ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib on Tuesday ruled out the possibility of transferring the funds of centre-led projects to the Sindh government.
He said Bilawal wanted the federal government to give funds allocated for transformation of Karachi and uplift of Sindh’s rural areas to the provincial government.
“It will never happen at any cost. We will not give you that money, rather it will be spent [by the federal government] for the welfare of people of Karachi and Sindh, ” he said in a media talk telecasted by the Pakistan Television (PTV) News.
He said the federal government was committed to socio-economic development of the province that was why it had launched the Karachi Transformation Package of Rs 650 billion and allocated Rs 450 billion for uplift of those rural areas which fell prey to the provincial government’s negligence.
The minister said the federal government was striving to execute five mega projects including Karachi circular railway, Green Line, K-IV water project, Trade Corridor of Karachi and remodelling of different Nullahs.
Those projects were neglected by the Sindh government, he said, adding their completion would change the fate of Karachi.
He said such initiatives irked only those people who had no interest in the development of Karachi, as well as, Sindh.
The PPP had been ruling the province for the last 13 years, with rampant corruption, bad governance and injustice, he added.
The minister said it was the Sindh government, which had held the “common rats” responsible for misappropriation of wheat worth Rs 1, 400 billion instead of taking action against those “fat rats” sitting at the Bilawal House, who had actually minted the money at public expense.
He said over 500 “corrupt” officers, who had plea bargains with the National Accountability Bureau, were ruling the roost, enjoying official perks and privileges all across Sindh.
Farrukh said Sindh was held hostage by a person who became chairman of the PPP on the basis of a will that was too being subjected to suspicions.
Bilawal was heir of his father Asif Ali Zardari’s corruption, while his entire focus was on laundering money through launches and fake bank accounts after plundering the provincial resources, he added.
He said Bilawal should tell the people of Sindh as to where funds of Rs 2, 000 billion given to Sindh under the National Finance Commission (NFC) award were spent.
“Whether those funds were used to open fake bank accounts or embezzled to build palatial houses abroad, ” he said while slamming the PPP for failing to cleanse even Nullahs of the city.
He said remodelling of Korangi, Gujjar and Mehmoodabad nullahs by the centre raised obvious questions over the governance of Singh government.
Farrukh said Prime Minister Imran Khan was giving full focus to ensure development of Karachi as roads spanning over 71 kilometers were being built for the people of the city.
He said the K-IV Project was being executed on a fast track basis as the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA had hired a consultant to ensure its completion in the next few years.
Lamenting the Sindh government over delay in project’s execution, Farrukh said the project had been in limbo for the last several years due to incompetence, negligence and incapability of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leadership.
He said around 80 buses under Green lines Project had been procured which would eventually provide better transport facilities to the people of Karachi.
Similarly, he said the Karachi freight corridor was being built which would connect its port with the metropolitan city.
He said the federal government would complete Karachi circular railway which was a remarkable mass transit project. The project was underway, he added.
The minister said at the time of coronavirus lockdown when the officials of Sindh government locked themselves up in the air conditioned rooms, it was the federal government which disbursed around Rs 66 billion among poor and needy under Ehsaas Emergency Cash Program.
To cope with the economic challenges posed by the Covid-19, Farrukh Habib said the State Bank of Pakistan introduced a scheme for payment of wages and salaries to the workers and launched a relief package for the construction sector, aimed at saving thousands of jobs.
On the contrary, the Sindh government ruined the Industry in Karachi as there was no industrial state or special economic zones were set up by the provincial authorities, he added.
He expressed the confidence that the people of Sindh would reject the PPP in 2023 general elections in the same way as GB and Kashmiris did in the recent polls.