Centre working against lockdown in Sindh: PPP

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People’s Party has asked its parliamentary party in Azad Kashmir to join hands with other parties for strong opposition. PPP Secretary General Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari and Central Information Secretary Faisal Karim Kundi said this while addressing a press conference here on Sunday.

The PPP leaders said the most important issue of the country was the growing number of corona cases, adding the federal government's spokespersons were working against the lockdown in Sindh. “The cabinet will be responsible for encouraging the people of Sindh to violate the lockdown,” they said.

They said the "ATMs" in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf were competing to become the prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Nayyar Bukhari alleged that the PTI had brought forward a representative of the Taliban on the seat of Ulema and Mashaikh. “What message are you giving with this decision?” he asked. He said the PTI had won 10 seats in Azad Kashmir elections with the support of the federal government. “Four of our seats have been rigged and even the decision of the Election Commission was not implemented,” he said.

Central Information Secretary Faisal Karim Kundi said the Sindh government had imposed a lockdown for the benefit of the people, adding it was more important to save the lives of people than the economy. “If there is any loss, the federal government will be responsible for it,” he said. He said those talking about cleaning the drains of Sindh should answer about the damage caused by rain in Islamabad.

To a question, he said the NAB-Niazi nexus was known to all in the country, adding the government does not follow the orders of the National Assembly speaker. “The NAB should wake up. We had submitted a file to NAB on BRT but no action has been taken,” he said.

To a question on Afghanistan, Faisal Kundi said whatever policy was made regarding Afghanistan, it should be brought before parliament. He said due to the failed foreign policy of the government, our relations with other countries were not good.

Later, former MPA Mazhar Jamil Ali Zai announced to re-join the PPP, saying that he had returned to the party unconditionally. Meanwhile, Sindh Law and Environment Adviser Barrister Murtaza Wahab has demanded of the federal government to take back the recent hike in the petroleum prices.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Barrister Wahab, who also acts as the spokesman for the Sindh government, appealed to the rulers in Islamabad to review their policies for the sake of people of Pakistan.

Reacting to the increase in petroleum prices, Barrister Wahab said that the federal government had been falsely claiming about strengthening the national economy, adding the federal government had been doing nothing except increasing the financial burden on the poor masses of the country.

He said the issue of price hike and inflation had agnoised the lives of people in the country. He claimed that the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf hadn’t fulfilled a single promise it had made before coming to power. He said the present rulers had come to the power with the promise that they would overcome the issue of price hike but the economic problems of the people were increasing with every passing day. Barrister Wahab said the increase in the prices of petroleum products should immediately be withdrawn in view of the economic sufferings of the masses.

Reacting to a statement of Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar, PPP Central Information Secretary Shazia Atta Marri said people are dying because of the rapid spread of coronavirus, while Imran Khan’s government was busy in dramas.

“God forbid, if the coronavirus pandemic spread at large and if the situation worsens in the country like India, then Prime Minster Imran Khan would be held responsible for it,” she said Shazia Marri said if Asad Umar had competence, he would not have been removed from the post of finance minister. She said the economy is dependent on human health and the entire nation is asking about the received coronavirus funds. “Unfortunately, the country is ruled by a group of incompetent people,” she said. Shazia Marri said that it is a big tragedy for the country that Imran Khan does not understand anything and he was imposed on an important position of prime minister in the country.