KARACHI: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar has said that no major contribution was made by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government to the Green Line bus service in Karachi after groundbreaking of the project in February 2016.

He was speaking to reporters after visiting the route of Green Line on Thursday, a day before formal inauguration of the project by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

“There was only the track but no operation plan, buses procurement policy and business execution in place,” he said. “It was in May 2020 when the federal government finally decided to not only complete the project but also make it functional. So despite the delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, the project has been completed and Prime Minister Imran Khan is going to inaugurate it tomorrow,” he added.

Asad vows to move every forum against amendments to Sindh LG law

About the Karachi Transformation Plan, Mr Umar announced that good progress had been made on all its components for which the federal government was doing the needful. Work was under way at a fast pace on the K-IV project and two other projects -- Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) and freight corridor from Karachi Port to Pipri, he pointed out.

“The good thing is that things have finally started moving for the K-IV water supply project. It has been handed over to Wapda and by August/September 2023, the supply of 260 million gallon to Karachi would finally begin from this scheme,” said the federal minister.

Amendments to LG law

Mr Umar declared in unequivocal terms that the federal government would not accept the recently-passed Sindh Local Government (amendment) Bill 2021. “We will challenge it at every forum – from parliament to courts – and may also hold street protests if the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) doesn’t agree to withdraw the controversial amendments or incorporate the suggestions proposed by the opposition in the Sindh Assembly,” he said.

No one should have any doubt about a future course of action by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government, which had already moved the Supreme Court for the implementation of the Article 140-A of the Constitution.

“Imran Khan probably is the only prime minister in the history of Pakistan who has approached the SC for the true and effective devolution of powers to grass root level,” said the federal minister.

“So how can we allow such [Sindh Local Government (amendment) Bill 2021] which negates every aspect of the Constitution over devolution of power. As I told you, the PM has already taken up this issue with the judiciary. Now we will be taking it up in both the National Assembly and Sindh Assembly,” he argued.

Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, who was accompanying Mr Umar, seconded his stance. The governor, in reply to a question, explained why he had refused to give his assent to the controversial bill and returned it to the Sindh Assembly for a reconsideration.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2021