CM, governor discuss Sindh’s law and order, uplift projects

In a surprise move, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah met Sindh Governor Imran Ismail at the Governor House on Wednesday, a day after the Pakistan Peoples Party’s candidate defeated the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in the by-election for the National Assembly’s constituency in Ghokti.

A handout issued by the Governor House said the meeting took into consideration the overall law and order situation of Sindh and the ongoing development projects in the province.

Governor Ismail said on the occasion that timely completion of the development projects would ensure provision of the best civic facilities to the people of the province.

It is worth mentioning here that the relations between the governor and the CM had touched the lowest ebb last month when the former, before the presentation of the provincial budget, had not signed a summary sent by the latter to summon the session of the provincial assembly. Instead, the treasury lawmakers submitted a requisition to the PA secretariat to convene the session.

On Wednesday the governor also met Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan. The meeting took into consideration the overall situation of Sindh and the federally-funded development projects under way in the province.

Speaking on the occasion, he said PM Imran Khan’s visit to the US was one of the most successful foreign visits by any Pakistani head of government.

He said the visit would improve the relations between Pakistan and the US as well as promote foreign investment in the country, adding that Pakistan was considered an important country in the region, providing attractive prospects for foreign investment.

The meeting between the governor and the PM’s aide also considered the issue of just distribution of water among the farmers as well as other issues of Sindh’s growers.

The governor said the federal government had been providing the utmost assistance for the development of Karachi, while Dr Firdous said that development of Karachi meant the development of the entire country.

Meanwhile, the governor said at a news conference that the PM’s visit to the US was one of the most successful visits in the history of the country and that it concluded on a very positive note.

Ismail said that Khan was the first-ever PM to start his discussion with the Kashmir dispute and its resolution, adding that the premier had won the hearts of Kashmiris by taking up their issue with US President Donald Trump. The governor said the PM did not ask the US for any financial assistance for the Pakistan, but he rather stressed on increasing trade with America.

Ismail said the US was ready to open its market for Pakistan, adding that Trump had agreed to enhance trade with Pakistan, and that it had been witnessed for the first time that a Pakistani PM asked America to increase trade. The governor said the PM also offered the exchange of Dr Afia Siddiqui with Shakeel Afridi.

Ismail said that there were times when Pakistani leadership were not accorded the due honour during their visit to the US, but things had changed now, adding that due to the honest leadership in Pakistan, the people of the country were also being respected. “It was for the first time that a US president praised the Pakistani nation.”

The governor claimed that the opposition was making efforts to prove the PM’s visit a failure. In the past our leadership did not even dare to raise Kashmir and other issues in the UN. “During his visit, Imran Khan stayed in the embassy and did not use luxury limousines for travelling there.”