KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah announced to challenge the amendment in the National Accountability Bureau Ordinance under which an accused of Rs50 million embezzlement would be given a C-class in jail.
He said that the federal government, encroaching upon the jurisdiction of the provincial government(s), has amended National Accountability Ordinance 1999 to assign C-class jail facilities to the accused of Rs50 million embezzlement.
“This is a purely jail manual matter and the federal government is not authorized to make such an amendment, therefore the provincial government has decided to challenge it in the court of law.”
He was talking to media at Baradari where he performed handing over ceremony of 20 suction and high-pressure jetting machines to Karachi water board.
Shah said that the federal government has inserted section 10 in the ordinance which will assign C class jail facilities to a suspect/accused of embezzling funds of Rs50 million. He added that the jails are under the jurisdiction of the provincial government(s) and the federal government was not authorized to make such an amendment.
To another question, the chief minister said that the federal government had said on number of times that the 18th constitutional amendment was not a divine book which could not be amended. “I have told them that you can amend it just for giving devolving more powers to the provinces but you [fed govt] will not be allowed to scrap it,” he said categorically.
Replying to a question, the chief minister said that the PPP government in Sindh was accused of changing alignment of K-IV but now it has been proved that the provincial government had nothing to do with the alignment. “The project will definitely see the light of the day for which I am working hard,” he said and added the S-III project would also be completed.
Murad Ali Shah said that the provincial government was working with FWO, a well reputed organization, on K-IV and very soon work would be started there.
Murad Ali Shah giving the example of Jamshoro-Sehwan dualization project said that his government has already given Rs7 billion of its share to federal government despite the fact work on dualization of the road was going on at snail pace.
“This is the attitude of the federal government,” he lamented and recalled that they [PM Imran Khan] had announced Rs162 billion package. “Though I was not in that programme yet I was happy to know that my city was getting a good development package,” he said and added at the end of day the announcement proved to be a bubble of hot air.
He said that the federal government has destroyed economy of the country. He added that poor people could not afford square meals. The prices of vegetables have gone up and they [Fed finance minister] were claiming that tomatoes were available for Rs17 per kg in the vegetable market, he expressed his surprise.
To another question about Sindh Governor, he said that if he was living there it was a good thing. “It is a Governor House and the Governor has every right to stay there,” he said and added as far as bulldozing the walls of Governor House was concerned his government would never allow such a move.
The chief minister quoting Article 105 of the constitution said the Governor was bound to work on the advice of the chief minister. “This is very simple and there will be no differences if everyone follows his constitutional role,” he said.
Earlier, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah addressing at the handing over ceremony of 20-machine-mounted vehicles, including 10 suction and 10 high-pressure jetting machines, said that his government was working to improve water and sewerage system in the city.
He said that at a cost of Rs900 million, 20 vehicles mounted with 10 suction and 10 jetting machines have been purchased and another 37 old suction and jetting machines were being overhauled. The under-repair machinery/vehicles would be ready by June 2020.
Murad Ali Shah said that a new pumping station to provide 100 million gallon water to the city had almost been completed at a cost of Rs1.63 billion and it would be launched in December 2019. He added that a 50-year old Dhabeji Pumping station was being upgraded. The old machinery was being repaired and overhauled in different phases for Rs1.23 billion.
He said that a 24 inch diameter pipeline was being laid from Habib Bank to provide water to Baldia. This scheme has almost been completed at a cost of Rs400 million. He added that another scheme to improve water and sewerage system in the city has also been launched for Rs200 million and over 60 percent work has been completed on the scheme.
Talking about providing water to Lyari, the chief minister said that a 23 inch diameter line was being laid from Sindhi Hotel to Bakrah Piri for Rs717 million. He added that with the completion of this scheme water issue would be resolved in Lyari area.
The chief minister said that another scheme of Rs300 million has been approved to provide water to the residents of DHA and Qayoomabad. Work on this scheme would be started within next three months.
Murad Ali Shah said that a scheme of Rs90 million (Rs15 million for each district of Karachi) has been approved to improve water and sewerage issues in the city. He vowed to start work on the scheme by the end of December 2019.
The chief minister said that the scheme launched to provide water to the area of Mahmoodabad, Chanesar Goth and Azam Basti for Rs95 million has been completed by 90 percent. The overall investment in water and sanitation sector of the city situation would improve considerably, he concluded.
Minister Local Government Syed Nasir Shah, and MD Water Board Asadullah Khan also spoke on the occasion. The chief minister handed over the keys of vehicles to the MD Water Board.