KARACHI, Sept 7: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has held out the assurance that prices of essential and many other commodities will come down “in a few days”.

Speaking at an Iftar dinner hosted by General-Secretary of the Pakistan People’s Party, Sindh, Nafees Siddiqui on Sunday, he maintained that the prices would have come down before the advent of Ramazan had the Sindh Assembly legislation on price control been implemented earlier. “The draft law could not be implemented since Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad was out of the country at that time and could not give his approval,” he said, adding that the governor has since given his approval to make it a law, which would be implemented in a couple of days.

Mr Shah also stated that the issues of Sindh and Balochistan would be taken up soon and resolved accordingly as the PPP leadership had resolved to materialise all the plans chalked out by the party’s found Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and his daughter Benazir Bhutto for the welfare of the poor and downtrodden. “We will be able to meet the challenges being faced by the country at this juncture,” he confidently stated.

The chief minister said that Asif Ali Zardari’s victory in the presidential election was the beginning of a new democratic era in the country during which not only the democratic system would be consolidated but political stability would also be ensured. Considerable relief would be provided to the common man, he added.

He recounted Asif Ali Zardari’s efforts to steer the country out of different crises and prevent it from plunging into a political crisis by opting for a process of reconciliation with all democratic forces.

He said the PPP leadership wanted to see the parliament and constitutional institutions get stronger. “The democratic process that commenced with the Feb 18 general election will complete on Sept 9, when Asif Zardari will be sworn in as head of the state,” he said.

Mr Shah recalled that billions of rupees used to be spent on mustering support for presidential candidates in the past, and pointing out that neither money was spent nor was horse-trading resorted to in the Sept 6 presidential election.

The chief minister also spoke at a ceremony held outside the Bilawal House on Saturday night where fireworks were arranged by PPP activists to celebrate Mr Zardari’s victory.

Minister for Local Government Agha Siraj Durrani, who had organised the ceremony, described Sept 6 as a “lucky day”, saying that the happy occasion had come after years of tribulations.

Earlier, after announcement of the election results at the Sindh Assembly by presiding officer Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, the chief minister visited Pir Pagara and thanked him for extending support to the PPP candidate, Asif Ali Zardari, in the presidential election.

He also visited National People’s Party President Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi to express his gratitude for the party’s support and cooperation to the PPP.

Mr Shah, who was accompanied by Pir Mazharul Haq and other PPP leaders, was welcomed by Dr Abdul Ghaffar Jatoi, Abid Jatoi, Masroor Jatoi and Arif Jatoi. Naeemuz Zaman and Zia Abbas were also present.