Kamal demands Sindh govt pay Rs10m compensation to heirs of accident victims

Federal Health Minister and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) MNA Mustafa Kamal has demanded that the Sindh government pay a compensation of Rs10 million each to the bereaved families whose dear ones were killed in the recent road traffic accidents in Karachi involving recklessly driven heavy vehicles.

Talking to media persons on Saturday, he said the tragic road traffic accidents did not target members of any particular ethnic community. He cautioned against accentuating the ethnic divide in the city following such fatal road traffic accidents.

He said the victims of such traffic accidents belonged to every community.

Kamal said a corrupt system had been in place, which fraudulently issued driving licences and fitness certificates to the operators of the heavy vehicles. He said the same corrupt certification system of the government was responsible for frequent road traffic accidents in Karachi.

Answering a question, the MQM-P leader opposed recent amendments to the rules and regulations of the Sindh Building Control Authority fearing that the new regime would allow construction of commercial buildings on amenity plots in Karachi.

He said the new amendment would ruin the civic conditions in Karachi. He alleged that new building rules had been adopted to legalise corrupt practices by the unscrupulous elements. He lamented that Karachi was already counted among the top four least liveable urban places in the world.

Responding to another query, he said the electricity woes in Karachi had been far from over despite the privatisation of the K-Electric. He said the power consumers in Pakistan should get the option of switching from one distribution company to another to get better electricity service, as was the norm all over the world.

Kamal thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for slashing the electricity tariff to extend due relief to the masses. He also expressed gratitude to the army chief, federal power minister and members of the Task Force on Energy for their role in curtailing the electricity rates.

The federal minister said that a countrywide ‘One Patient One ID’ system would be launched on the basis of the computerised national identity card number of every adult citizen serving as his or her medical record number. He said that in this connection, he would soon meet the provincial health ministers and National Database and Registration Authority director general.