No truth to appointment of Karachi administrator, says CM Shah

Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah on Friday refuted all rumours regarding the appointment of a Karachi administrator.

Addressing a press conference in Karachi, he said that when an appointment is made, it will be on merit and the decision will be taken by the Sindh cabinet.

"Governor Sindh's [earlier] statement regarding the appointment of an administrator is wrong. He has no authority," he said.

Sindh Minister for Education and Labour Saeed Ghani, supported the chief minister's statement in a conversation with Geo News, saying that news about the appointment of Younis Dhaga as the administrator has no degree of truth to it.

"Younis Dhagaka's name was not discussed in any meeting of Sindh government," he said.

Assessment of losses due to rain

Speaking of the devastation in Sindh due to the monsoon rains, he said that all divisional commissioners have been directed to assess the losses endured by the citizens.

The chief minister extended his condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones or their properties in the recent spells of rains and said that the Chief Secretary Sindh has been asked to estimate the losses suffered by the people during the unprecedented rains.

"People have lost their homes to urban flooding but we are here to provide relief to them in every way possible," the minister said, adding that the local bodies have sped up the cleaning process of the drains so the accumulated rainwater can be removed in earnest.

Noting that the recent rains — especially the thundershowers from yesterday— have broken all records, the minister said that about 350mm rainfall has been recorded for the month of August until now — where 230.5mm rain was recorded near Faisal base, 154mm in Faisal Masroor, 195mm in Surjani Town and 167mm rain was recorded in North Karachi.

"Overall 250mm rainfall was recorded yesterday across the capital city" he added.

Responding to the criticism thrown at Sindh for tackling the rain situation poorly, Shah said that the administration was working tirelessly to drain out the flooded water.

"No one has done as much for Karachi as we have in 12 years. We are standing with the people in these testing times of urban flooding," he asserted, lamenting that the city has been hollowed out from within and the wide roads of Nazimabad and North Nazimabad are now narrow streets due to encroachments.

Read more: CM Murad declares holiday in Sindh after torrential rains

Regretting that the recent spell of rains has unveiled the long-hidden infrastructural flaws of the financial hub, the minister said:"[It seems] that all skeletons were covered."

Sindh willing to work with Centre

Regarding relief operations, Shah appreciated that the prime minister has extended help for the restoration of the city.

"We will work with the federal government to repair the damage," he said.

He questioned however whether "instead of helping the capital city, the federation would start asking for greater authority."

"The federal government should help like (former President) Asif Ali Zardari did [during his tenure]," he added.