KARACHI: A 12-member strategic committee was formed with six members each from the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Mutta­hida Qaumi Move­ment-Pakistan to resolve the civic issues of Karachi.

PTI’s Sindh chapter president Haleem Adil Sheikh and MQM’s Ameenul Haq were made focal persons of the newly formed committee.

The decision to form the strategic committee was taken in the meeting of a committee formed by Prime Minister Imran Khan to resolve the civic issues of Karachi on Monday.

Federal Law Minister Dr Farogh Naseem chaired the meeting which was attended by federal ministers Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Faisal Vawda, Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhter, Mr Haq, Mr Sheikh, Firdous Shamin Naqvi, Aftab Siddiqui, Khuram Sher Zaman and Arshid Siddiqui.

The meeting discussed threadbare the pressing issues of Karachi for three hours.

The 12-member strategic committee would compile a report on the pressing issues of Karachi like shortage of water, failed sewerage system, poor public transport and other problems.

Talking to media, Law Minister Naseem said the PM had already made a committee on civic issues of Karachi. He said during the past 11 years no government gave serious focus to the problems of the megacity.

He said Karachi faced the issue of garbage and many other problems, which if not resolved urgently would pose serious threats. “If we have to save Karachi, we have to resolve these issues on a permanent basis,” he said.

He said that today’s meeting was an emergency meeting which after detailed consultation decided to work on a war-footing basis. He said water, electricity, municipal waste and public transport were amongst the most serious issues of Karachi and the committee would chalk out its recommendations on these issues and sent them to the prime minister.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2019