Sher Afzal
KARACHI: Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday while urging the Sindh government to reconsider Bundle Island project, called for renewed coordination between federal and provincial governments for successful accomplishment of mega projects.
“Regarding problems of Karachi, both the federal and Sindh governments will have to move again together. All this is inter- connected. Some things federal government cannot do alone while others Sindh government cannot do solely without center’s support,” he said.
Addressing the groundbreaking ceremony of Karachi Circular Railway project, the prime minister said the project would shift burden from Karachi’s roads.
Federal Ministers Asad Umar, Azam Swati, Chaudhry Fawad Hussain and Ali Haider Zaidi, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail and Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah attended the ceremony besides senior officers.
The prime minister said major cities were engine of growth for any country like London had been for UK, New York for US and Karachi for Pakistan. He said Karachi was about to take off in 80s when it was hit by riots, thus impacting the whole country.
He said in September, both the federal and Sindh governments announced Karachi Transformation Plan for uplift of the city.
He believed that Karachi could attract investment from across the world but the provision of basic infrastructure was prerequisite like public transport. He said the required investment was not made on the public transport sector in Karachi.
Imran Khan said the issue of water supply to Karachi would resolve within two years once K-4 project was completed.
The prime minister urged the Sindh government to reconsider Bundle Island project as Sindh would be the sole beneficiary of it in form of profits as well as jobs. The project would also help reduce burden on Karachi, he added.
He said it would be difficult to provide utilities if Karachi continued to spread with the same pace.
Moreover, the cities would become unsustainable if future planning was not made timely. He said the Ravi City was also being developed to protect Lahore.
The prime minister said both Bundle Island and Ravi City projects would attract foreign investment particularly from the overseas Pakistanis.
He said the foreign investment would also help stabilize local currency unless the country’s exports did not touch the desired level.
He said the work on Karachi’s three drains was moving on fast pace to avert recurrence of flooding situation in the city and also lauded the FWO for project’s swift execution. He told the gathering that the mega projects could not be completed without political will. He said the projects got stuck up in ministries unless they get full backing of the government.
Any unnecessary delay also made the projects financially unfeasible, he added.
The prime minister said both the federal and Sindh governments would have to pay full attention to the KCR project to save cost. He reiterated that the federal government was resolved to execute the project and hoped provincial government would also extend cooperation in that regard.
