KARACHI, June 16: The leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly, Nisar Khuhro, rejected the provincial budget and termed the provincial government’s stand on the National Finance Commission and the Greater Thal Canal project as weak and detrimental to the interest of Sindh.

Speaking at a news conference after the budget session in his assembly chamber, Mr Khuhro alleged that the Sindh government’s feeble stand on crucial issues had resulted in the worsening of law and order and increase in murders and kidnappings.

He deplored the apathy and ineffectiveness of the provincial government in apprehending those who were responsible for the killing of Abdul Raziq Khan and creation of a judicial commission to investigate the matter.

He was critical of the attitude of the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) and the Muttahida Quami Movement in this regard.

He said that without the announcement of the NFC award, the present budget would remain a farce and it would have a serious negative impact on the development of the province.

He said that the Sindh Assembly had demanded a new NFC award under a new formula for allocations. But the assembly’s resolution was ignored by not reconstituting the NFC and announcing a new award.

He also criticized the provincial government’s attitude towards the Greater Thal Canal project and the statements made by the prime minister and the Sindh chief minister in this regard.

Answering a question, he denied that he had given any assurance to the Sindh Assembly’s speaker about the opposition protest. He said that “if the Speaker had said that I had given him any assurance, it is wrong, baseless and misleading”.

He was critical of the speaker’s treatment of the opposition. When asked whether the opposition’s behaviour upheld the dignity of the House or not, Mr Khuhro said that the dignity of the House could not be maintained when unanimously adopted resolutions on the NFC and the Greater Thal Canal project were not honoured.

Mr Khuhro also announced that the opposition would stage a token hunger strike on the bed of the dried-up Indus near Ghulam Mohammad barrage on Tuesday.

Nasrullah Shaji of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal criticized the government, adding that as long as the ruling party did notrespect the aspirations of the people, their protest would continue, both in and out of the assemblies.