The Sindh cabinet also gave a go-ahead to the appointment of Advisor to the Chief Minister on Law and Environment Murtaza Wahab as the new administrator of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC).
The provincial cabinet met in Karachi with Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in the chair to review the pace of development schemes, besides other agenda.
Murtaza Wahab, who is also the Sindh government’s spokesperson, has been entrusted with an uphill task to revamp the port city’s ill-maintained civic infrastructure.
The Sindh cabinet was informed that an amount of Rs329.02 billion has been earmarked for development schemes in the province.
Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said that 603 development schemes will be completed in the first quarter of the current financial year at the cost of over Rs14 billion.
He directed the cabinet members to pay attention to the timely completion of development schemes. He said 269 development schemes costing over Rs19 billion will be completed in the second quarter of the current financial year, while 162 schemes at a cost of over Rs10 billion will be completed in the third quarter of the financial year.
It is worth mentioning that two major political parties, including the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), have already expressed their opposition to the possible appointment of Murtaza Wahab as the Karachi administrator.
Sindh Governor Imran Ismail said that a meeting had earlier been held at the Sindh Governor House in the presence of the prime minister and military leadership, in which it was decided that the administrator would be an apolitical person and his appointment would be made after consultations with all stakeholders.
MQM-P Convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui categorically rejected the provincial government’s decision about appointment of Murtaza Wahab on the post. He maintained that the Sindh government had not consulted his party over the matter.
He maintained that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) will not accept Murtaza Wahab as Karachi Administrator. The MQM-P leader also hinted at taking out mass rallies against the Sindh government.
