• Claims five candidates shortlisted for caretaker PM are not associated with any political party
• Tells media assemblies will be dissolved on Aug 9
• Calls for probe into fl awed design of long-awaited project

KARACHI: Federal Minister for Water Resources Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah said on Sunday that the government was taking all-out measures for completion of the Greater Karachi Bulk Water Supply Scheme, better known as K-IV, by the end of 2024 or start of 2025.

He said this while talking to reporters during a visit to the site of the K-IV project at Keenjhar Lake.

Replying to a question over the delay of the much-awaited project that was supposed to be completed in 2018, the minister said that “where there’s a will, there is a way”.

He said that the government wanted to complete the project whether two months before or two months later.

Minister Shah of the Pakistan Peoples Party said that an investigation should be carried out to find out as to who were the people responsible for fl awed designs due to which the first project was failed and the delay led to an increased cost.

He said that the design of the project had been finalised keeping in view the failure of the first project.

Replying to another question, he said that the water fl owing from the K-IV project would be supplied through “pressure pumps”.

Expressing his concerns over the non-availability of infrastructure to supply water to the K-IV project, he said that talks with the Sindh government were under way over the issue.

He hoped that the provincial government would look into the matter immediately.

He said that the funding for the project was being provided.

Answering a question on additional water, he said that the the KB Feeder project would begin this year. It would be based on a 50 per cent share each by the federal and Sindh governments, he added.

‘Five names for caretaker PM finalised’ The minister said that five names had been finalised for the caretaker prime minister. He said that a committee of all parties finalised the five names.

The shortlisted candidates for the caretaker PM were neutral and they were not associated with any political party, he said.

He said that assemblies would be dissolved on Aug 9.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2023