ISLAMABAD – In a rare gesture of cooperation, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Awami National Party (ANP) on Thursday joined hands to embarrass Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar in the National Assembly over the unnecessary delays in the introduction of a mass transit system in Karachi.
The heated debate between the legislators of the three coalition partners became a source of delight for the opposition. MQM’s Haider Abbas Rizvi, Wasim Akhtar, Dr Nadeem Ehsan and others had submitted a calling attention notice on the inordinate delay in the implementation of the mass transit system in Karachi.
Minister for Railways Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour joined MQM leaders’ concern to refute the stance adopted by Hina Rabbani Khar, saying bureaucracy was a major hurdle in the introduction of the transit system in Karachi. “I second the statement of my brothers from the MQM. It is true that the bureaucracy is the only hurdle in mass transit system for Karachi, which could resolve a great problem faced by the people of the port city,” he added.
Speaking on a point of order, the minister shared the details of his initiative for the mass transit system, saying the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) had assured to provide 93.5 percent of the funds for the project and the loan would have been provided on a nominal interest of 0.2 percent. Moreover, Pakistan Railways had also agreed to provide 174 acres of land required for laying tracks to run the transit system.
“However, officials of Finance Ministry said in a Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) meeting that the government would charge 8.2 percent interest for the JICA loan. In my view, bureaucracy is a hurdle to implement the transit system,” the ANP leader said.
But Hina rejected the criticism against the bureaucracy, saying a discord between the provincial government and the city government had delayed the project. “It is not true that JICA has arranged funding, rather it has launched preparations for a feasibility report on the project that would be completed in June this year.
Afterwards, the matter of funding will arise. I agree that time and again this project has been delayed although the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank conducted feasibility reports prior to JICA,” she said in response. Speaking on behalf of the finance minister, Hina strongly defended the ministry, saying, “I can say on authority that JICA never provided $1.2 billion in any account and this assertion is wrong. Let me tell you that JICA has never provided $500 million or more for any project in Pakistan. We are pushing JICA to fund this project and it is also in our priority list provided to JICA,” she claimed.
Hina also offered to arrange a meeting of the MQM legislators with the JICA chief in Pakistan. MQM’s Haider Abbas Rizvi said he was hearing reports about the mass transit system “since my childhood, but successive governments have delayed it for unknown reasons.”
