PTI wants army to manage Karachi Water and Sewerage Board.

KARACHI -- A debate on the water crisis in the city dominated the proceedings of Sindh Assembly on Monday, with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA Khurram Sher Zaman demanding to hand over the management of Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) to the army or Sindh Rangers.

Zaman criticised the provincial government's performance and said that there was no single area in Karachi where KWSB provided water on a regular basis. 'For the last six years, I am pleading at this floor to provide potable water, but all in vain,' he said adding, 'We want to know where the public money goes. The water issue can't be resolved until corruption is eradicated from it.' Zaman remarked that the minister responsible for inequitable distribution of water in the city should step down if can't perform the job diligently.

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Taking part in the debate over the adjournment motion moved by Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Kanwar Naveed Jameel on water crises in Karachi, Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas, Zaman floated an idea to hand over water utility board to armed forces, and said, 'You can't manage water distribution, please place KWSB under army. They can manage it,' the PTI MPA said expressing concern over the volatile situation in areas of Karachi and said, 'If the same situation continues, then we will wage war on the water in coming days,' he remarked.

Opposition leader Firdous Shamim Naqvi said that the Indus River System Authority (IRSA), which is the regulatory body to distribute water among provinces, has refused to allocate special water quota for Karachi city.

'Federal water and power minister has also been elected from Baldia Town area, so it is his responsibly to resolve the Karachi water issue,' Naqvi said diverting the attention of the house towards five River Osmosis (RO) plants installed under the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) government which, according to him, are lying dormant for quite some time.

The opposition leader questioned why the chief minister Sindh had failed to raise this issue in Council of Common Interest (CCI) meetings. 'In last four CCI meetings, the chief minister has not even uttered a single word on Karachi water crisis.

'PPP has been in power for last 11 years in Sindh, but has not yet redressed water issue of Karachi being the economic hub of Pakistan,' he said. He...