Eight new members included in Karachi Strategic Committee

Responding to criticism of ignoring people from Sindh, including parliamentarians from rural parts of the province, in the selection of members the ‘Karachi Strategic Committee’, panel formed by Prime Minister Imran Khan to resolve the issues faced by the city, eight new members have been inducted into the committee.

The new members belong to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the Grand Democratic Alliance and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and their inclusion has ensured diversity in the committee.

The committee is headed by Federal Minister for Law Dr Farogh Naseem, who belongs to the MQM-P. Prominent politicians who have been recently included in the committee are Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Dr Fehmida Mirza, Federal Minister for Privatisation Muhammad Mian Soomro, Mirpurkhas, MNA Syed Ali Nawaz Shah and GDA’s MPA Nusrat Sehar Abbasi.

Shakoor Shad, a PTI MNA from Lyari who defeated Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, has also been included in the committee. Others PTI leaders who have been made part the panel are: MNA Ataullah, MPAs Jamal Siddiqi and Arsalan Taj Ghuman have also been included in the committee.

The MQM-P’s central leader Gul Faraz Khattak was also included in the committee. But sources within the PTI told The News that his name had been removed from the committee. Prime Minister Imran Khan was sscheluded to visit Karachi today to attend a meeting of the committee. However, PTI leaders said that Khan’s visit had been postponed and now he would visit after the Karachi Strategic Committee prepared its recommendations. MPA Siddiqui, who is the member of the committee, confirmed that PM Khan had engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa today and his visit had been postponed.