KARACHI: President Dr Arif Alvi on Friday “requested” the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-led federal government and Pakistan Peoples Party’s government in Sindh to “maintain the cooperative atmosphere” for at least next three years, which would see the spending of a massive Rs1.1 trillion package for development in Karachi.

The president sounded confident and optimistic about the future course of relations between the two rival parties when he referred to a “silver lining” after the recent rains that played havoc on the infrastructure of Karachi and other major cities leading to what he called an “excellent package” with the consent of both sides.

“Both the federal and provincial governments have devised an excellent package for Karachi,” he said in his brief address to the media here on the premises of Mazar-i-Quaid, where he came to offer fateha on the occasion of the death anniversary of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

Accompanied by Sindh Governor Imran Ismail and Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, the president was very much hopeful about the execution and completion of all the projects proposed under the recently announced Karachi Transformation Plan by the prime minister and hinted at a growing understanding between the centre and the province on the issue.

‘Silver lining’

“We need to dispel this impression that the funds or packages are always just mere announcements,” he said. “I believe with this heavy rain, there’s a silver lining that the projects under the Rs1.1tr fund would be completed within three years. I request both provincial and federal governments to maintain this understanding for next three years so the development projects of Karachi are completed with success.”

The president along with governor and CM visits mausoleum of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah

The announcement of the package by the PM during his one-day visit to Karachi last week triggered a debate from both the centre and the province with ministers from both sides claiming they were contributing a major share.

However, Federal Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Minister Asad Umar while trying to end the ongoing blame game had recently stressed the need for moving forward and starting work on the plan.

The fresh gesture from President Alvi is seen as a step in the same direction.

Appearing to be politically accommodating, he also gave credit to everyone in the fight against coronavirus and called it a blessing from Allah which brought the country in the limelight across the world for its successful strategy against the pandemic.

“There are few countries in the world which are now referred [to] as case study and [a] number of states are admiring them and learning from them — Pakistan is among those countries,” he said. “It is no mean feat that Pakistan for the first time is being added in the list of the countries that are in a leading position to guide nations in an efficient handling of a global pandemic.”

President Alvi lauded the national character during the peak days of the coronavirus crisis saying people showed an exemplary level of preparedness, which through proper guidance and leadership could be turned into a mindset prerequisite for development in its truest sense.

“This character and discipline is the need of the hour ... the nation is ready to turn the vision of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah for Pakistan into a reality,” he said.

Earlier the president, along with Sindh governor and chief minister offered fateha and laid a wreath on the Quaid’s grave.

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2020