Daily Times

The way federal government has been dealing with Sindh since election 2018 results shows that it has no plans for the capital of Sindh or for the rest of Sindh. It is only ‘committee’ politics by the centre, which reciprocally is dangerous for the central setup. As the PPP took control of the province, administratively, third time in a row, Governor Imran Ismail said that people shouldn’t judge him like many former powerless governors; instead, he would bring ample and all-inclusive reforms in the mega city and make itone of the world’s best metropolitans. He also said that Karachiites had given PTI 14 MNA seats, so people should wait and watch what the PTI would do for them now. What happened then?

Prime Minister Imran Khan called PTI’s elected MNAs from Karachi to Islamabad, including Governor Sindh Imran Ismail, but what happened there? Only a committee is formed, which according to the members will be supervising the ongoing and upcoming federal government-funded projects in Karachi, including the K-4 and the Karachi Bus Project. When Budget 2019 was announced, no funds were allocated for such projects and mega schemes by the centre. The PTI-led government even cut off many existing grants in addition to reducing the amount in the previously allocated funds for Sindh.

Even the former premier, Nawaz Sharif, had given 10-billionrupee packages to Karachi in his last government, but this ‘Tabdeeli Sarkar’ couldn’t even provide three billion rupees to the KMC. Prime Minster Khan announced a 162-billion rupee package for Karachi, but so far not a single penny has been given. This is, so far, PTI’s one-year plus performance in Karachi.

Once again, a committee has been formed, but this time it is comprised of 50 percent members of the PTI and the MQM. Six members are from each side, and Federal Law Minster Farogh Naseem heads it. He is an MNA elected on an MQM ticket but he seems more loyal to the PTI than the MQM.The committee also includes MQM Pakistan’s convener, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, who is a doctor professionally but works as Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication in the PTI government. If anyone wants to measure the changes and the reforms the PTI government has made, he or she should see this. This is the new Pakistan!

There are rumors that it would just be an advisory committee, which would only give suggestions to the prime minister; so there would not be any constitutional authority or value of the newly established committee. According to the governor of Sindh, the committee, through its valuable suggestions, would help the federal government regarding establishment of a new authority in Karachi. Who would tell these myopic people how they would make a new authority in Karachi when there are already around 20 other boards and departments?

According to the governor of Sindh, the committee, through its valuable suggestions, would help the federal government regarding establishment of a new authority in Karachi

The Karachi Cantonment Board looks after cantonments in the city, which are spread over a large area. The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation sees 37 percent of Karachi’s land area. DMCs and district councils are also playing their part. The Karachi Port Trust, the Defence Authority and some other authorities also have their own workforce and modes of working. In such a situation and in the presence of so many authorities how does the governor of Sindh wish to form a combined or one authority?

Who gave them the mandate to give suggestions to the prime minister regarding issues of Karachi? Primarily, the Sindh government is there, and it holds a major mandate all over the province. Secondly, the local government set-up is also in operation. Islamabad’s place would be third in this governmental line up that wouldbe in position without the Sindh government.

While there is not a single representative from the Sindh government included in the committee, the mayor of Karachi has also been sidelined. This political trick shows that the federal government, on one of MQM’s oldest, cunning demands, wants to split Sindh into two administrative units – Karachi and Sindh.

Mayor of Karachi Wasim Akhtar, while talking to media on the 10thof Muharram, said that no other city has contributed to the national economy the way Karachi has, and that Karachi boosts the federal as well as the provincial economies, but in response, it doesn’t even receive three percent to enhance its resources. According to the mayor, the Sindh government receives 92 percent while the federal government receives 60 percent revenue from Karachi, but both parties pay no heed to the major issues of the ‘City of Lights’.

One can agree with the opinion of the mayor, but he should acknowledge that it is only the Sindh government that pays approximately 10 billion rupees monthly as salaries and pensions to its civil servants. It also pays for the cleaning of major sewers in Karachi, and electricity bills of the buildings of the local body governments. There are 14 MNAs, excluding many MPAs of PTI, who belong to Sindh and receive 150million rupees each for carrying out developmental works in the province, but nobody wants to use this money in Sindh.

Wasim Akhtar, a politician of a shady reputation, has submitted an application in the Supreme Court Karachi Registry demanding that the federal government impose emergency in Karachi and take control of the province administratively. He wants to cut the very branch of the tree on which he is sitting. Everyone knows that the federal government can take control of a province, but there are many constitutional and lawful hurdles to do that. If those were crossed, it would be considered as bypassing the constitution. How can he say that? He should behave sensibly.

If MQM’s mayor of Karachi keeps following such an anti-Sindh agenda, how and why the Sindh government should offer him any assistance? Why does the Sindh government work under his foolish guidance? The PTI government should payback the revenue it earns from Karachi, or keep away from interfering in provincial matters. Everyone has seen what type of ‘tabdeeli’ (change) the PTI has brought in the country,so it is better that they pass their time as quietly as they can.

This federal government wants to play the same old trick: to plunder Sindh’s resources. The centre played that trick when Ayub Khorro was the chief minister of Sindh; he lost his chair because he refused to hand over controls of Karachi to the then federal government.

We have many questions on the performance of the Sindh government, but that does not mean that the federal government should take control of the province. Imran Khan may have in his mind that he can easily do what he wants, but he needs to know that it is Sindh that has been shielding democracy in Pakistan since day one. So what can this so-called committee do in Karachi?

The writer is a freelance contributor