KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has dispelled the impression that the provincial government has shelved the K-IV project and said Governor Imran Ismail might not have the knowledge of the efforts being made by him to complete it by making necessary changes in its design.

“The K-IV is the most important project for this city, but it has some design faults which we are working to remove,” he clarified and added that the report Nespak had submitted about the project was discussed in the meeting with Federal Minister Khusro Bakhtiar.

The chief minister stated this while talking to the media just after paying his homage to Quaid-i-Millat Liaquat Ali Khan on his 68th martyrdom anniversary by laying a wreath on his grave on Wednesday.

In reply to a question, the chief minister, who was accompanied by provincial ministers Imtiaz Shaikh, Murtaza Baloch and Murtaza Wahab, said that apart from removing the design defects in the K-IV project, he was working to improve the existing system under which around 200MGD water would be made available for the city by the middle of next year.

‘K-IV is the most important project for the city, but it has some design faults which we are trying to remove’

Besides the K-IV water project, he said the sewerage system of the city was also being improved while dilapidated roads would either be reconstructed or repaired. “This is a megacity and its repair and maintenance work must continue round the year,” said the chief minister.

In response to a question about steps being taken to check dengue fever, Mr Shah said he had issued necessary instructions for controlling dengue in the city. “Fumigation is being started,” he remarked.

About the garbage lifting drive, the chief minister said that 300,000 tonnes of garbage had been lifted and the remaining would also be lifted by Oct 21, the deadline set by him. “This city has great potential, but we all have to strengthen hands of each other in its beautification, for promotion of peace and tranquillity, making it a seat of educational and cultural activities and on top of it we have to make it neat and clean — this is what is required,” he said.

Mr Shah said that in order to make the cleanliness work sustainable, he had taken all the DMCs’ leadership on board. “We are giving them funds to repair their machinery used for cleaning work so that they [DMCs] can continue their first-hand collection and sweeping work,” he said, adding that cleanliness work of the city was above politics.

In reply to yet another question, the chief minister said this was not the Pakistan which was dreamed of by Allama Iqbal and founded by Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, developed its framework by the Quaid-i-Millat, constitutionally strengthened by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and made to flourish by Benazir Bhutto. “Now that Pakistan is nowhere but in the Pakistan the PTI has established, people are being laid off, square meals are being snatched from the poor by unleashing a tsunami of price hike and those who served this country have been put in jails — this is naya Pakistan,” he said.

Replying to a question, the CM said that some people had spread a rumour that the Sindh government was changing the name of Karachi. “Why we will change the name [of Karachi]; this is our city and it is known all over the world and which is dear to all of us,” he said and added that it was a baseless propaganda.

He urged the media to find out the person or group who had spread the rumour of changing the name of Karachi.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2019