Karachi administrator Dr Iftikhar Shallwani on Saturday said road construction and cleaning would be the first priority during his term. He made a speech at the Korangi Trade & Industry Association (KATI) luncheon.

Shallwani said road construction was the first priority in the Karachi package because it was the first attraction for investors. He said that a complete Karachi map would be prepared and all roads and roads would be named after the city’s legendary figures.

He announced that the 3000 Korangi Industrial Estate Roads would be named after the Chief Protector of KATI SM Muneer. He also announced including road maintenance and development in Sector 15 in the Karachi package. He welcomed former KATI president Zahid Saeed’s proposed pilot project on urban forests.

KATI President Sheikh Umer Rehan said that Korangi’s biggest problem was land grabbing in Mehran City, adding that special powers should be given to Korangi Administrator Shahryar Gul Memon, who is also the deputy commissioner of Korangi District, to resolve the issue.

He thanked the Chief Minister of Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah because, he said, the chief executive had brought in credible officials like Shallwani and Memon as administrators. He also announced that he would dedicate a gold medal for the two sons on behalf of KATI.

KATI Chairman and CEO Zubair Chhaya urged the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government to dispose of the remaining waste removal posts in the EBM Causeway area because it was feared that other district governments could dispose of garbage or debris in the settlement.

Former KATI president Saeed briefed Administrator Karachi Shallwani about a proposal for urban forest development in riverbeds on the Malir and Lyari Rivers.

Shallwani directed the Korangi management to dismantle the remaining waste removal posts in the EBM Causeway area. He also ordered the closure of the area to any kind of disposal.

The city government also welcomes the proposed urban forest planning. Multimedia presentations on damaged roads and sewage systems in Sector 15 and Sector 23 are also given to administrators.

KATI Senior Vice President Muhammad Ikram Rajput, Vice President Syed Wajid Hussain, former president Danish Khan, Masood Naqi, Zahid Saeed, Gulzar Firoz, Farhan-ur-Rehman and others also attended the occasion.

Three weeks ago, Prime Minister Imran Khan announced a construction package worth Rs1.1 trillion for Karachi to solve immediate problems arising from the recent rains disaster and civil problems that have been going on for decades at the same time.

Both the federal and Sindh governments will contribute to the Rs1.1 trillion development package. The PM announced this while speaking with reporters at the Sindh Governor’s House after his arrival in the city for the first time after heavy rains hit most of the city.

During different meetings, the prime minister discussed civil, political and administrative matters of Karachi and the whole province. The PM also chairs a top-level meeting on city issues.

In a briefing to the media, Khan said that such a strategy was in the works that would help solve the city’s rain-related problems and decades-old civil problems at the same time.

He said the unprecedented rains in Karachi and elsewhere in the country emerged as a major test for the government in the wake of the coronavirus emergency.

He said a Provincial Coordination & Implementation Committee (PCIC) had been formed to combine on one platform all stakeholders, including the federal and Sindh governments, for the development and advancement of the city.

He also said that with the presence of a supervisory body such as PCIC that brings together all stakeholders, there will be no major impediment to implementing the plan to develop Karachi and solve its main civilian problems.

He further said Karachi’s development had been hampered in the past due to the absence of a unified strategy as various landowning bodies exist in the city, including federal entities such as Pakistan Railways, which own land in the provincial capital.

The PM said PCIC will now ensure that the federal and Sindh governments can work on Karachi development without jurisdiction or land control issues.

He said the Sindh government would also contribute to the Rs1.1 trillion development package. He added that the problem of solid waste disposal, mass transportation, bulk water supply, drainage, sewerage and dilapidated road networks will be resolved within a maximum of three years in the development package.

He also said Karachi’s civil problems would be resolved in the short, medium and long term plans. Khan said the Karachi Loop Rail Project and Bus Rapid Transit System would be developed under this package, adding that the federal and Sindh governments would work under a joint strategy for the purpose.

The PM said that a similar development package would be launched for the rest of Sindh, where heavy rains had caused great damage. He said Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had briefed him about the damage in cities and towns across the province due to heavy rains.