KARACHI, Dec 29: The City Nazim, Niamatullah Khan, on Wednesday demanded Karachi should be given its due share from the revenue, which it contributes to the national exchequer.

"Finalisation of the new National Finance Commission (NFC) award could be decided later, but Karachi should be given its due share immediately," he added. Speaking to members of the Karachi Chambers of Commerce and Industry at a luncheon meeting, he said the federal and provincial governments should provide sufficient funds for development of Karachi keeping in view its population and expansion.

"The development of Karachi means the progress of Pakistan," he noted. He said that industrial zones of Karachi had been included in the Tameer-i-Karachi Programme (TKP) to undertake improvement of infrastructure.

The Export Promotion Bureau was to undertake this work from the Export Development Fund; however, it refused citing reasons that the fund was not specified for infrastructure development, he said.

He called it injustice with Karachi, challenging that the fund was utilised for construction of an airport and roads in Sialkot. Niamat said work on the K-III water project was in progress and planning on K-IV was complete, while treatment plants in industrial areas were also part of the TKP.

Regarding environment, Niamat said the city govt would develop forests around the city for an environmental friendly atmosphere. He said the level of pollution was high in the city and there was a need to grow trees in and around the city to counter that.

"The Hub Dam area and Gutter Baghicha have been selected for developing these small jungles to improve environment and get more rains like in Islamabad," Niamatullah said. He said the city was absorbing a large number of job-seekers from all over Pakistan; therefore, its infrastructure was under stress.

"This city needs extra funds for provision of basic facilities and infrastructure to cope with the fast growing population, first due to normal demographic growth of 2.4 per cent and second because of high influx rate of 2.6 per cent per annum," Niamat observed.

Earlier, the KCCI President, Khalid Firoz in his address lauded the work of the city nazim in development of Karachi and said that more funds would be allocated for infrastructural development of this metropolis. - PPI/APP

NFC award demanded