KARACHI - Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that the federal government has imposed a controversial census on Sindh but “I am surprised that the so-called owners of Karachi, MQM are sitting in the federal government which has launched anti-Karachi policies.”

This he said while addressing the inauguration ceremony of 4.9 km road from Fisherman Chowrangi to Ibrahim Hyderi organised at Chowrangi on Tuesday. The ceremony was attended by Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah, provincial ministers, Saeed Ghani, Nasir Shah, Shahla Raza, Murtaza Wahab, MNA and MPAs of the area, party leaders and workers and Chairman P&D Mohamamd Wasee, Commissioner Karachi Naveed Shaikh, Administrator KMC Laeeq Ahmed, PD of the project Asghar Memon and others.

PPP Chairman said that the MQM was in the coalition of PTI government which has approved controversial Census but except a lip service the MQM maintained mysterious silence. “If a genuine census is conducted the people of the province would be able to get their rights in NFC, employment opportunities in federal government and its agencies,” he said and added but the MQM was silent.

The islands of our fishermen have been taken away by the federal government but again the MQM kept silent, Bilawal Bhutto said and went on saying the federal government has usurped the financial rights of people of the province but the MQM was silent. “The federal government has refused to contribute in the development of Karachi which generates more than 60 percent national revenue but MQM was silent,” he said.

The Chairman PPP said that the federal government was in power because of the votes of MQM which they have bagged from Karachi but they were not doing justice with the people of this city.

The Chairman said that the ordinance passed to take over the islands of the province has lapsed; therefore, the fishermen who sail to the islands in search of their livelihood should not be stopped. He urged Sindh CM Syed Murad Ali Shah to talk to the concerned agencies and tell them not to harass the fishermen, the real owners of the islands.

The Chairman lauded the Sindh government which has started development endeavours in the city and hoped this initiative would make the city of Karachi one of the beautiful cities of the world.

Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah speaking on the occasion said that this segment of the dual carriageway, from Fishermen Chowrangi to Ibrahim Haidri was selected due to its highly dilapidated condition. “The median was full of garbage and water was drained on the road,” he said and added that in the segment-II there was an eight-meter-wide road connecting to Ibrahim Hyderi Goth through a flat segment. This stretch of about 526 meters was hilly, having high slopes, therefore, impassable by vehicles.

Mr Shah said that another stretch of 1.3 km was available to access the village in a very bad state not fit for vehicle movement specially loaded trucks originating from Fishing Village. He added that the termination point of the road was very abrupt, therefore, the 550-meter additional length was technically considered important to be included to reasonably use the access. The project started on 25th July 2019.