KARACHI    -   The 71st death anniversary of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was observed in the city as Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and members of the armed forces visited his mausoleum and paid tribute to his struggle for formation of a separate homeland for Muslims.

They offered fateh and laid floral wreath on the mazar and recorded their impressions in the visitors’ book.

Speaking on the occasion, the governor said that the Two-Nation Theory presented by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was proved right today as minorities particularly Muslim in India were not safe.

The governor said that the Kashmiri people were struggling for their freedom following the Two-Nation Theory presented by Quaid, adding that there would be no improvements in Indo-Pak relations untill the resolution of Kashmir issue. “Pakistan is incomplete without Kashmir and we will not sit relax until the freedom of Kashmir,” said the governor.

He said that Pakistani nation would not leave their Kashmiri brethren alone.

Imran Ismail said that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision of Naya Pakistan was actually the  Quaid’s vision of Pakistan.

Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said that Pakistan was created by father of nation and now “it becomes our national responsibility to make this country a peaceful, prosperous state where people of different religion, languages, and sects can enjoy equal rights.”

He said that he his cabinet members and Governor Sindh Imran Ismail visited Mazar of Father of Nation to pay him respect on the occasion of his 71st death anniversary. “He was a great leader, his vision and teachings were enough to make this country democratically strong,” he said.

He also appreciated Kashmiri people for continuing their struggle against Indian atrocities. “You are our brother and sister and we as a nation would be supporting your cause and raising voice for you,” he said.

Governor Imran Ismail also paid rich tribute to Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Members of the armed forces, DG Rangers, representatives of political parties also visited the mausoleum and paid tribute to the father of the nation, whose efforts and vision led to the creation of Pakistan.

Earlier talking to media at the mausoleum, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that the federal government constituted a strategic committee on Karachi for which neither he has been consulted nor taken into confidence.  “Like newsmen I have heard constitution of Strategic Committee on news channel.”

To a question, the chief minister said that he has heard in news that the federal government has constituted a Strategic Committee on Karachi affairs. “I don’t know what the committee will do and what is its mandate,” he said and added he has neither been consulted nor taken into confidence on the formation of the committee.

The governor carrying the question said that the committee has been made under Federal Minister for Law Farogh Naseem and its task was to examine the job of various civic authorities such as KPT, KMC, DMCs and others operating in the city. He added that the committee would explore ways and means whether a single authority could be made or not and submit its recommendations to the federal government.

The chief minister said that the lifting of garbage and sweeping of the roads and cities were the jobs of the third tier, local government. He added that the KMC has various major storm water drains to maintain them and some of the smaller nalas are with the DMCs and the sweeping of the roads is the main assignment of the DMCs.

He said that when Sindh Solid Waste Management Authority (SSWMA) was created the city was generating around 4,000 tons of garbage but now it was generating around 16,000 tons daily. He added that the DMCs which has entrusted the lifting of trash and garbage to SSWMA have comparatively better cleaning work. “The SSWMA did not snatch the cleanliness work from DMCs forcibly but it was given to them through a council resolution passed by DMCs,” he said and added that steps have been taken to further improve the performance of SSWMA.

Shah elaborating the launching of cleanliness drive said his government would take some extra ordinary steps to lift the heaps of the garbage accumulated near roads and at open plots. He brushed aside the impression of opposing the cleanliness drive started by a federal minister and said he had opposed downloading the storm water drains’ filth and garbage on the main roads or near parks. That exercise had further aggravated the unhygienic condition of the city and had created flies and mosquitoes. The local bodies started fumigation which controlled the situation, he said.

To another question, the chief minister said that the recoveries of the federal government have not been so good as was being expected. “The shortfall in recoveries ultimately affects the provincial government(s) because their share is reduced accordingly,” he said and added the expenditures of government employees’ salaries and other spending have gone up considerably but the revenue transfers to the province have come down. This has created a disbalance and it must be improved, he said.