June 17, 2008	Tuesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 12, 1429

KARACHI, June 16: Though not launching an all-out assault on the Pakistan People’s Party-led Sindh government, opposition leader in the Sindh Assembly Jam Madad Ali mildly criticized the Qaim Ali Shah-led government for not making any drastic changes for the poor in the new budget.

Interestingly, the opposition leader decided to reserve his criticism for outside the assembly, as he made the comments speaking to reporters after Monday’s session had been adjourned.

“There is nothing drastic. There were some good points and some points we failed to understand. We listened patiently. We have not read the budget documents so we cannot offer a final verdict yet,” said the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional member of parliament, flanked by Arif Jatoi and Abid Jatoi of the National People’s Party.

He claimed that the increases in the health and education allocations would be of no use if the MPAs’ allowances had been increased, as he claimed he had heard that the allowances had been doubled.

He complained of political victimization of opposition workers and urged the Sindh government to put an end to this.

“If we have done something wrong, two wrongs don’t make a right. The PPP should serve the province and not repeat the same mistakes.”

When a questioner asked if this was an admission of the past government’s mistakes, Jam Madad said being human, everyone was fallible.

He complained that the opposition had not been consulted on the budget and referring to the increase in the Sindh police’s allocation, he said the police first needed to improve its performance.

When it was pointed out that during the PPP’s time in opposition the party had labelled the budget announced without the notification of the National Finance Commission (NFC) award unlawful, yet it had done the same thing now that it was in power, Jam Madad Ali sarcastically congratulated the PPP for passing an “unlawful” budget.