Sindh opposition for deferring removal of IGP till LB polls

KARACHI: The joint opposition in Sindh has demanded that the incumbent Sindh Inspector General of Police should not be removed till holding of the forthcoming local government elections.

The Opposition politicians and lawmakers belonging to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Grand Democratic Alliance, and Muttahida Quami Movement made the demand while addressing a press conference after meeting with Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, here at Governor House.

Speaking on the occasion, Leader of Opposition in Sindh Assembly PTI's Firdous Shamim Naqvi said that Sindh chief minister was not willing to hold talks with the Opposition so the were forced to meet the governor. He said that the Sindh governor was the representative of the federation in the province.

Naqvi said the Opposition did not want the police to be used for political interference and the incumbent IGP being a neutral officer should not be removed from his post. He alleged that the incumbent chief secretary of the province was unable to discharge his duties independently.

He said that Sindh CM, chief secretary, and entire provincial cabinet were responsible for the numerous civic problems in the province including transportation and sanitation. The leader of the opposition said that the reputation of Sindh CM had been tainted after he was named in the inquiries conducted by the joint investigation team (in mega money-laundering scandal) and the National Accountability Bureau was under obligation to either absolve the Sindh CM of the charges of corruption or arrest him.

GDA leader Dr Zulfiqar Mirza said that the incumbent IGP should not be removed for not fulfilling someone's personal desires. He said that the Opposition would support such an IG who doesn’t act as the government's “commission agent”.

Another GDA leader Irfanullah Marwat said that during their meeting with the Sindh governor, the corrupt practices in the Sindh government also came under discussion. He said the incumbent chief secretary works like a deputy secretary in Sindh government.

Safdar Abbasi said that authorities of Sindh governor were being snatched away by the provincial government which was a condemnable act. PTI’s MPA Haleem Adil Shaikh said that they had apprised the Sindh governor that the people of the province should not be left at the mercy of the incompetent rulers.

He said that Sindh government had failed to discharge its duties to serve masses in the education and health sectors. He said students at the government-run schools didn’t get textbooks while patients at the government hospitals could not get medicine.