The PTI and the PML-N have both been locked in an argument over who completed or came near completing the Green Line bus project in Karachi. While Ahsan Iqbal of the PML-N inaugurated the project a day ago, it was formally inaugurated a day later by the PTI which claims it carried out most of the work on the Green Line. This dispute over the completion of projects is a factor that has held back work in the country. But perhaps the most disturbing of all in this entire scenario is why the Sindh government, in power in Karachi and Sindh since 2008, is perceived to have done little for the project. Although only four kilometres of track needed to be built, this did not prove possible while the procurement of buses and other equipment was also eventually carried out by the federal government, which has announced the project will be operational after December 25 after a trial run of some two weeks. The government claims that this modern travelling facility will benefit up to 135,000 commuters of Karachi’s West and Central districts. The Rs35.5 billion BRTS includes 21 stations with ticket rooms, though a centralised ticketing system is yet to be operational.
The Sindh government also needs to work on other transport projects to offer the people of Karachi, the country's biggest city, viable public transport that they can use. These projects include the Orange, Red and Blue Lines, Bus Rapid Transit project, and the Karachi Circular Railway ordered back into action by the court. It is difficult to understand what work is taking place on this and if it can be completed in time. The dispute between parties and federal and provincial governments does nothing to help. The PTI has also promised more development work for Karachi, including work on water provision. We will need to see how this happens and if the provincial government plays any part in these projects.
The residents of Karachi need harmony not only amongst themselves but also between all stakeholders in Sindh. Karachi is definitely an ‘engine of growth’ for the country – as the PM put it – and for Sindh; that is the reason this project must be successful with effective coordination and cooperation between the federal and provincial governments. A mega city such as Karachi cannot flourish if its people lack facilities as basic as mass transit. The blame game must end now, and all concerned parties must set aside their petty differences to make this project a success.