Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said on Monday reports of Karachi being given under the federation’s control were merely a “bubble of hot air and would fizzle out itself”. Shah was visiting different districts of the city to inspect removal of animal waste after Eid-ul-Azha and ongoing cleaning work at nullahs. He was accompanied by Education Minister Saeed Ghani, Local Government Minister Nasir Shah and his advisor, Senator Murtaza Wahab. Addressing a journalist’s question about the reports pertaining to Karachi, Shah said such comments were made by “politically immature” people and political “orphans”. The journalist had asked the chief minister about his thoughts on the statements from a federal minister and some other responsible individuals that Karachi would be made a federally-administered territory under Article 149 of the Constitution of Pakistan. However, Shah advised the media not to take politically immature and political orphans seriously and said such statements were beyond comprehension. “Yes, the nullahs are being cleaned every year but, due to encroachment issues, some of the portions of nullahs are always leftover from cleaning; therefore, they get choked during heavy rains,” he said while responding to a question. Shah added that under the World Bank’s Solid Waste Ecological Enhancement Project (SWEEP) project, Karachi’s nullahs were being cleaned. “I am telling the people loudly that the World Bank has not released funds so far and whatever funds are being utilised have been released by our government from its own resources,” he said, adding that he would redress all the major drainage and infrastructure issues in consultation with the KMC and KDA. TheCM visited the offal-dumping site in Qayyumabad where a proper camp was set up to record the weight of animal waste brought there. Sindh Solid Waste Management Board Managing Director Kashif Gulzar briefed Shah, saying more than 31,050 tonnes of offal was removed from six of the city’s districts up to August 2. This, he added, included 9,351, 7,892, 5,918, 4,151, and 3,738 from the East, South, West, Korangi, and Malir districts, respectively, while the figure from the Central district was yet to be compiled.
