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KARACHI, April 7: World Bank Director John Wall has assured Karachi Nazim Naimatullah Khan of all possible financial cooperation in the city's development projects. Mr Wall was leading a delegation of the World Bank that attended a meeting, presided over by the nazim, at the Civic Centre on Wednesday.
The meeting, which discussed transport, water and sanitation and other development projects, was also attended by Karachi DCO Mir Hussain Ali, Mass Transit DG Malik Zaheerul Islam, Transport EDO Tahir Soomro, Karachi Water and Sewerage Board MD Shahid Saleem and others.
He said Karachi was a big city with a lot of problems for which comprehensive planning was required, particularly regarding water and sewerage, and assured of the World Bank's financial support in all development projects.
The nazim said the city government was trying to get its annual budget raised. Being a port city, he said, Karachi had a lot of importance but no master-plan was ever made for this.
He said water leakages was a major problem of the city government as a lot of water was wasted in the leakages. The DDO for transport gave a detailed presentation on the urban transport scheme and other projects.
He said a transportation plan was being formulated to solve the traffic problems of Karachi that would improve the traffic system. The DCO and the MD of the KWSB spoke on water supply and sewerage schemes.
GOVERNOR: Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad Khan said on Wednesday that all possible steps were being taken for continuity of reforms in the social and other sectors and to make them meaningful.
Talking to a World Bank Mission, led by Country Director John Wall, who called on him at the Governor's House, the governor said the present government was moving ahead on the right track in this regard.
He told the delegation that success was certain to be achieved with a political will and equal emphasis on all levels. In this regard, the governor referred to improving law and order situation, ongoing measures in the social sectors, and efforts for the revival of economy.
He said the situation in Karachi influenced the overall conditions of the country. If Karachi was functional and progressed, the whole country would move towards progress and rise in the stock exchange index.
The governor told the visiting WB delegation about the steps taken in the agriculture, irrigation, education and health sectors. He said implementing a coordinated programme under SIDA, pilot programmes were being launched initially at small scales while a plan had been chalked out for lining of five canals.
Dr Ibad told the delegation that President Musharraf had played a key role in the settlement of long pending issues and in doing away with the backlog and disruption in the journey towards development.
He said a Provincial Economic Coordination Committee had been formed for better liaison between the finance and revenue departments and to make their performance result-oriented. Sindh Chief Secretary Dr Mutawakkil Kazi, Principal Secretary Brig Akhtar Zamin and other officials were also present. - PPI/APP
