KARACHI, May 19: Opposition members in the city council on Monday held out an olive branch to the treasury members by suggesting that a house committee be constituted to sort out the contentious issues in the larger interest of the city. Both the treasury and opposition members ignored the main agenda of price hike that the session was supposed to discuss.

The suggestion was made by Awam Dost Panel member Naseem Khan of Bin Qasim Town while making his submissions in the house on the UC fund issue.

In his brief speech, Mr Khan stressed the need for creating a congenial atmosphere and ending the state of confrontation in the house.

He said that the reconciliation process initiated at the federal and provincial levels should be extended to the city government level. He suggested that the house establish a committee to initiate the process of dialogue in the interest of the city.

Pointing out the contradictions in the stand of the city government on the shortage of funds, he said that on one hand the city nazim was offering the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation assistance to help the utility overcome the power crisis and, on the other, the union councils were being denied funds from the special uplift fund promised by him.

Leader of the house Asif Siddiqui of the Haq Parast Panel reciprocated the sentiments expressed by the Awam Dost leader, saying that he agreed to his suggestion for reconciliation.

Mr Siddiqui said that during the previous session he had made an offer to the opposition for taking a joint stand on the reduction in the octroi and zila tax (OZT) as it would affect development work on the UC level also.

He said: “We have been insisting for the last six months that this house is the proper forum for discussing all issues pertaining to the development of the city and we must shun the practice of opposition for the sake of opposition.”

City Naib Nazim Nasreen Jalil, who presided over the session, in a ruling said that the special uplift fund reserved by the city nazim for the union councils was discretionary.

She said these funds could not be made available by the city government for the last three years due to resource constraints. Despite this, she said, this year the city nazim had also decided to reserve the special fund for the UCs.

Ms Jalil also told the house that the nazim would soon hold a meeting with the members and take them into confidence on this vital issue. She said the cut in the OZT would have a bad impact on the ongoing development works at the city, town and UC levels.

She said the city nazim was fully aware of the problems faced by the people and was making efforts to solve them.

She said the issue of UC funds must now be considered a closed chapter and there was no need for further discussions on it.

Several opposition members protested against her remarks, but she ignored them and urged them to maintain the decorum of the house.

The convener also said that Hamara Karachi was not a programme of the city government and it was being financed by an NGO and the city government was only playing the role of a ‘mediator’.

She added that the participation by the city, town and UC nazims would help in creating an atmosphere of harmony and brotherhood.

Earlier when the house resumed its session, Awam Dost member Ismail Brohi, on a point of order, stood up and sought the convener’s views on the UC fund issue.

Opposition member Ibrahim Mughal, on a point of order, said: “We will not raise the issue of UC funds if the city government admits through a newspaper declaration that it was bankrupt due to non-availability of funds.”

Imran Baghpatti also criticized the dual role and uneven policy of the city government, alleging that development works were mostly carried out in UCs other than those of the opposition.

However, treasury members Arshad Qureshi and Mirza Afag Beg defended the city government, saying that it had launched several mega projects without any petty consideration in all union councils.

Mr Beg, who is also chairman of the house financial committee, informed the house that the city nazim cleared bills amounting to Rs170 million of different union councils.

The session, scheduled to discuss the issue of price hike, was abruptly adjourned by the convener to meet again on June 2. During the 45-minute session, both sides did not show any interest in the main agenda.