Moula Bux Chandio says ‘alliance of frustrated elements not a threat to PPP’

Federal govt victimising us: Qaim 

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has said that the federal government behaved democratically during the first one-and-a-half years of its tenure, but later it unleashed a policy of confrontation and political victimisation.

“They started harassing our ministers, officers and elected representatives.” He was talking to the media at the CM House here on Sunday. He was flanked by Secretary Health, Saeed Mangnijo.

The chief minister said that the federal government had functioned democratically during the first one-and-a-half years of its tenure. It gave space to the provincial governments to work freely for implementation of their policies and manifestos but I am “sorry to say then it started a policy of victimisation. They have harassed our ministers, elected representatives and government officers without any solid or tangible evidence,” he said and added that nothing had been found so far but it was just harassment.

Talking about MNA Mir Munawar Talpur, the chief minister said that he had never been in any government office during both the PPP government tenures, federal or provincial. But even then a reference has been filed against him. “He is an extremely polite person and mostly lives in his village to serve his people, but even then a baseless case has been filed against him,” he claimed.

Replying to a question, Syed Qaim Ali Shah said that he was thankful to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that he had invited him along with his delegation to Islamabad and listened to him patiently and agreed to his issues. “Pointing to Mr Chaudhry Nisar, the prime minister said that he would visit us within a week and redress all our grievances,” he said and added that he was still waiting for the visit but Nisar had not contacted him directly.

Talking about the achievements of his government, he said that the new NFC Award in which multiple criteria was accepted was his great feat. “It was I who convinced the prime minister and others that sales tax on services was a provincial subject and the provincial government should be allowed to collect it on its own,” he said.

The chief minister said that today the Sindh Revenue Board stands as a great revenue collecting organisation which had collected Rs60 billion last year and Inshallah it would collect Rs70 billion this year. This is another feat of his government, he said.

Syed Qaim Ali Shah said that he restored law and order in the province with joint efforts and sacrifices of police and Rangers. “We created more than 150,000 job opportunities, developed road networks all over Sindh, established nine universities, introduced the Public Private Partnership concept and launched mega-projects and will celebrate the Sindh government-Engro Coal-fired Power Plant and so many other achievements.

“We do not need certificates from our opponents, but we are answerable to Almighty Allah, our people and to our leadership,” he said.Replying to a question about the so-called grand alliance, the Sindh chief minister said that it was not a new thing but similar alliances had always been formed against the PPP and its governments but “the people of this province have always rejected them.”

He added he had no such expectation from Pir Sahib Pagara. “He addresses me as uncle and then leads such an alliance which without any solid argument criticizes my government,” he said.      

Talking about Arbab Ghulam Rahim, Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah asked what he done for Thar when he was the Sindh’s chief minister.

“He did nothing for poverty alleviation [in Thar] even during the days of drought. He gave wheat to the people of Thar at 50 percent price and on discrimination basis and ignored the extremely poor Hindu community.

“Now, he is criticising my government,” he said and added that he has protected his provincial assembly seat from where he was absent since long. Syed Qaim Ali Shah further said that when an assembly member remains absent from the House for 40 days, he is liable to be unseated.

“But we accommodated him and kept granting him leave but he has forgotten each and every favour my government has given him,” he said and added that there were many cases against him but his government were not pursuing them.

Replying to a question about the nominated mayor of Karachi Waseem Akhtar’s argument which he gave during a talk show that the PPP government was sending funds of Karachi to Dubai, the chief minister said that he was surprised over such an absurd statement.

“If I would retaliate to him in the same coin, he would not be able to answer. His statement is baseless and we have served Karachi and its people selflessly,” he said and added that “the Sindh government has been paying salaries to a huge number of KMC and water board employees they appointed in their tenure. We have constructed flyovers in Karachi, and we have always been financially supporting the local bodies of Karachi without any discrimination. Presently, more than Rs42 billion development works are going on in Karachi even though those [MQM] who have always been in government are criticizing the Sindh government.” 

The chief minister, who hosted a reception for a visiting delegation of China Medical Association (CMA) and their host, the Pakistan Medical Association, said that China had the expertise in manufacturing medicines and their raw material while Pakistan, especially the doctors of Sindh, were experts in surgery.

“We can take benefit from their expertise. The visit of CMA is a milestone in the creation of a medical corridor along with the ongoing economic corridor,” the chief minister said.

Meanwhile, speaking on the occasion, the adviser to the Sindh chief minister on information, Moula Bux Chandio said that it is on record that not a single case based on ill-will or political grudge was framed against anyone during the past tenures of Benazir Bhutto and during the previous tenure of the PPP and not a single political worker was in jail.

He said that the PPP had always been open to accountability but there should be no political revenge on the pretext of accountability.

Chandio said that a pack of frustrated elements had formed an alliance against the PPP. “These elements have been elected but their victory in elections has always been engineered so that they could be used against the PPP. The PPP does not have any threat from such a pack of frustrated elements because they do not carry the people’s mandate.”