Salahuddin Haider
ON face everything seemed laudable, reassuring, showing promise for changing Karachi’s image as a brighter, dynamic, city, back to its form to help run the government, federal and provincial, but much would depend on honesty and integrity, determination to forge ahead, and not bog down in the middle.
This exactly what Imran Khan meant too. He came to Karachi Saturday, loaded with suggestions from experts, face radiating confidence and exuberance, seems sincere and committed to remove hurdles holding Pakistan’s mega city, its economic engine from playing its role. Karachi, since 1947 has been having a prestige position, feeding national exchequer upto 67%. But for the last 12 years, especially since 2008, it kept sliding downwards, and came to a point where World Bank declared it as world’s 5th dirtiest city. That was a national disgrace.
The recent rains, unparalleled in recent memory, apart from causing widespread damage, provided an opportunity to highlight its problem among politicians, corporate sector, ordinary people, investors, all kinds of important segments. The realization served as wake up call at almost all levels, and prime minister had to take charge of setting things right.
For three successive days, he kept consulting his financial, planners, experts in the field and finally was in Karachi with a powerful team, including planning and development minister Asad Umar, information minister Faraz Shibli, and a couple of more to have a complete picture before him as to what is required and what could be done under the circumstances.
Displaying bi-bartisan attitude, he set politics aside, and invited Sindh chief minister Murad Ali Shah with two of his minister Saeed Ghani and Nasir Hasan to work in a spirit of accommodation and keep party affiliations far, far away. That was a great gesture, showing statesmanship. The idea clicked and Murad AI Shah, welcoming the premier’s gesture, sat with him to present Sindh’s viewpoint. But he should be happier for Murad waned to spend 300 billion rupees for Karachi’s uplift, and Imran readily obliged him.
He announced a massive 1.1 trillion plan for Karachi’s reconstruction, dividing responsibilities, among stake holders, who were far too many. Ateast 8 cantonment boards, KPT and Port Qasim, each one was tasked to look after the areas under their respective jurisdiction, honesty and dutifully, for lethargy or complacency at this stage, would upset the apple cart.
National disaster Management Authority was ordered to clean the drainage from dirt so that in case of yet another rainy spell, forecast of which is still hovering over, could easily flow to the sea, road reconstruction, pitfalls which are so many, should be repaired to turn the city neat and clean, ensuring a free flow of traffic. Business and commercial activity, educational institutions, should work uninterruptedly. Life must go on like in another developed city like London, New York, Tokyo. Paralysis, experienced during august must not be repeated any more.
A phenomenal sum of Rs 1.1 trillion is no joke to allocate to on particular segment demanded tremendous exercise, but he had come prepared. Imran had already stopped rising of petrol prices, ready to absorb the gap of Rs 71 crore, collected through subsidy from petrol development fund, to save the people from additional burden. Gas and other prices are too being take care off, and very soon private power companies will be asked to reduce their profit to which they had agreed. A formula is now to be worked out to help achieve that objective. K-Electric is already being looked after by the Supreme Court. Hopefully something positive will emerge.
The crux of the problem of co-sharing responsibilities, of all stake holders, including opposition’s Peoples Party seems to have been overcome. Whether it work smoothly or road blocks are erected on the pretext of point scoring or taking credit for doing the work, will create bad blood, and a goodwill shows in prim ministers’ efforts would naturally be hurt. That could indeed be an unkind cut.
Past experiences have been full of such misadventures. Time has now come to keep the people’s welfare in mind, rise above self, and help serve a noble case. That was the purpose of prime ministers; dash to Karachi, and should lead to positivity. He has done his job, submitted evidence of his sincerity and leadership. Now the lower rungs must be on the alert round the clock. Speed must be the watchword. Time has to be squeezed. Light mood on non-serious attitude would not just work. It is a tremendous initiative and must deliver. That should be the motto for everyone now.
