Coordination Committee meeting: Sindh govt to remove encroachments from Karachi

ISLAMABAD: A meeting of the Karachi coordination committee was held between the representatives of the Federation and the Sindh government on Friday which was told that the Sindh government will remove encroachments from the metropolis with the support of the federal government.

The meeting was attended by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, provincial ministers, chief secretary, Minister for Planning Asad Umar, Director General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed, Corps Commander Karachi among others.

During the meeting, it was decided that the process of design approval for remodelling of Mahmoodabad nullah would be started while the study and design of Gujjar and Orangi nullahs would be completed by January 15. The Centre will also seek help from Wapda to take the K-IV water project forward, local media reported.

During the meeting, Murad Ali Shah said the NED was conducting surveys of all important nullahs. A meeting was called Thursday on remodelling of Mahmoodabad nullah, the study of which has already completed. The remodelling will allow drainage of 270mm rainwater in 12 hours.

The chief minister further said that the government is working on ICI Bridge and Malir Expressway under public-private partnership. At present, the nullah is six meters deep on Korangi Road. He added that a special clean-up drive was also being launched in Karachi.

Asad Umar said that the encroachments have to be removed by the Sindh government, for which the federal government will provide full support. He said the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has been authorised Rs700 billion and the cost incurred will be borne by the federal government.

Meanwhile, Asad Umar said the second wave of COVID-19 had become dangerous and public gatherings were not only posing grave threat to the lives of the people, but were also a violation of the court orders that had imposed ban on such activities. Talking to a private news channel, Asad Umar regretted that it had become a norm for the hypocrite opposition to give priority to political and personal interests before any public interest issues. He said coronavirus was a reality that was affecting human health everywhere, adding that precautionary measures were being taken all over the world to protect and prevent people from the virus.

The minister said the government had already issued a plan at the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) meeting to deal with the situation, adding that all the provincial governments were bound to strictly implement the coronavirus standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Asad Umar said that these selfish elements first spread the virus of corruption and now they were becoming the source of multiplying the virus by holding public gatherings.

He said opposition parties’ public meetings did not affect the government at all, but the PDM leadership should desist from playing with the lives of the poor. He cautioned the political opponents that government would never allow anyone to challenge the writ of the state. He said the law would take its course in case of the SOPs violations. He further regretted that the opposition was not realising its national obligations during the pandemic.

"Protecting the masses from the virus is the need of the hour rather than holding public gatherings," he stressed.

He said the government was making serious efforts for preventing the second wave of the virus in the country, but the rejected elements were busy in holding rallies.

Replying to a query, he said that despite the over-burdened healthcare system in the country, the government had tackled the first wave of the virus in a very effective manner by improving government hospitals’ infrastructure and successfully implementing the SOPs. He also urged the public to adhere to with COVID-19 SOPs strictly and avoid unnecessary gatherings out of their houses.