PTI willing to work with anyone for development of city, says Asad Umar

Instead of fielding a wealthy personality or some big name from outside Lyari in the Lyari constituency during the 2018 general polls, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had preferred a political activist from the neighbourhood, Shakoor Shad, to contest against Pakistan Peoples Party supremo Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar stated this on Sunday as he visited Lyari. He said Shad defeated the PPP chairman in the party’s bastion with a huge margin and proved the critics wrong who were of the view that the PTI would not even find a candidate to contest against Bilawal in Lyari.

Umar expressed these views during an event to inaugurate a charity-run hospital.

Commenting on the federal government’s efforts to woo the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), which has been its irate ally of late, to rejoin the federal cabinet, he said the PTI and the MQM-P were on the same page on the need for addressing the ‘injustice’ experienced by the sprawling metropolis.

“The MQM-P is not angry at the PTI,” said Umar, who is also heading the federal government’s committee formed to convince the MQM-P to rejoin the cabinet.

Emphasising that the federal government was willing to work with ‘everyone’ to serve the residents of Karachi, the federal minister said he had discussed Karachi’s development projects in a meeting with Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah. “The federal government is fully aware of the problems being faced by residents of Karachi.”

He also spoke on the K-IV water project, calling it vital for the city because, through it, 26 crore gallons of water would be supplied from the Keenjhar Lake to the city. He vowed to complete the K-IV water project on a priority basis. “The project would be launched as soon as the Sindh cabinet forwarded a summary to the Centre – which would contribute 50 per cent of the cost,” he said. “We will also work on projects near the Northern Bypass and Lyari Expressway in order to address the issue of traffic in the city.”

Umar said Prime Minister Imran Khan would take important decisions this month to control the rising inflation in the country. “PM Khan has ordered an inquiry and announced action against all those found involved in price hike.”

Promising to construct a football stadium in Lyari next year, Umar said he had met with Federal Inter-Provincial Coordination Minister Fehmida Mirza and requested her to provide sports opportunities to the people of Lyari by making grounds.

MNA Shad said other political parties, including the PPP, had used Lyari for political purposes in the past, but the PTI and its elected representatives from Lyari were now working for Lyari’s development. “Former governments had promoted the culture of drugs in Lyari and we will give pens to our youth,” he said.

MPAs Ramzan Ghanchi, Sidra Imran, Sanjay Gangwani, Adeel Ahmed and Sindh Baitul Mal Chairman Hunaid Lakhani were also present at the event.