KARACHI, Jan 11: Sindh Chief Minister Sardar Ali Muhammad Mahar has claimed that the law and order situation in the province is satisfactory and stern steps are being taken to eliminate the lawlessness prevailing in the upper Sindh.
During a briefing to a 90-member delegation of the participants of the Armed Forces War Course 2003-04 at the Chief Minister's House here on Saturday night, he asserted that the local government system had met success despite many problems and differences.
He the coalition government in the province had successfully completed its first year in office and was taking all possible measures to redress the problems of the masses.
He thanked President Musharraf for holding elections on time and handing over the power to elected representatives. "No government can provide hundreds of thousands of jobless people with employment opportunities," he said and added that despite limited resources the government of Sindh had initiated the process of giving jobs. He expressed the hope that with increase in investment in the province there would be reduction in the unemployment level.
Mr Mahar said his government was paying full attention to promotion of education in the province and in that regard better planning was being carried out. "A number of facilities are being provided particularly for girls' education, including free tuition, books, scholarships and food, so that the literacy rate can be raised and the province can see prosperity," he told the delegation.
Talking about the progress made in the health sector, he said that dialysis machines had been provided in district hospitals. "District hospitals would be upgraded and all modern facilities would be provided there in order to make available medical facilities to poor patients near their homes," he said.
Corps Commander, Lt-Gen Tariq Wasim Ghazi, praised the performance of the CM saying that he was working hard for handling the affairs of Sindh which was "a province which is immensely difficult to run."
Sindh Chief Secretary Dr Mutawakkil Kazi gave a briefing about the overall situation of the province. Additional Chief Secretary Development, Ghulam Sarwer Khero, Additional Chief Secretary Local Government, Saleem Khan and IGP Sindh Syed Kamal Shah briefed the CM on developments in their respective fields.
The corps commander presented a shield to the chief minister on the occasion. Additional Chief Secretary Interior, Syed Anwar Hyder and Provincial Minister for Zakat, Usher and Auqaf, Dr Irfan Gul Magsi were also present on the occasion.-PPI
