KARACHI, June 16: The city council on Monday urged the federal government to implement the Benazir Card Relief Scheme through union councils and its nazims in a fair manner so that only deserving persons get its benefits.

The demand was made by the treasury members of the city council through a unanimously adopted resolution in the absence of opposition members, whose demand for the restoration of UC fund has been consistently ignored in the house.

Several treasury members welcomed the relief scheme but recommended the government to adopt a just and fair distribution system so that a deserving person is given his share without taking into consideration his political affiliation or other factors. They said it must not be a replica of Zakat and Baitul Mal funds, which were misused and distributed among favourite persons.

Earlier when the session began with Naib Nazim Nasreen Jalil in the chair, treasury members drew her attention towards the ongoing electricity and water shortage problems in the city.

A heated debate took place between the treasury and opposition members on water and power woes. They blamed each other for the lingering crises. But the speech of opposition leader Mr Drawan, who criticised the nazim for his ‘uneven’ policies, created uproar in the house.

The opposition leader accused the nazim of retaining all powers instead of delegating them to union councillors. This was against the spirit of the local government system, which could not work effectively if all powers remained vested in one person, he said.

“Karachi is the city of all those who live here,” he said, adding that it was the responsibility of every one of us to solve its problems.

The Awam Dost leader went on to say that the province had suffered a lot in the past and in view of that they initiated the process of reconciliation.

Maintaining that manifold problems being faced by the province could not be solved single-handedly, he stressed the need for joint efforts. However, at the same time, he argued that the system could not deliver effectively unless powers were delegated to union councils. For instance, there was an acute water shortage problem in several union councils of Gadap, Bin Qasim and Keamari towns, he said, complaining that the nazim had not treated the opposition even-handedly.

While he had not completed his speech, his remarks against the nazim provoked treasury members to stand up and register their protest, which caused rumpus in the house.

Nasreen Jalil, who was presiding over the session, made an impassioned appeal to lawmakers to maintain the decorum and asked leader of the house Asif Siddiqi to address the house. The opposition members wanted to discuss civic issues though the convener insisted that Mr Siddiqi being the leader of the majority had a right to explain every issue.

Her ruling caused resentment among the opposition members, who led by Drawan, Ramazan Awan, Dr Ziauddin and Imran Baghpatti staged a walkout and did not participate in the remaining session.

However, Haq Parast leaders Asif Siddiqui, Masood Mehmood Abdul Jalil, Arshad Quershi, Salman Mujahid, Sarwat Arif advocate, Aqeel Ansari and Mirza Afaq Beg took part in the proceedings. Their speeches were mainly focused on electricity and water shortage crises and an increase in gas charges for which they blamed the faulty policies of the federal and provincial governments for it.

The council also adopted two other resolutions. In one of the resolutions, they urged the federal government to implement the Benazir Card Relief Scheme through union councils and its nazims so that deserving persons could get its benefit. In the other resolution, the legislators congratulated City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal for introducing the command and control system and the city rescue ambulance service.

Later, the convener adjourned the house to meet on June 23 at 12 noon.