Centre rejects Sindh LG system

KARACHI: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar on Sunday rejected the local government (LG) system in Sindh as it did not empower the people.

He said the PTI had filed a petition in court regarding the system. The minister further stated that education, health, transport, tourism and water supply and sewerage departments would work under the mayor in Islamabad. Asad Umar said this while addressing a PTI workers convention in Karachi. 

He said that the census had always been a problem in Karachi. Karachi’s new population census will be completed by December 2022. He said that a complaint was received that the people of Karachi are not able to find employment at which, Prime Minister Imran Khan said that census should be conducted every five years.

"A fair and transparent census will be conducted in Karachi," Umar said. The minister further stated that the Green Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project will be completed within 10-12 days.

Umar said that the PTI-led government will resolve Karachi's transport issues as he announced that PM Imran Khan will inaugurate the project in Karachi in two weeks. "PM Imran Khan is coming [to Karachi] to solve the transportation issues of the citizens of Karachi," said Umar.

He said that "Karachi's journey towards development has begun". On September 19, public transport in Karachi got closer to getting a much-needed boost as a cargo ship carrying the Green Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project buses entered Pakistani territory.

Authorities had confirmed to Geo News that the cargo ship Feng Shen, loaded with 40 buses, had entered Pakistan’s territorial waters.

Earlier, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail had also announced that the BRT project would be inaugurated in Karachi in a month's time. The Greenline BRT project had been started back in 2016 by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who had aimed to complete the project within one year. However, due to various reasons, the project remained incomplete.