Sindh to move court if FIA’s policing powers not withdrawn, warns Qaim

Karachi
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has said that conferring policing powers to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is against the concept of provincial autonomy and his government will move the court if the Centre did not withdraw these powers.
He said this while addressing a press conference after the visit of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to Karachi on Wednesday and presided over meetings at the CM House.
In the background of recent actions and raids by the federally-controlled FIA, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Sindh Rangers against certain officials in Sindh for their alleged corrupt practices and past misdeeds, the chief minister said the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had always struggled for the sake of securing provincial autonomy.
He was of the view that the authorities lately given to the FIA had been in violation of the concept of provincial autonomy. “We will not allow any harm to provincial autonomy,” he said.
The chief minister said provinces had been meted out injustices by granting fresh powers to the FIA and followed this statement with a warning that whoever attempted to usurp the rights if Sindh would face resistance.
He said he had talked to the prime minister and tried to persuade him into withdrawing the powers given to the FIA. “Otherwise, we have valid recourse to move the court on the issue,” he said.
According to the chief minister, the recent 1,200-plus casualties in Karachi on account of the heatwave cannot be attributed to any human negligence or error since they took place due to a natural situation or a disaster.
grant of Rs10 billion to Sindh government for the completion of K-IV Greater Karachi Water Supply Scheme, and out of the total amount Rs8 billion would be provided in the first instalment.
He said the prime minister wanted the K-IV water project completed within two to three years and asked the Sindh government to do so.
The chief minister said the country’s premier had also assured of financial assistance for the S-III sewerage treatment project.
He said he had discussed last financial year’s unpaid allocation of funds for the K-IV project and had asked that it be provided to the Sindh government.
Other matters discussed with the prime minister, he said, included the Green Line, Orange Line, Yellow Line and Blue Line transport projects of the proposed Bus Rapid Transit Service (BRTS).
The chief minister said two projects would be completed with the assistance of the federal government while two others would be completed by the Sindh government.
Another issue which had come under discussion was the ongoing energy crisis in Sindh and the K-Electric controversy.
The prime minister was informed that the Sindh government had planned to set up two coal-powered plants near Bin Qasim and was also apprised of the persisting issue between the province and Centre regarding pending payments of dues by the federal government.
The Sindh finance minister Murad Ali Shah, who was also present on the occasion, said that in the past financial year (2014-2015) the federal government had promised to give Rs474 billion to Sindh but later revised the amount down to Rs423 billion. However, out of the revised amount only Rs397 billion were actually received so Sindh was already short of Rs26 billion of its due share from the divisible pool.