Politicking over Karachi

The federal government has sprung into action to keep the coalition intact before it collapses like a house of cards. Days after Bilawal offered ministries in Sindh to the MQM in return for toppling Imran Khan’s government, the prime minister dispatched party leaders to Karachi to reassure their allies.

Planning Minister Asad Umar was in Karachi holding various meetings at the Governor House. He said the prime minister had already decided to appoint him as the focal person for the federal government-sponsored projects in Karachi but didn’t give any deadline on their completion.

The minister delivered a clear message to the Sindh government that there should be no politicking on issues relating to public well-being. He said that the Centre was willing to work with the provincial government. The move for greater cooperation is surprising as both parties have serious political differences and have squabbled over the past several months.

The federal government claims to have released funds to complete the ongoing mega-projects in Karachi. The prime minister is also expected to inaugurate some new projects in the metropolis next month. This shows that the government has realised that Karachi cannot be ignored for too long. PTI understands that it received a mandate from Karachi and has a responsibility to fulfill it. However, the party should also understand that this is improbable without the cooperation of the provincial government.

The prime minister has also sent another senior leader and confidante Jehangir Khan Tareen to meet with government allies to reaffirm confidence and enforce trust-building measures. Tareen is being tasked to meet with PML-Q, GDA, and coalition partners in Balochistan. More importantly, will be his meeting with MQM as the party could reconsider its alliance with the PTI.

Mayor Karachi Waseem Akhtar is certainly not pleased over the olive branch being handed over to appease the MQM despite assurances of funds being released soon. The PTI is dissatisfied with the local bodies system in Sindh and wants a more empowered local government to work for the development of the city more speedily. This could please the Karachi mayor but only once the amendments are done enabling a greater impact.

The PTI has stated that there should be no politics over the issues concerning Karachi, but is itself politicking over the matter. The people of Karachi want their problems to be resolved. More importantly, they want a sense of ownership from the party that they voted for in defiance of all odds.