Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Inaugurating the Week of Cleanliness Campaign in Karachi District Central
KARACHI, September 22: Sindh Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, while inaugurating the Week of Cleanliness campaign in Karachi’s District Central, has said that a clean, green and beautiful Karachi is the vision of Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and the Sindh government is working round the clock to materialise this vision.
He said efforts to improve the city’s sanitation system were being further strengthened and the cleanliness campaign would not remain limited to one week, but the cleaning process would continue throughout the year on a 24-hour basis. Addressing the ceremony and speaking to the media, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said that a visible improvement had been witnessed in Karachi’s sanitation situation after the activation of the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board, and citizens themselves were feeling the difference.
However, he added that there was always room for further improvement in every system and the ongoing cleanliness campaign was part of these efforts. He said special attention was being given to improving the sanitation system in District Central and all other areas of Karachi, ensuring timely removal and transportation of garbage, and monitoring the quality of cleanliness services.
He added that the monitoring mechanism had also been further improved to ensure effective supervision of sanitation operations. The provincial minister appealed to citizens to immediately report any complaint or negligence regarding cleanliness to the relevant authorities so that timely action could be taken. He said cleanliness was not solely the responsibility of the government or municipal institutions and citizens also had to play their role. He stressed the need to create greater public awareness about cleanliness and urged citizens to dispose of garbage at designated points and cooperate with the relevant institutions.
Referring to the performance of the Managing Director of the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said the MD was personally supervising various matters and expressed hope that the sanitation system would improve further. He said sanitation workers and labourers were extremely important for the city, as they were working in the field to keep Karachi clean. Steps were also being taken to resolve their issues, ensure timely payment of salaries and guarantee payment of wages according to the rates fixed by the government. The minister said relevant officers and officials were continuously monitoring sanitation-related matters and coordination among all concerned institutions would be further strengthened to improve the system.
He made it clear that the ongoing campaign was not merely a one-week activity but represented a commitment to maintaining continuous cleanliness operations across Karachi and Sindh, with the relevant institutions being kept mobilised for the purpose. Commenting on the political situation, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah responded to the rally organised by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement in Karachi and its demands regarding the creation of a new province.
He said the people of Karachi had made their position clear. Referring to participation in the rally, he said Urdu-speaking citizens of Karachi had expressed their position by not participating in the activity. He said the Sindh Assembly had already passed a resolution conveying its decision regarding opposition to the division of the province or the creation of a new administrative unit.
Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said that in the past, the people of Karachi had faced problems including extortion, target killings, arson and violence, adding that the need today was to assure citizens of peace and security and provide them with an environment where they could conduct business and pursue employment without fear.
He said industrialists and the business community should also be given confidence that they would not face extortion or threats of any kind. The provincial minister said some political slogans had passed through different phases in the past, but the people of present-day Sindh wanted peace, development, better municipal services and improved governance. He said the cleanliness, development and improvement of civic facilities in Karachi remained among the government’s priorities, and coordination between all relevant institutions would be made more effective.
Syed Nasir Hussain Shah reiterated that cooperation from citizens was essential for the success of the cleanliness campaign, as keeping the city clean required the joint role of both the government and the public. He said the sanitation situation in different areas of Karachi was being continuously reviewed and further measures would be taken wherever improvement was required.