Talks of Karachi being given to federation’s control ‘would fizzle out’: Murad

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said Monday reports of Pakistan’s financial capital being given under the federation’s control were merely a “bubble of hot air and would fizzle out itself”.

Shah was visiting different districts of the city to inspect removal of animal waste after Eid-ul-Adha and ongoing cleaning work at nullahs. He was accompanied by Education Minister Saeed Ghani, Local Government Minister Nasir Shah and his advisor, Senator Murtaza Wahab.

Addressing a journalist’s question about the reports pertaining to Karachi, Shah said such comments were made by “politically immature” people and political “orphans”. The journalist had asked the chief minister about his thoughts on the statements from a federal minister and some other responsible individuals that Karachi would be made a federally-administered territory under Article 149 of the Constitution of Pakistan. Earlier, PTI MPA from Karachi, model Abbas Jafri, had said on his Facebook page Karachi was soon “to be administered federally”.

“Article 149-4 states that the Federal Govt has authority to direct any province to be administered federally,” he had added. “Ab hoga Karachi azaad!!”

However, Shah advised the media not to take politically immature and political orphans seriously and said such statements were beyond comprehension. “Yes, the nullahs are being cleaned every year but, due to encroachment issues, some of the portions of nullahs are always leftover from cleaning; therefore, they get choked during heavy rains,” he said while responding to a question.

Shah added that under the World Bank’s Solid Waste Ecological Enhancement Project (SWEEP) project, Karachi’s nullahs were being cleaned. “I am telling the people loudly that the World Bank has not released funds so far and whatever funds are being utilised have been released by our government from its own resources,” he said, adding that he would redress all the major drainage and infrastructure issues in consultation with the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and Karachi Development Authority (KDA).