MQM demands Rs150bn each from Centre and Sindh

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan demanded on Sunday that the federal and provincial governments should each provide Rs150 billion for finishing the 100-day cleanliness drive launched in Karachi by its mayor on December 1.

“The mayor’s job is to ensure that the city is clean and citizens are provided with basic civic facilities, but he hasn’t been empowered to carry out these functions effectively,” MQM-P information secretary Amin-ul-Haque told The News.

“It’s not the chief minister’s job to look after the cleaning of garbage and drains,” he added.

MQM-P chief Dr Farooq Sattar and Karachi mayor Waseem Akhtar had launched the cleanliness drive on Thursday.

The MQM-P leaders inaugurated the 'Hamara Karachi' campaign by sweeping the streets in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Shah Faisal Colony and Korangi. The party’s MNAs, MPAs and Korangi district chairman Nayar Raza also accompanied them.

Amir Khan, the party’s deputy chief, kicked off the drive in Liaquatabad Town, as other leaders and workers participated in cleaning the streets and sewage lines in different parts of the city.

Sattar maintained that the uplift programme was beyond politics. “We will serve the city without any discrimination,” he said. “Sports events, including City Olympics, will also be organised during the drive.”

He said the Pakistan People’s Party’s Sindh government had usurped the mayor’s rights by taking away powers from the the local government.

Echoing Sattar’s allegation, Akhtar said the federal and provincial administrations had repeatedly been approached for assistance but to no avail.

On Friday, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, stressing the need for setting aside politics for the welfare of Karachi, had directed his divisional and district administrations on Friday to assist the city’s mayor in his 100-day cleanliness drive.

“Karachi belongs to each and every one of us, therefore setting aside politics we must support the mayor and make the city clean,” he said while addressing a meeting.

The chief minister said district municipal corporations had enough funds, machinery and other resources to lift garbage and clean their respective areas.

However, he regretted that the DMCs had not taken as much interest in achieving this task as they should have.

The chief minister said the citizens of Karachi were appealing to him to order the cleaning of the city.

He directed the local government minister to meet with the mayor and DMC chairpersons and mobilise them to clean the city.

He directed the Karachi commissioner to mobilise his deputy commissioners too.

“It’s our collective responsibility to clean the city until the mechanical sweeping system is in place by the first week of January 2017,” he added.

Sindh Culture Day

Amin said the Sindh culture day was celebrated at the temporary office of the MQM-P in PIB Colony. Sattar, Akhtar and other leaders were attended the ceremony and ajraks and Sindhi topis were distributed among the participants.