Says Gen Raheel is kind and gives time for meetings; Khursheed says PPP has no link to Uzair Baloch
MULTAN: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah said on Sunday that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visits Sindh but issues pertaining to the province remained unresolved.
The Sindh CM said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had been kind and friendly in his personal capacity. He visits Sindh frequently to review the ongoing operation against criminals and terrorists, but the PPP’s reservations still persist.
He said it was kind of Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif that whenever he visited Sindh, he provided him an opportunity to meet. He said that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had no concern about the arrest of Lyari gang war don Uzair Baloch and the development did not make any difference for the party as the PPP had always backed a crackdown on criminals.
Syed Qaim Ali Shah, however, avoided a comment on an operation in Punjab and said the provincial government there could better explain the situation. Talking to reporters in Multan after his arrival to attend a wedding ceremony here, Qaim Ali Shah said that criminals should be arrested at all costs. He said that he did not know when Uzair Baloch was arrested. However, it was heard that he was arrested some time ago. The Sindh government had taken action against him, he added.
Qaim said the Sindh situation had been bad for the last 30 years. However, the PPP’s provincial government had brought about an improvement in the situation, he claimed. “Sindh respects the federation, but the province has been deprived of its due share in the NFC Award. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar does not respondclearly in this connection,” he complained.
About a question about differences between Centre and Sindh reaching a very serious phase, he said, "We stand with the Centre at any cost. We respect federation, but we have reservations over energy, gas and LNG deals.”
Sindh CM said that the provinces were not delegated powers after the 18th Amendment particularly in education and health sectors. The government did not renew the NFC Award and was hesitating to give extension in the NFC Award, which is due each five years. The talks were held with Finance Minister Ishaq Dar twice or thrice but he did not respond positively on the issue.
The CM said Sindh had huge natural resources, particularly coal reserves and it could produce energy through wind and coal. Currently, Sindh had been contributing 3,500-megawatt electricity to the national grid. He said the electricity was provided at Rs17-18 per unit in Punjab and Sindh, but it could be produced from coal at the rate of Rs8 per unit.
He said that the Sindh government had issued 20 licences to businessmen for energy generation through coal. The activity would generate 2,500-megawatt electricity, bringing 50pc reduction in per unit cost.
Qaim said corruption had been a common problem in society all over the country and not Sindh alone. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and anti-corruption agencies were all out to end corruption in the province, he added. Later, Qaim Ali Shah visited Yusuf Raza Gilani's residence and offered condolence on the death of his nephew and former MNA Syed Asad Murtaza Gilani, who passed away in a stampede while performing Haj.
NNI adds: Leaders of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah said that Lyari Gang War don, Uzair Baloch, was a wanted criminal and hence he had been arrested.
Talking to media in Sukkur, Khursheed Shah said the PPP had no link with Uzair Baloch. He said several people snapped selfies with political leaders, therefore it could not be judged that who was criminal and who was not.
Regarding schools’ dilemma in Punjab, the opposition leader called upon MNAs and MPAs of Punjab to curtail their own security and beef up the same on schools in the face threats. He said that it was good that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had returned to the country but he should come to the Parliament, too.
The PPP leader also criticised the government and said that it was gaining profit through imposing taxes one after the other. He said that they would speak against the negligence of the government whenever necessary.
Earlier, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) demanded the PPP to clarify its position on Uzair Baloch. The PTI spokesman Naeemul Haq said it was now the time to rid politics of crime.