Karachi’s infrastructure should correspond to its status, says President Alvi

Pakistan President Dr Arif Alvi said on Saturday that Karachi is the economic hub of the country, so its civic infrastructure should correspond to the status of the metropolis as one of the biggest cities of the world.

Dr Alvi chaired a meeting at the State Guest House to review development projects in Karachi under way with the assistance of the federal government.

The meeting was attended by Sindh Governor Imran Ismail and Federal Finance Minister Asad Umer.

The president said that from now on the governor would supervise the implementation of the Centre’s development projects in the province to ensure their timely completion.

Governor Ismail said the provincial administration and the local government institution’s viewpoints would be taken into account while working on the Centre’s development projects.

He said that all the stakeholders, including political parties, would be taken on board so that once completed, the development projects could be utilised in the best of manners.

Finance Minister Umer assured the meeting that funds would be released in the shortest possible time to ensure early completion of the Centre’s development projects in Sindh.

Earlier in the day, President Alvi had visited Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s mausoleum.

He had arrived in the city the previous evening for the first time after assuming the position of the head of state.

During his visit to Mazar-e-Quaid, Alvi was accompanied by Governor Ismail, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani and other dignitaries.

Clarification

Dr Alvi said he was given security protocol during his movement from the Karachi Airport despite his instructions against it. On Friday evening the president was provided full-fledged protocol meant for VVIPs, as his convoy comprised over two dozen vehicles.

Some important roads of the city were reportedly closed during his movement. He took to his Twitter account to clarify his position regarding the protocol.

In his statement on the microblogging website, he admitted that a number of motor vehicles accompanied him during his movement from the airport. He said that this was despite the fact that he had asked the authorities not to be insulted in the eyes of the public.

He had told the authorities that the number of vehicles in his motorcade should not exceed beyond what is the security requirement. “One or two vehicles should be present in the front while the same number of vehicles should follow me but this could not happen, [and] we have to take stern action on this account.”

Regarding the presence of police personnel and forced closure of restaurants around his private residence in Karachi, he said: “We have to do work on this account as well. I could not become a source of discomfort for those of my neighbours with whom I have spent my entire life. I could not abandon my security altogether, but definitely a line has to be drawn when this has been causing hardships for the common citizens.”

PM due today

Prime Minister Imran Khan would arrive in Karachi on a daylong visit on Sunday (today).

This is the first time the premier is going to visit the city after assuming the office of the country’s chief executive. He would also visit Mazar-e-Quaid.

During his visit, he would stay at the State Guest House instead of the Governor House. He is likely to chair a meeting on law and order affairs of the city.

The PM would also be given a briefing on the Centre’s ongoing development projects in Sindh.

He would also meet the CM, the governor and social and business delegations, as well as attend a fundraiser for constructing new dams.