SHC issues notices to LG dept, PIDC on plea against award of uplift project contracts

The Sindh High Court on Friday issued notices to local government, Pakistan Infrastructure Development Company and others on a petition against development contracts not being granted to the Karachi Municipal Corporation and Town Municipal Corporation by the federal government.

Filing the petition with the SHC, Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi Deputy Amir and leader of opposition in the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s city council Saifuddin advocate and JI town chairmen submitted that development funds should be channelised to the KMC, towns and union councils, as development was a local government subject.

They submitted that all the powers for planning, execution, infrastructure, progress and development should be shifted to the LG institutions and development institutions should be merged into the local government.

They said the PIDC issued various development project tenders to be carried out in Karachi, which could only be carried out by the elected local governments in Karachi.

They submitted that the impugned tenders fall within the ambit of the local government law and have to be executed by the municipal committee or town committee and nowhere does the forgoing contemplate any role of the PIDC or the federal government to execute the local government development projects.

They submitted that no federal or provincial institution has the authority to carry out development works directly in the city and all such development schemes should be deemed illegal and unconstitutional.

They requested the court to ensure implementation of Article 140 A of the constitution and the orders passed by the apex court in this regard and set aside the impugned tenders issued by the PIDC.

JI protests

A large number of JI local government representatives staged a protest demonstration outside the Sindh Assembly for administrative and financial rights under the local government laws.

Addressing the participants, JI Karachi Amir Monem Zafar Khan said the Pakistan Peoples Party had ruined Karachi, once the city of lights and gateway to South Asia and now duly dubbed as the hub of crises.

He demanded Rs500 billion funds immediately for the progress and development of Karachi and in order to address the most burning issues. He demanded the government release funds to all union councils and towns in Karachi as per the constitution. He said Rs2 billion for each town and at least Rs2.5 million per month should be released to union councils.

Leader of the opposition in the city council Saifuddin advocate criticized the PPP and alleged that the PPP had allegedly siphoned off all the resources, powers and funds for the local government institutions to corruption. He warned the PPP government of a comprehensive campaign to change the regime in the province if it failed to mend its ways when it came to the rights of Karachi and Karachiites.