PTI wants Rangers to take over KWSB to depoliticise its functioning

Karachi
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on Saturday suggested to the authorities to hand over the control of Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) to the Rangers, saying there was no other option left for improving its management and distribution system.
They made this demand-cum-suggestion at a joint press conference held at the party’s media centre. The leaders of both national and provincial assemblies including Dr Arif Alvi, Samar Ali Khan, Khurrum Sherzaman and Dr Seema Zia maintained that both the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), whose members had comprised the Sindh coalition government till recently, had been responsible for creating an ‘artificial’ water crisis which might lead to a law and order crisis in the city by eruption of riots.
Speaking on behalf of all the PTI leaders, MNA Dr Arif Alvi demanded to impose a three-month emergency in the KWSB and handing over the management of its distribution system to Rangers for that time.
He also alleged that some political forces were part of the hydrant mafia and there was a need to manage the administrative affairs of the water board effectively. He said concrete steps were required to make the KWSB independent and purge it of all political forces.
He asked why the funds allocated for K-IV project were not released by the Sindh government.
He said it was very strange that there wasn’t enough water to be supplied in the pipelines but the tanker mafia had no problems distributing copious amounts all over the city.
He warned that the PTI will take to the streets if the water crisis was not resolved.
The PTI leader asked why both parties, despite being responsible for the city’s and provincial affairs many a times in the past, had not been able to resolve the burning issues being faced by the people. Had the parties performed well, he said, the situation would not have kept growing worse.
Alvi said water supply to the city had been deteriorating in various parts of the city and adding to the miseries of residents already braving hot and dry weather.
said the water crisis was boosting the sale of illegal and private tankers businesses that tended to sell the commodity at exorbitant prices and take advantage of helpless citizens.
Referring to the MQM, he said those who claimed to have the mandate of the people of Karachi were responsible for the water crisis. He remarked that the MQM had a habit of raising hue and cry over issues which it did nothing to resolve while being party of the coalition government.
PPP leader slams KE
The Pakistan People’s Party Karachi division has condemned the K-Electric for persistently suspending power supply to water pumping stations that had created a water shortage in the residential areas of the city.
PPP Karachi division general secretary Syed Najmi Alam said the KE’s stubborn and authoritarian attitude had created a crisis in the city and feared that the situation might enter a state of severe public agitation for which the KE would be solely responsible.
“It is time for reviewing the privatisation of the KE because the company has virtually paralysed Karachi’s population and the growing intolerance in the city was the result of KE’s atrocities against its people,” he added.
He said voltage fluctuations had destroyed electronic appliances worth billions for which the KE was directly responsible and the company would have to settle its consumers’ claims.