THE phase may be short-lived, but it appears that the PTI-led federal government is starting to shed its cloak of arrogance and engage with the Sindh government. Earlier in the week, a delegation of senior PTI leaders — Federal Minister for Planning and Special Initiative Asad Umar, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Zaidi and Sindh Governor Imran Ismail — held a press conference to announce their willingness to work with the provincial government for Karachi’s development. Mr Umar said that despite serious ideological differences with the Sindh government, the centre, taking a ‘principled decision’, was ready to work with it to resolve the issues of the province including Karachi. He said his government had released funds for the Green Line bus project and would soon reach an agreement with the province regarding progress on the K-IV water project as well. Mentioning other development schemes for Karachi, he said there should be no politics when it came to serving the people.

Though Mr Umar’s assurance is encouraging, it is in stark contrast to his party’s behaviour over the past year and a half. The PTI had secured 13 National Assembly seats from Karachi, more than any other party, yet it chose to ignore the country’s economic hub that brought it to power. The federal government set up the Karachi Transformation Committee last year that had no representation from the democratically elected provincial setup. Over the months, senior PTI leaders, including the prime minister, have snubbed the Sindh government. Hence, their decision to engage with it now can only be welcomed — and one hopes it goes beyond their fear of the PPP striking a deal with the MQM-P. Indeed, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has time and again expressed his willingness to talk to the federal government. This is not to say that the PPP-led setup is blameless where provincial governance is concerned — it is just as guilty, if not more, of neglecting Karachi as the centre. Both sides should refrain from souring this much-delayed thaw and stop pointing fingers at one another over the myriad challenges that beset the province. If the federal government is indeed serious about resolving the issues of the people of Karachi, it would do well to stop taking its position for granted, and continue on the path to reconciliation. It needs much more than a few statements to smoothen the feathers it has ruffled along the way.

Published in Dawn, January 5th, 2020