Ali Zaidi announces PM Imran Khan's 'gift to Karachi'

Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Ali Haider Zaidi on Sunday announced Prime Minister Imran Khan's 'gift' for Karachi, which included fire bowsers and tenders to strengthen the city's fire department. 

Taking to Twitter, the minister announced that 50 state-of-the-art fire tenders with the capacity to hold 7,000 litres of water and two fire bowsers are on their way to Karachi. 

He thanked the prime minister for approving the vehicles for the city. 

"50 State of the Art Fire Tenders of 7000 liters of water & foam capacity + 2 Water Bowsers loaded on a ship & on their way to KHI. Thank You PM @ImranKhanPTI for this gift to KHI!" he tweeted. 

Karachi’s fire department has been in a sorry state of affairs over the past couple of decades. 

Fire stations have been reportedly dysfunctional, equipment and facilities outdated and employees have often complained of not being paid salaries. 

Sindh Information and Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah, last month, paid a visit to the city’s central fire station where he was briefed over the dilapidated state of the department.

He was told that only 11 of the city’s 25 fire stations are functional, which meant Karachi had only 14 functional fire stations. 

The LG minister had said the government “soon” planned to clear the arrears of fire risk allowance for three months. The minister had hoped it would “compensate and motivate them [firefighters] to show more courage and zeal in serving the people of the city”.