‘No one can dare hand Karachi over to Centre’

SUKKUR/ISLAMABAD: A visibly-charged Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah strongly rejected the notion of Karachi being taken over by the federal government, asking who has the courage to do so and threw up a challenge, daring if someone wants to venture he must confront him with the proposal first.

Strongly hitting back at the question, Murad Ali Shah said, "You are merely asking me a question but you think the people of the province will spare anyone doing that or tolerate such a division."

Karachi was hit by unprecedented rains that were not witnessed in over a century and I briefed the prime minister about the damages incurred to the city, he said.

The chief minister said he had also written to the prime minister about the crisis in Sindh. "I have informed him that 136 people perished due to the rains. Over 2.5 million people of 20 districts across Sindh. Karachi suffered damages, but half of rural Sindh is reeling under floods that unleashed massive wide-ranging destruction," he said.

The chief minister said lakhs of people have been rendered homeless. “We have declared 20 districts as calamity hit. We expect the federal government to come to the assistance of the people of rural Sindh. The provincial government alone cannot manage the crisis of this magnitude,” he added.

The chief minister said the PPP Chairman BilawalBhutto Zardari is undertaking a three-day visit to the calamity-hit areas of rural Sindh, accompanied by ministers and area MPs. Murad Shah said Indus is in high flood and has crossed the five lakh cusecs mark at Guddu and is expected to grow further in intensity. He said the Irrigation Department has made the necessary preparations and is ready for contingencies. “We addressed some of the complaints that came to our notice, but are hopeful that the flood will pass from Sukkur and Guddu barrages without causing any more damages,” the chief minister said.

Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz said funds could not be provided directly to the Sindh government due to trust deficit and the provincial government was responsible for this.

Speaking at a news conference in the federal capital, the minister charged that the Sindh minister had created confusion about the Karachi Transformation Plan (KTP) and then he explained the related details of funding share and responsibility of the federal and provincial governments. The minister also said the prime minister had given the package with noble intention, as Karachi issues had gone out of control. The provincial government, he noted, had obtained loans too but it was not used.

Shibli Faraz said the federal government committed to five projects (additional funding required), namely Greater Karachi Water Supply Project of Rs46 billion, Karachi Circular Railway of Rs300 billion, Railway Freight Corridor of Rs131 billion, Green Line BRT of Rs5 billion and rehabilitation of river, nullahs and storm water drains and resettlement of affected persons costing Rs254 billion. He said the details of the federal and provincial responsibility and funding were shared to remove ambiguities which had risen in the last couple of days.

The minister said the total cost of these projects is estimated at Rs736 billion, of these the government plans to request the Supreme Court of Pakistan to allow use of part of the Bahria Town Settlement Fund up to Rs125 billion expected to be available during three years period of KTP.

The minister said the funding estimated to be arranged by the federal government is Rs611 billion; the balance of Rs375 billion (out of total package of over Rs1,100 billion) is shown as provincial government’s responsibility. He said that some projects would be completed in a year, two years and others in three years.

It was pointed out in a statement issued during the news conference that during the meetings held for finalisation of KTP, the provincial government expressed the desire to take responsibility for KCR project. However, railways is a federal subject as per the Constitution and equally important is the fact that the Supreme Court has also conducted hearings with regard to KCR and directed the federal government/railways to undertake the project. As such, the execution responsibility and funding burden estimated at Rs300 billion has been included in the federal government responsibility under the KTP.

Replying to questions by journalists, the minister said that protection of lives and property of every citizen irrespective of his status was responsibility of the state. He added that the high court has taken notice of the missing official of SECP official Sajid Gondal and the issue may be taken up by the federal cabinet meeting today (Tuesday).

About FATF, he maintained that neither he nor his party PTI was worried about the Financial Action Task Force law. He was hopeful that the opposition would vote for the FATF-related legislation otherwise it would be proved that they prefer personal interests over national interest while already India was Pakistan’s top enemy seeking to get Pakistan placed on the blacklist.

To another question he said that he must admit that there was trust deficit between the federal and Sindh government and the latter was responsible for the same. He said funds worth trillions were given to the Sindh government but no development projects were seen in urban or rural Sindh and the recent rains had exposed performance of the provincial government.

The minister contended implementation of the Karachi package was most important part because of the track record of the Sindh government. He added that Karachi corps commander and National Disaster Management Authority officials would be part of the implementation process, who would ensure completion of projects as per timelines.