic wheel of Pakistan. It has been deprived of basic necessities clean drinking water, electricity and cleanliness.
PM’s official visit to Karachi on September 5, 2020 brought a mega development package for Karachi to restore its original identity. The package named as “Karachi Transformation Package” is comprised of Rupees 1.1 Trillion.
Addressing a press conference in Governor House, he showed grave concerns on the last monsoon spells and the devastated damages caused by it. He acknowledged the package would be addressing infrastructure problems-sewerage system, solid waste management and public transport services-of Karachi. He also assured that the federal and provincial governments are to work together to solve the civic and municipal problems of the city within the period of three years.
To me all these announcements are remarkably fabulous but just in the sense of hearing. One want to know what federal government has done with the package of Rupees 162 Billion which it announced on 30, March 2020.
Similarly, PM Imran Khan was on a two day official visit of Karachi and similar kind of press conference have had held in the Governor Sindh House. In a 162 Billion package, the premier announced 18 different projects to uplift Karachi. Out of these 18 development projects 10 were specified for public transport services and seven were for water and sewerage.
The people of Port city want to know the government of what developments have yet been made in relation to previously announced projects. Have these projects had completed or they have not yet started ? Had federal government made any progress on these projects ? Or this was just a routine announcement? Verily, in the democratic structures governments fell are answerable to the public.
Policy of announcing new package over previous packages every time just to counter the out cry of the people of Karachi does not work. Government needs to change her attitude and draw city-development-focused vision.
In my opinion, an autonomous commission comprised of all stake holders, to be established for Karachi, which oversees all the problems and issues of the city and also looks after the progress and development.