Observer Report
Karachi
Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Wednesday met with a delegation of traders in Karachi and assured that the issues of the rain-hit city would be solved soon.
The traders conveyed their grievances to the army chief during the meeting and requested him to bind the electricity, gas, water and other utility providers to solve issues faced by the city.
“Karachi pays a tax of Rs 2,600 billion annually and therefore its issues should be solved on a priority basis,” the traders asked and added that recent rain spell had halted the industrial and economic activity in the business hub of the country.
Speaking on the occasion, COAS Qamar Javed Bajwa assured that the city would be transformed completely in the next three days.
“A committee has been formed comprising the representatives of federal and provincial governments to solve the issues faced by the city,” he said adding that business community would also be given representation in the body.
He said that the Karachi issues would be solved on an immediate basis. Road infrastructure, water, power and gas issues faced by the city will be addressed, General Qamar Javed Bajwa said.
President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum and All Karachi Industrial Alliance and former provincial minister Mian Zahid Hussain who met with Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa at Corps Headquarters said that the most important city of Karachi is one of the most mismanaged cities.
Rains have played havoc with the masses and business community and ports are not working properly to facilitate imports and exports, he said.
He said that officials and labourers were not able to come to ports which have dented the business community and increased cost of doing business.
He said that the value-added textile sector is suffering a lot as they were hopeful of betterment after some relaxation in virus-related lockdown in the west. The development can also reverse the steps by the government and central bank to boost the economy and increase exports while the agriculture sector has also faced problems due to torrential rains.
He said that NDMA has also disappointed people and the business community while the government must realize that national development is impossible unless infrastructure and logistics system of Karachi is improved.
He said that heads of all the government institutions should be asked to resolve the issues of the city as they are duty-bound for it.
