0
KARACHI, Sept 18: The Mass Transit Project Authority and the Karachi Building Control Authority would be restored to the Karachi City District Government and the development funds curtailed by the federal government would soon be released to the local government institutions to avoid a delay in the completion of on-going uplift projects.
These were some of the decisions taken at the Sindh cabinet meeting held for the first time in the President House in Islamabad on Wednesday.
President Asif Ali Zardari, who presided over the meeting, had summoned it soon after returning from his private visit to London, where during his stay he had received Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain.
During the meeting, the president was apprised of the problems the MQM ministers and nazims faced due to confusion over the exercise of authority and with the division of departments.Besides members of the cabinet from both major parties in the assembly, the meeting was attended by Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad, Karachi Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal and Hyderabad Nazim Kanwar Naved Jamil.
Later, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani and Information Minister Sherry Rehman, Adviser on the Interior Affairs Rehman Malik, President’s special assistants Siraj Shamsuddin, National Reconstruction Bureau chief Dr Asim and others also joined the meeting.
After hearing complaints from MQM and PPP ministers, respectively, President Zardari stressed the need for a good working relationship between the coalition partners and observed that if both parties joined hands, the province would make visible progress and all problems, including that of unemployment and poverty, would be solved.
Mr Zardari reportedly called for removing the feelings of ill-will among the lower-level leadership of both parties as their higher rank leadership had overcome all misunderstandings between the two parties.
He said that all decisions in Sindh with regard to transfers and postings and other matters would be taken with mutual understanding of both parties for further strengthening the ruling coalition.
Besides, funds for the on-going development and new projects would be released by the federal government soon, he said, and added that there was a need to develop some sort of mechanism to remove obstacles in the way of smooth working relationship.
He asked his special assistant Siraj Shamsuddin and National Reconstruction Bureau chief Dr Asim to work out details for the restoration of the MTPA and the KBCA to the city district government.
Regarding the apprehension about the future of the local government system, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani gave the assurance that the system would remain intact and would be further strengthened by removing its weaknesses. In this connection, he said meetings and seminars were being organised in the provinces, and in the light of their recommendations a uniform policy would be adopted for all provinces.
The prime minister said that such meetings should be held every month with provincial cabinets which would help remove misunderstandings and quicken the pace of development work.
Those who attended the meeting from the MQM side were Governor Ishratul Ibad, Shoaib Bokhari, Syed Mustafa Kamal, Kanwar Naved Jamil and Haroon Ahmad, and from the PPP side were Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Saifullah Dharejo, Syed Murad Ali Shah, Shazia Marri, Rafique Engineer and others.
No cabinet expansion
Sindh Information Minister Shazia Marri has said that during their meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari development projects, including the Karachi Mass Transit Programme and potable water supply schemes, were reviewed but no decision was taken about expansion or reshuffle of the cabinet.
Ms Marri, who was talking to a group of mediamen at the Karachi airport after returning from Islamabad on Thursday, said President Zardari had set a good precedent by holding a meeting with the provincial cabinet. He had also desired to hold such meetings every month that showed how seriously he had taken the issues.
The minister pointed out that the Sindh government had received Rs13 billion in sales tax through court, which was a big achievement.
In response to a question, she said there was also mention of the meeting between President Zardari and MQM chief Altaf Hussain. There was a working relationship between the PPP and the MQM in the interest of the people and for the betterment of the province by sorting out problems so that relief could be provided to the people.
The information minister said there was a candid discussion with the president, who also mentioned his visit to London as fruitful.
She said that although there was no specific discussion on the KESC, now as its new management had taken over, the government concern was whether it could deliver to the people. It was deplorable that representatives of the people were not taken on board when it was being privatised. However, despite its privatisation, the government would keep an eye on its performance and if it failed to provide relief to the people, it was the right of the government to take action against it.
