Prime Minister Imran Khan has unveiled an ambitious Rs1,113 billion development and rehabilitation program for Karachi, which will be focused on water supply, sewerage, solid waste management, water drainage, roads and mass-transit projects such as Karachi Circular Railways.
In addition, he has rightly set up a Provincial Coordination and Implementation Committee (‘PCIC’) to be chaired by the Sindh Chief Minister.
Interestingly, the nominated PCIC chief belongs to the second most important opposition party rather than being a PTI functionary.
Nonetheless, these 2 initiatives are steps in the right direction (for Karachi) and I predict that such endeavours may even result in some sort of PTI-PPP reconciliation in future.
May I request the PM and the PCIC head to be aware of both spoilers in the shape of some established urban mafias and extractors in the shape of some unscrupulous public contractors, who deliver projects which are incomplete, delayed, defective, or exorbitantly over-priced.
It is high time that nationwide public contracts are awarded on merit; it is suggested that the patriotic elements of the constituency, in which the project is being implemented, should strive to provide timely feedback or information to the government as to how clear, tangible, and efficient their project is going along.
ABBAS SIDDIQI,
Lahore.