Karachi Safe City project DG removed

KARACHI: The director of Karachi Safe City project, DIG Maqsood Ahmed Memon, has been transferred.The project has been lying in files for many years. According to sources, the charge of the project has now been given to DIG Police Asif Ijaz Sheikh, who has started meetings with relevant authorities in this regard. A few years ago, a budget of Rs29 billion was set aside to complete the project. However, the project reached Rs40 billion due to the ever-increasing value of the dollar. Deputy Inspector General of Security and Emergency Services under the Sindh Police, Maqsood Ahmed Memon, was made the DG of the project in January 2020.He reworked the project as soon as he assumed charge. He gave the final shape to the project by holding meetings with relevant domestic and foreign institutions and companies in the early days. Due to the efforts, dozens of police quarters were vacated in the Saddar Police Lines. The DG provided documents to provide Rs2.5m each in cash and alternative houses to the displaced police personnel.

A big company was laying fiber optic for the project for Rs11 billion in three years, which was reduced by Maqsood Memon to Rs1.5 billion and the period of completing the work was reduced to six months. This was the plan’s biggest budget saving cut. Besides, various contractors were taken out and issues were directly discussed with the companies. Due to which the project of Rs40 billion was brought to just Rs22 billion. It should be noted that the value of the dollar had doubled during this time, but despite this, the project was locked at Rs22 billion. Now suddenly Maqsood Memon has been removed from the post. According to police sources, corrupt elements in important government departments became a big obstacle in the way of transparent completion of the project. According to sources, the project has been delayed for more than a year. If the funds had released on time, the project should have been completed by now. Experts are disappointed and there is an impression that now the project will not be completed even at the double cost of Rs22 billion.