CM demands Sindh govt representative be included in KE’s board of directors

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has demanded that a representative of the provincial government be allowed to sit on the board of directors of the K-Electric (KE) in order to better protect the interests of the power consumers of Karachi.

The CM made this demand while talking to media persons during his visit to the Karachi Press Club on Wednesday. He was accompanied by Senior for Information Sharjeel Inam Memon, Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani and Energy Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah.

Answering queries of journalists, Murad recalled that the Sindh Assembly had earlier adopted a tough stance on the KE. He also appealed to the media to highlight his stance that a representative of the Sindh government, which represented the people of Karachi, should sit on the KE’s board. “We remain ignorant of the internal affairs of the K-Electric due to the lack of this representation,” he said.

The CM told media persons that the proposed formation of the federal constitutional court was part of the latest manifesto of the Pakistan Peoples Party. He said the judicial reforms being advocated by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari were part of the political ideologies of the late Benazir Bhutto.

He recalled that Benazir had in 2006 raised the issue of reforms required to revamp the judicial system in the country. He lamented that one of the chief justices in the past had blackmailed Parliament and threatened to scrap the entire 18th Constitutional Amendment.

Answering a question, he said the National Finance Commission’s (NFC) award would remain unchanged. He informed media persons that the fiscal share of the provinces as per the NFC award could only be increased not decreased.

He said the federal finance minister had assured him of allaying the reservations of his government about the NFC award. He added that the Sindh government had submitted its reservations in writing to the federal government.

He opined that the past regime of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had endangered the national economy and two years were required to stabilise the economic situation. Answering a question regarding Dr Shahnawaz who was allegedly killed by the Mirpurkhas police in a fake counter after blasphemy charges emerged against him, the CM said his government had conducted a probe into the issue and talked to the deceased man’s family.

He said his government advised the bereaved family to file a complaint for lodging if the FIR of the alleged fake police encounter that resulted in the death of Dr Shahnawaz, or else the state itself would become a complainant in this case.

He said the tragedy concerning Dr Shahnawaz was not a new phenomenon as earlier a provincial governor had been killed under the same charge. The CM assured media persons that his government would conduct a thorough probe into this case. He added that handing down punishments to the culprits was the duty of the courts.

He informed the media that the Sindh inspector general of police had been asked to conduct a psychological examination of the policemen deputed to perform sensitive guard duties to prevent such incidents.

Responding to another query, he said there was no question concerning the integrity of Sindh as his province would remain a unified entity forever. He said the Karachi Press Club was not a new place for the PPP’s leadership. Shah recalled that the late Benazir had launched her movement against the past dictatorial regime in the country from the press club.

He said the media and the press club were like the fourth pillar of the state in the eyes of the PPP leadership. He said that his government would fulfil his commitment to resolving the issues of KPC members.