Sindh to cooperate with Centre on Karachi's uplift

KARACHI: Amid the recent tussle between the federation and Sindh over the issuance of funds for the restoration of Karachi, Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab on Tuesday said that the provincial government will sit down with the Centre in good faith to resolve the problems of the port city.

Addressing a press conference in Karachi, Wahab said that 2.5 million people have been affected in Sindh, whereas one million acres of land and 15,000 villages have been hard-hit due to catastrophic rains. He said relief efforts in the province are underway with people being provided shelter and food.

"After the 2011 floods, the federation had helped the provincial governments to mitigate the losses incurred. If the same facilitation is extended by the federal government this time, I am sure we can ease the situation for the people of the city," he said. Wahab said that in February 2019, Prime Minister Imran Khan had promised Rs162 billion for Karachi but the promises for the metropolis remain unfulfilled.

The city's administration is different as it is ruled under various bodies, therefore, until and unless the federation takes interest in the development of the city, we cannot pull off the desired results, he said.

"[The] Sindh government went beyond petty politics and sat with the federation so that the city's lost glory can be restored," he asserted. He further said that Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had made his plan public while putting forward his demands before the Centre. A meeting was held on Saturday in a good atmosphere after which the premier had announced the package, he said, adding that after the media briefing, several questions were raised about the proportion of funding by the Centre and the provincial government.