Saturday, 11 December, 2021 I 6 Jamadi-al-Awwal, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 163 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition
PM inaugurates Karachi’s green Line bus service
P
RIMe Minister Imran Khan on Friday inaugurated the Green Line Bus Rapid Transit project in Karachi. As per reports, the PM arrived in Karachi earlier today while being accompanied by the Sindh Governor Imran Ismail and federal Planning Minister Asad Umar. The PM, while addressing the inauguration ceremony, congratulated Asad Umar and the Sindh Infrastructure Development Company Limited (SIDCL) “for pursuing this project with utter determination”. The PM added that “no modern city can function without modern transport” PM Imran Khan regretted that Karachi’s transport issues were never given attention. He stated that “I have been seeing Karachi for 50 years. We have seen its transformation into a cave because we did not focus on its administration” The PM further termed Karachi “Pakistan’s engine of growth”, he said the metropolis’ prosperity had a positive effect on the entire country. “Making Karachi functional and successful means we are helping Pakistan,” he remarked, calling the Green Line transport system the first step towards building a modern city. The PM further said that he was also
pursuing the Greater Karachi Water Supply Scheme project, also called K-IV, through coordination with Wapda. The project will be approved by next month following which its groundbreaking will be performed, and it will be completed in 14-15 months. “By Aug-Sept 2023, we will be supplying water to Karachi from Keenjhar lake,” he said. The premier, while detailing other public welfare projects that the government is focusing on stated that the health card scheme was successfully being rolled out in PTI-ruled provinces. “I want to tell the Sindh government that provinces are contributing in it and they must also play their part,” he added. The PM then lauded the Iranian capital by stating that even though the country was under US sanctions, Tehran had modern facilities because of its efficient management. “Tehran collects $500 million [in revenue] and spends it through planning. In comparison, Karachi doesn’t even collect $30m,” he noted, stressing the need to give Karachi autonomy for the local government system to succeed. He further urged the provincial government to reconsider its opposition to
coronavirus in
PaKistan
CONFIRMED CASES:
1,288,366
LAST UPDATED AT 10:36 AM ON DECEMBER 10, 2021
DAY'S DEATH TOLL:
NEW CASES:
9
313
RECOVERED:
DEATHS:
1,250,069 28,812 SINDH:
PUNJAB:
477,466
443,747
KPK:
BALOCHISTAN:
180,564
33,522
AJK/GB:
ISLAMABAD:
34,600/10,425
108,042
the federal government’s plan to develop islands near Karachi into real-estate projects. “Our population is growing. We are building a modern city named Ravi City in Lahore and taking care of the environment there,” Imran said. “Pollution levels are also high in Karachi and it is necessary to have a modern city like the Bundal Island project. When we undertake projects, it is better if we do it collectively with coordination.” According to details, PM Imran Khan also visited a bus station, where he inspected the infrastructure and also received a briefing on how the ticketing system works. On the other hand, minister Asad Umar thanked the SIDCL for their efforts for the project, while adding that the Sindh governor was “supervising” the project since the PTI came to power. He further added that in December 2020, the SIDCL became a part of the planning ministry and the government started working on the project. He stated that “the order for the buses was also not placed and neither was the payment system designed; the operation and maintenance tender was also not placed,” he said, adding that the PML-N only thought about building a track surrounded by grills “with no other facilities available”. The minister recalled that the project had been approved in 2016, and while the PML-N stayed in power for the next 28 months, the project’s infrastructure was not built. “Karachi’s rights were not given to the city in the last three of their (PML-N and PPP’s) governments,” Umar remarked. Umar criticized PPP by stating that the party had formed government in the province six times and four times in the Centre, but still had nothing to show for it. The minister further called Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari an “innocent child”, the minister said the PPP chairman had asked for “time” to work for Sindh. News Desk
COAS witnesses ‘Victory Shield’ military exercise in Sialkot Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa witnessed a military exercise ‘Victory Shield’ of Gujranwala Corps troops while visiting Chanoki near Chawinda in Sialkot on Friday. The COAS was briefed on objectives, planning parameters and conduct modalities of the exercise which is aimed at enhancing operational preparedness of formation, encompassing defensive and offensive tasks in response to any misadventure by the adversary, as stated by the InterServices Public Relations (ISPR)
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ADB approves $300m to strengthen Pakistan’s energy sector ISLAMABAD TLTP
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) Friday approved a $300 million policy-based loan to support financial, technical, and governance reforms to strengthen Pakistan’s energy sector and improve its financial sustainability. The financing is part of the second sub-programme of ADB’s energy Sector Reforms and Financial Sustainability Programme, which aims to improve the governance of Pakistan’s energy sector and reduce and manage the accumulated cash shortfall across the power supply chain known as circular debt, according to a statement issued by the Manilabased lender. The first sub-programme in the amount of $300 million was approved in December 2019. ADB Director General for Central and West Asia Yevgeniy Zhukov said that as Pakistan’s key development partner in the energy sector, ADB has been supporting the government to expand access to reliable, affordable electricity and help enact reforms that make the sector more efficient and
COAS Gen Bajwa was received by Lieutenant General Muhammad Aamer, Commander Gujranwala Corps on arrival. While addressing the participating troops, the COAS stressed stated that “such exercises help bolster troops’ confidence, enhance cohesiveness/synergy and optimise their combat potential” At the closure of the military exercise, the COAS expressed satisfaction over the training standards and professional competence of the troops. News Desk
more inside
Govt pursuing policies to promote exports: PM STORY ON PAGE 02
Protest held in Brussels against Indian brutalities in IIOJK STORY ON BACK PAGE sustainable. He said that the programme will help facilitate public and private sector investment across the energy sector value chain through key policies and integrated planning, and will help expand renewable energy generation. According to the statement, disruption from the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic stressed the finances and supply chains of Pakistan’s energy sector, slowing the pace of sector reforms initiated by the government in 2019. Losses incurred by state-owned enterprises that impacted the en-
ergy sector’s circular debt, together with pandemic relief measures put unprecedented pressure on the energy sector’s liquidity and finances. Reforms under ADB’s programme will help make Pakistan’s energy sector more financially sustainable by addressing inefficient tariffs and subsidies, high generation costs, system losses, and a lack of integrated planning. The programme also aims to enhance energy infrastructure and professionalise the management of energy entities to improve their performance.
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NCOC initiates vaccination campaign for transport sector STORY ON PAGE 03
From teacher to shoe shiner: Afghan economic crisis spares few STORY ON BACK PAGE