Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The government at the Centre has refused the Sindh government’s local government (LG) system, saying that it did not empower people.

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar While addressing a rally of PTI workers in Karachi maintained that the PTI had registered a petition in court against the local government system.

Umar denounced the Sindh government, attacking the recently passed Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2021.

“This bill [Sindh Local Government Bill] doesn’t give powers to the local government of Karachi or any other city in the province. It has been floated to create a fake local government system. We reject this bill and now it’s time that we launch a campaign for the rights of Karachi and the people of Sindh,” he said.

Talking about Islamabad, the former finance minister revealed that important sectors such as health, education, transport, tourism, water supply and sewerage departments would be supervised by the mayor in the city.

Umar acknowledged that the census had always been a problem in Karachi. He vowed that the new population census in the city would be completed by December 2022, adding that the government was receiving complaints about it as the people of Karachi hardly received jobs because of an outdated census.

He said the prime minister wanted a census to be held every five years.

“A fair and transparent census will be conducted in Karachi,” Umar said. The minister further stated that the Green Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project will be completed within 10-12 days.

Karachi’s transport issue will be resolved

Umar asserted that the PTI-led government will resolve Karachi’s transport issues as he announced that PM Imran Khan will inaugurate the project in Karachi in two weeks. “PM Imran Khan is coming [to Karachi] to solve the transportation issues of the citizens of Karachi,” said Umar.

He added that “Karachi’s journey towards development has begun”. On September 19, public transport in Karachi got closer to getting a much-needed boost as a cargo ship carrying the Green Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project buses entered Pakistani territory.