Sindh govt cooperation must for Karachi uplift: President

KARACHI: President Dr Arif Alvi has said that development works in Karachi could not be undertaken with the support of federal government till the time tension exists between the Centre and the Sindh government.

The president stated this on Sunday while talking to newsmen here at the Governor House on the occasion of Vintage and Classic Bikes Show.

The president on the occasion once again rejected the reports that he could impose governor’s rule in the Sindh province. Dr Alvi said that neither he nor the Sindh Governor Imran Ismail had been doing politics in the province.

“It is the viewpoint of the Sindh governor that cooperation of Sindh government is not available to him. I will try that he gets this cooperation,” he said.

He said the Sindh government was supposed to work together with the federal government to get the special development package meant for Karachi materialized. Both the Sindh and federal governments are required to work together in this regard, he said.

He praised the work of Sindh governor, saying that promotion of culture for the sake of development of city was indeed a good step. The president said that promotion of new and old cultures should be done at the same time. He said that steps of the present government to open the President House in Islamabad and Governor Houses in the provinces to general public had been by widely appreciated by the masses.

He said that Sindh governor had been playing an important role to promote social, literary, and cultural activities in Karachi as that was a good sign.

The president said that he had come to the Governor House on the invitation of Sindh governor as he had seen for the first time vintage bikes assembled together at one place in such a large number.

The president said that foreign visits of Prime Minister Imran Khan and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had played a tremendous role in signifying the special strategic position of Pakistan that had gained unprecedented importance among the regional countries for the very first time.

Also speaking on the occasion, the Sindh governor said that Governor House in Karachi was no more a no-go area for general public as its gates were now open to masses. He said that the kind of activities which were being hosted by the Governor House in Karachi these days had not been ever hosted earlier at the same venue. He said the Governor House would soon host three-day literary festival as the upcoming programme would include seminar and workshops on education, literature, books’ exhibition, and similar constructive activities. He appreciated the spirit of the bike lovers and the attachment they have with the bikes. He said that such events provide an opportunity to the people to witness how well old and classic bikes could be kept and used. The Sindh governor, addressing on the occasion, said: “The vintage and classic bikes show has been organised to keep children and youth aware alike about gradual improvements in the history of bikes manufacturing.” He observed that the bikes show was an important phenomenon and the purpose of this event was to draw everybody’s attention towards the technology and evolution of bikes.