KARACHI: Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Firdous Shamim Naqvi of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has launched a scathing attack on the Pakistan Peoples Party government in the province, highlighting delays in key water and transport projects in Karachi because of inefficiency of the provincial government.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Mr Naqvi said that the PPP leadership during its 11-year uninterrupted rule in Sindh “failed to deliver to the people because Papa, Phupho and Pappu are the biggest enemies of Sindh”.

The PTI leader said that the PPP had raised unfounded issues like rolling back of 18th Amendment to the Constitution and then introduction of presidential form of government as part of propaganda against the ruling party.

He advised the Sindh government to first keep in mind the fact that their own people were complaining of poverty and hunger in Sindh before lodging a protest against the federal government.

He said that this year Rs66 billion projects had been included in the federal budget. He said he would demand the federal government that before releasing its due share it should link the national finance commission (NFC) award with the provincial finance commission (PFC).

“The PFC is as important for Karachi as much as NFC Award for Sindh,” he said.

Sindh govt blamed for delays in K-IV, Orange Line

Accompanied by PTI lawmakers Bilal Ghaffar and Khurram Sher Zaman, Mr Naqvi said that the estimated cost of the K-IV water project was Rs25bn and the federal government, according to its agreed commitment, had already paid Rs12bn as its 50 per cent share.

He said it was the Sindh government which had so far not paid its 50pc share. The completion period of the project was three years but it had not yet been completed.

“People have been fed up for want of water that’s why people had elected Imran Khan from the city,” he said, adding that Karachi could not survive without water.

Referring to the non-performance of the Sindh government in Karachi, Mr Naqvi said if compared with transport and mass transit schemes the work on Green Line bus rapid transit system and Orange Line was started at the same time, but the structure of the former, which is a federal-funded project, was completed, but the structure of the Orange Line was still incomplete. “And it appears that the Blue Line has drowned in the Arabian Sea.”

Similarly, work on the Red Line was to start in 2010 but till date no work was initiated, he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Sher Zaman said Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah often alleged that the federal government did nothing for Sindh. “Karachi generates revenue for them but they are not spending money for ensuring potable water to citizens,” he said.

He defended taking over of the three major hospitals of Karachi by the federal government, saying this had happened on the orders of the Supreme Court as the hospitals could not be left to the “inept Sindh government”.

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2019