Former PM rejects idea of federal government not providing adequate financial resources to Karachi
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi at a press conference in Karachi alongside former Finance Minister Miftah Ismail and other party leaders. Photo: screenshot
KARACHI:
Awam Pakistan Party central coordinator Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Wednesday criticized the government’s oil pricing policy, calling it “completely wrong”, while highlighting Karachi’s infrastructure challenges and governance issues in Sindh.
At a press conference in Karachi along with former Finance Minister Miftah Ismail and other party leaders, he said, “The government’s policy on prices of petroleum products is completely wrong,” adding that the current policies were directly affecting the public.
On April 24, the government increased the prices of both high speed diesel (HSD) and petrol by Rs 26.77 per liter despite no increase in petrol rates being demanded. The government imposed an additional tax of nearly Rs 27 per liter on fuel to increase its price.
Oil Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said in a statement that oil prices were rising once again in the global market due to regional tensions.
“Due to the pressure of rising oil prices and agreements with global partners, the government is forced to take measures to transfer the burden of rising oil prices.
The new rate of petrol tax has been fixed at Rs 107.4 per liter as Chief Minister Shehbaz again opted to recover the tax that was to be recovered from diesel consumers from petrol consumers, a policy he had earlier implemented and later revoked after public backlash.
Abbasi claimed the government seemed “powerless” and urged it to review its policies to address public concerns. “Why doesn’t the government focus on solving people’s problems?” asked. He said, “It is important to discuss the problems of Karachi because if Karachi develops, Pakistan will develop,” he said.
He added that during his tenure, Ismail had approved funding for projects such as the Green Line and the K-IV water plan for Sindh. He said that under the National Finance Commission (NFC) award, provinces receive substantial funds, rejecting the idea that the federal government does not provide adequate financial resources.
Also read: Government increases prices of petrol and high-speed diesel by Rs 26.77 per liter
The former prime minister further pointed out that Sindh was ruled by a single political party for the last 17 years and continued to receive resources in proportion to its population, but despite this, the problems remain the same.
He referred to the delayed infrastructure projects and recalled that an elevated train project in Gulshan-e-Iqbal was proposed about two decades ago, but no progress has been made till date. He also questioned the delay in the construction of a bus rapid transit (BRT) corridor in the area.
“The fact that the BRT road has not yet been built remains a mystery,” he said, adding that even the contractor for the University Road development project had been changed. “If the government cannot build a single road, what will it do?” he added.
Highlighting civic issues, Abbasi said many Karachi residents depend on water tankers. He added that conditions in rural Sindh were also deteriorating and described the province’s infrastructure as “in a state of ruin”.
Read more: Part of BRT Red Line project delivered to FWO
“The government must answer when each citizen will receive water at home,” he said, also pointing out the presence of the hydrant and tanker truck mafias in the city. He further pointed out that public schools in Sindh were in poor condition.
Abbasi said industrial areas were facing major challenges and warned that Karachi’s problems had implications for the entire country.
He questioned the utilization of provincial resources and asked where the funds allocated to Sindh were being spent. “How will a province develop when those in power have properties in London and Dubai?” he said, adding that corruption in the country had reached high levels.
Referring to broader national issues, Abbasi stated that around 1.5 million citizens had left the country. He also mentioned the recent lockdown of Islamabad for almost 12 days, which disrupted schools, hotels and businesses.
