KPT fountain

The country is on the road to progress. Poverty is on a steep decline. Exports, remittances and grants have fattened the reserves. Karachi, the most neglected urban area of the country, is being transformed into a city of the 21st Century.
Thus, among other mega projects, somebody came up with the idea of a gushing fountain going up to the skies. KPT, with billions in reserves, instead of improving the port infrastructure, jumped to the proposal to finance and maintain this wonder of Asia. 225 million rupees spent.
The President, with all the time in the world thanks to Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz managing the country, spent a long time at the Port, inaugurating this fountain and listening to odes and music.
The newspapers are full of editorials, letters to editors, and articles. One has yet to come across a laudatory item (except of course the spin doctoring by the KPT PRO). People have carped and whined about the cost and the need for such a venture.
Alas, no one is talking about the continuous maintenance expenses that could run into a pretty steep figure every month. No one has demanded the break-up of the project. No one has even wondered why the President agreed to even come for its inauguration.
More seriously, what no one has ever asked is why the Board of Trustees didn't object when this project was being discussed. One is not talking about government representatives on the Board. Why did Sohail W. Siddiqui, President of Overseas Chamber, Dewan Ayub Madni of the Karachi Chamber, Iqbal Umar of the Karachi Cotton Association, and the political appointees, Khaseghi, Dr Vohra, and Sohail Mansoor, etc, kept mum?
These gentlemen are all business leaders and represent the stakeholders. One reads about the chambers and associations crying themselves hoarse against the increase of rates of gas, power, and water. But when their representatives on KPT Board accept and approve a project either devised by the village idiot or probably by some vested interests, the business leadership or even members of the OICCI, KCCI, or KCA raise not a single voice of protest.
Nor did Cowasjee or the zealots of Shehri. Nor did the Maker of Helpline Trust or Edhi. Nor did the clergy nor did the social workers. Only ordinary citizens voiced their sentiments. Of course, in a few days this controversy will die its natural death.
In a year or two, millions would again be spent to source parts for the fountain, because the company that had supplied the monstrosity was in all probability set up just for that particular project.
In the meantime, many taps in the homes and industries in Karachi are still dry or getting turbid water. The hospitals have no vacant beds because hundreds of innocent children are being treated there after having imbibed that very water.