Lawmakers in the Sindh Assembly on Tuesday aired sharp criticism of worsening transport and traffic conditions in Karachi and Hyderabad while the provincial government pledged to widen public transport on major routes. Opposition members, chiefly from MQM-P, raised complaints ranging from scarce bus services to garbage collection failures and water shortages.
Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, who oversees the transport portfolio, said government-run buses are public assets and announced plans to extend bus services across all main roads in the province. He said new, stricter traffic rules and higher fines have been introduced to improve compliance and road safety. Memon also outlined an imminent taxi service and noted that batteries in the province’s electric buses carry a seven-year warranty and will be replaced by the supplier if they fail within that period.
MQM-P legislators detailed local problems: Sabir Qaimkhani said Hyderabad lacks sufficient buses, Ijazul Haq pointed to poor transport in Orangi Town, and other members accused authorities of unequal service delivery. Memon replied the government seeks equal development regardless of political affiliation, cautioned against immediately blaming heavy vehicles for motorcycle collisions, and condemned the burning of vehicles after accidents as a dangerous public-safety response.
Other issues raised included worsening water shortages in North Nazimabad, highlighted by Jamal Ahmed, and allegations by Shariq Jamal that substandard materials were being used in road works in Malir Colony. A separate moment of contention came when MQM-P’s Rashid Khan congratulated General Asim Munir on becoming the country’s first Chief of Defence Staff; members of the PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council reacted with chants of ‘shame, shame,’ while Jamaat-i-Islami’s Muhammad Farooq accused some lawmakers of seeking to protect their jobs and declined to offer congratulations.
On waste management, Amir Siddiqui criticised the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board for failing to collect garbage from homes. Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government Qasim Siraj Soomro said 127 sanitary workers and 146 waste bins had been deployed in the constituency in response.
A query from Qurat-ul-Ain sought details on tourist security along Karachi’s coast. Home Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar said coastal security is primarily the Coast Guard’s responsibility, but police pickets have been posted and the provincial government is considering establishing a Sindh Maritime Police force.
Speaker Syed Awais Qadir Shah adjourned the sitting until Monday.
