Former PM rejects notion that federal government is not providing adequate financial resources to Karachi
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi addressing a press conference in Karachi alongside former Finance Minister Miftah Ismail and other party leaders. Photo: screenshot
KARACHI:
Awam Party Pakistan central president Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Wednesday criticized the government’s oil price policy, calling it “completely wrong”, while highlighting Karachi’s infrastructure challenges and governance problems in Sindh.
Addressing a press conference in Karachi alongside 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 high-speed diesel (HSD) and petrol by Rs 26.77 per litre, although no increase was required in petrol rates. The government has imposed an additional tax of nearly Rs27 per liter on fuel to push up its price.
Oil Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said in a statement that oil prices were rising again in the global market due to regional tensions.
“Due to pressure from rising oil prices and agreements with global partners, the government must take steps to shift the burden of rising oil prices.
The new levy rate on petrol was set at Rs 107.4 per liter as PM Shehbaz again opted to recover the tax supposed to be recovered from diesel consumers from petrol consumers, a policy he had earlier implemented and then rolled back after public backlash.
Abbasi said the government seemed “helpless” and urged it to revise its policies to address public concerns. “Why doesn’t the government focus on solving the people’s problems? he asked. He said, “It is important to discuss the issues of Karachi because if Karachi develops, Pakistan will develop,” he said.
He added that during his tenure, Ismail approved funding for projects such as the Green Line and the K-IV water project for Sindh. He said that under the award given by the National Finance Commission (NFC), the provinces receive substantial funds, thereby rejecting the notion that the federal government is not providing adequate financial resources.
Read also: Government increases prices of petrol and high-speed diesel by Rs 26.77 per liter
The former prime minister further noted that Sindh has been governed by a single political party for 17 years and continues to receive resources proportional to its population, but despite this, the problems remain the same.
He spoke about delays in infrastructure projects, recalling that an elevated train project was proposed in Gulshan-e-Iqbal around two decades ago, but no progress has been made so far. He also questioned the delay in the construction of a high-speed bus (BRT) corridor in the region.
“It remains a mystery that the BRT road has still not been built,” he said, adding that even the contractor for the University Road development project had been changed. “If the government cannot build even one road, what will it do? » he added.
Highlighting civic issues, Abbasi said many residents of Karachi depend on water tankers. He added that conditions in rural areas of Sindh were also deteriorating and described the province’s infrastructure as being in a “ruined state”.
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“The government must respond when every citizen has access to water at home,” he said, also highlighting the presence of the fire hydrant and water tanker mafia in the city. He further noted that government schools in Sindh were in poor condition.
Abbasi said industrial areas were facing significant challenges and warned that Karachi’s problems had implications for the entire country.
He questioned the use of provincial resources, asking where the funds allocated to Sindh were being spent. “How will a province develop when those in power own properties in London and Dubai? he said, adding that corruption in the country had reached high levels.
Referring to broader national issues, Abbasi claimed that around 1.5 million citizens had left the country. He also discussed the recent lockdown in Islamabad for almost 12 days, which disrupted schools, hotels and businesses.
