RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Citizen Rights Movement (PCRM) Chairman Zaheer Ahmed Awan has voiced serious concern over the deteriorating cleanliness situation in Union Council 43, Dhok Khabba, in the inner city, saying the condition has raised questions about the performance of the Suthra Punjab initiative.
He said heaps of garbage lying in open plots were causing stench and foul smell, besides creating breeding grounds for flies and mosquitoes. He added that the failure to ensure cleanliness despite repeated complaints reflected poorly on the relevant departments.
Zaheer Ahmed Awan demanded that the educational qualifications, expertise in environmental sciences and professional experience of Suthra Punjab operational officers should be examined, and that merit must be ensured instead of political recommendations.
The PCRM also called for immediate removal of waste from open plots, replacement of damaged dustbins, repair of smoke-emitting vehicles and sanitation machinery, and accountability of officers responsible for negligence.
Awan appealed to citizens to take part in cleanliness campaigns on a self-help basis, dispose of garbage in dustbins and point out dirty spots in their areas.
He said public cooperation was essential for cleanliness, but government institutions could not be allowed to ignore their basic responsibility.
