Daily Times

Prime Minister Imran Khan Saturday unveiled a mega development package worth Rs 162 billion to transform Karachi by uplifting its transport, water and sewerage infrastructure.

Chairing a meeting of Karachi Transformation Committee here, the prime minister said the package comprises a total of 18 projects, including 10 related to public transport and seven for water and sewerage. He said though the development of Karachi is supposed to be the provincial government’s responsibility, they did nothing for the metropolis.

He said the federal government is facing a fiscal deficit of Rs 600 billion after allocating Rs 2 trillion for debt servicing, Rs 2.5 trillion for share of provinces and Rs 1.7 trillion for defence. He said the Sindh government has received its full due share under the NFC but still they have shown lack of concern towards Karachi’s development.

The prime minister said the development package is not just to appease the people rather it manifests the federal government’s belief that Pakistan can never progress without developing Karachi. He said during the previous years, Karachi faced infrastructural deterioration that compelled the investors to divert their investment to other markets.

The prime minister strongly called for a massive awareness drive for water conservation and cited the models of Australia and England which made great efforts to conserve the natural resource despite receiving sufficient rains. He said the K-4 water supply project for Karachi is a complicated solution and the government can make considerable quantity of water available through conservation.

He said the development projects under this package will be executed through public-private partnership and on BOT basis. He emphasized the need for a master plan for Karachi to discourage the mushroom growth. He also called for interim decisions till the finalisation of the master plan. He said there is a need to curtail the spreading construction in Karachi city which gives the look of a concrete slab from aerial view. He said massive construction activities are eating up the green areas besides making it difficult for the government to provide amenities and maintain law and order. He said once the decision is made to stop city’s urban growth, the focus will automatically be shifted toward the development of slums within the city. He said keeping in view the shrinking green areas, the government has decided to encourage vertical constructions all around except in landing and take-off zones of the airport.

The prime minister said the federal government has already announced to launch Insaf Sehat Card scheme in Tharparkar and it will also provide Rs 1 billion for RO plants besides setting up two mobile hospitals and providing four ambulances for the area. The federal government will also establish a university in Hyderabad, he added.