KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said on Wednesday that the prime minister had failed to fulfill his constitutional responsibility of convening the meeting of Council of Common Interest (CCI).
“If you (PM) cannot fulfill your constitutional responsibilities then hand over your position to someone else.” This he said while addressing a press conference with Sindh Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) President Nisar Amed Khuhro here at the CM House. Syed Zafar Ali Shah and some other notables of Dadu district announced to join the PPP on this occasion.
He said that he had made necessary preparations to present the case of Sindh in respect of gas, electricity and water in the CCI meeting earlier scheduled for April 28 but all of sudden the prime minister had postponed the meeting. “This is sheer disappointment for people of Sindh,” he said.
“The constitution says the province which produces gas has first and foremost right to use it but the federal government has denied this constitutional right to the people of Sindh.” Murad said that under the Constitution, the prime minister was bound to convene the CCI meeting after every three months but the last meeting was held in December in which a committee was constituted under the federal law minister to settle the issue of gas.
“I had personally attended the meeting of the law minister and the minutes of the meeting have been approved and now the decision was to be taken in the CCI meeting but he postponed it,” he lamented and said, “I condemn the decision of postponing the CCI meeting,” he said.
Replying to a question, the chief minister said that the construction of motorway was defective. “We want you to construct it properly and doesn’t look like motorway,” he said. Replying to a question about whitepaper issued by MQM-P, he said that his cabinet members had already responded to their baseless allegations.
“They do not know about the number of administrative divisions and are talking about issues. He denied to have withdrawn the security of the MQM-P leaders and said that it was the job of the police to provide security to the people who feel-threatened. “Farooq Sattar had requested for security and he has been given security accordingly,” he said.
He said actually, some people [MQM] had the problem with the development schemes he had launched in the city. Their policy is simple “neither to work for the uplift of the Karachi and welfare of the people of city nor let others to work for them,” he said. Further he said “But I am telling them that I would be serving the people of Karachi with my heart and soul.”
Replying to yet another question about kidnapping of Ghulam Qadir Marri and Ashfaq Leghari, the chief minister said “It doesn’t look like merely a kidnapping case but it is something else,” he said and went on saying that some people of other province were involved in it.
He brushed aside the impression that only 40 percent development funds had been utilized during the current fiscal but said that about 60 percent more development funds had been utilized this year as compared to last fiscal year.
Earlier, Sindh PPP President Nisar Khuhro introduced Zafar Ali Shah, former taluka nazim and general secretary of Awami Ittehad led by Liaquat Jatoi who along with his other friends announced to join PPP. Khuhro said that the people were joining PPP because they believed it was the only party where they could be heard and respected.
Those who joined PPP include Zafar Shah, Rehan Hanif, Bakhsahal Khan Panhwar, Moinul Hassan and others. The new comers in the PPP fold said that they were with Liaquat Jatoi but he joined the PTI which they termed a non-serious party. The chief minister welcomed the new members of the party.
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