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Tuesday March 19, 2024

Naya Pakistan against ideology of country’s founders, says CM

By Our Correspondent
October 17, 2019

Those who believe in the ideology of ‘Naya Pakistan’ have taken the country on the wrong track as they are denying employment opportunities to its people.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said this on Wednesday as he spoke to the media after paying respect to Quaid-e-Millat Liaquat Ali Khan by laying a floral wreath on his grave on the occasion of his 68th death anniversary.

The CM said Allama Iqbal had dreamt of Pakistan and his dream was actualised by Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, after which its foundations were developed by Quaid-e-Millat. He added that later Zulfikar Ali Bhutto strengthened the country by providing it its constitution and his daughter Benazir led it to the way of prosperity but the current federal government was trying to undo all their efforts.

Shah was accompanied by his cabinet members Imtiaz Shaikh, Murtaza Baloch and Murtaza Wahab.

To a question, the CM said the current Pakistan was not the country which Iqbal had visualised and Quaid-e-Azam founded. “Now, that Pakistan is nowhere but the Pakistan that the PTI has established is that where people are being laid off, square meals are being snatched from the poor by unleashing tsunami of price-hike and those who served this country have been put in jails,” he said.

In response to another question about the Sindh government’s alleged plan to rename Karachi, the CM said it was all rumour and his government had no such plans. “Why will we change the name [of Karachi]? This is our city and it is known all over the world,” he said, urging the media to find out the person or the group that had spread the rumour.

Talking about the garbage lifting work, the CM said around 300,000 tons of trash had been lifted so far from Karachi and the remaining garbage would be lifted by the deadline of October 21 set by him. “This city has great potential but we all have to strengthen each other for its beautification and peace [and to make] it a seat of educational and cultural activities,” he remarked.

Shah said in order to make the cleanliness mechanism sustainable, he had taken all the DMCs on board. “We are giving them [DMCs] funds for the repair of their machinery used for cleaning work,” he said. He added that cleanliness work of the city was above politics.

Talking about the K-IV bulk water supply project for Karachi, the CM said the Sindh governor might not have knowledge of the efforts being made by the Sindh government to complete the project by making necessary changes in its design.

“K-IV is the most important project for this city and it had some design faults on which we are working,” Shah said and added that the report of Nespak on the project had been discussed in a meeting with Federal Minister Khusro Bakhtiar. “This is a wrong impression that the provincial government has shelved K-IV project,” he clarified.

The CM explained that apart from removing defects in the design of the K-IV project, he was also working to improve the existing system under which around 200 million gallons of water per day would be made available for the city by the middle of the next year.

The sewerage system of the city was being improved and dilapidated roads would be reconstructed or repaired, the CM said. “This is a mega city and its repair and maintenance work must continue round the year.” About the rise in dengue cases, Shah said he had issued necessary instructions for controlling dengue in the city.

Earlier, the CM recorded his impressions in the visitors’ book after he laid a floral wreath on the grave of Liaquat Ali Khan on his 68th death anniversary.

Shah said it was unfortunate that after the death of Quaid-e-Azam, Quaid-e-Millat left us soon. “But his efforts were continued by Shaheed Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto for the development of this country.”