KARACHI, May 4: The SWT, an NGO working for the protection of environment and development of parks and trees, has felicitated President Pervez Musharraf on his success in the recent referendum.

“Besides implementation of his reform agenda, if he takes action on basic problems of public importance for which the SWT has given its proposals, the people would elect him for 10 years instead of five years,” said Shahida Farooq, the Chairperson of the SWT, at a press conference at Karachi Press Club on Saturday.

She referred to the announcement of mega projects by President Musharraf in Karachi on April 28 and praised the announcement.

She said construction of the Lyari Expressway, the Northern Bypass and revitalization of the Karachi Circular Railway would, to a great extent, solve the traffic and transport problems of Karachi, and K-3 100 mgd project would help overcome water shortage in the city.

However, she added, these projects would take at least 3-4 years to complete and a lot of money also.

The SWT chairperson said these mega projects did have their own importance, but side by side the government should announce certain such schemes which might give direct and immediate relief to the people. She referred to the stuckup money of people with fraudulent finance companies.

She appealed to President Musharraf and NAB that in the light of the recommendations of the Relief Committee of 1997-98 immediate distribution of an amount of Rs500 million, lying with the High Court of Sindh, be ordered.

She also reiterated the demand for the establishment of “Consumers Courts” to provide relief to consumers of various utility services so that they could move the court in case of non-provision of any of the utility service or disruption in services.

She also called for activation of the Environment Protection Court to take people polluting the environment to task.

She stressed the need for immediate enforcement of the Trees and Parks and Municipal Emergency Acts which were passed by the defunct Sindh Assembly.

She said the enforcement of the Trees and Parks Act would provide protection to trees and promote their plantation and through Municipal Emergency the city and district governments could improve civic facilities.

She said the city did not need projects like sports gymnasium which were being demanded by fashionable elements of society. —APP