November 04, 2008	Tuesday	Ziqa'ad 5, 1429

SUKKUR, Nov 3: Sindh Information Minister Shazia Marri said on Monday that Sindh would also re-establish commissioner-ate system like the Punjab and the NWFP after making amendments to the district government system to make it more effective, public-oriented and accountable to provincial government.

The minister said at a press conference after addressing an open katchehry at the Circuit House that it had been military dictators’ practice to replace democratic governments with local governments of their choice, which always danced to their tune and helped them perpetuate in rule.

She said that the present government had inherited a sick economy and a massive backlog of unemployment because educated people were denied jobs despite acute need in different departments.

She said that all this mess could not be cleaned overnight and cited a number of measures, which were made to infuse confidence in people. Devolution system had made people confused as they had to run from pillar to post but mainly fail to get their problems solved, she said.

The system had been a great source of corruption and malpractices and it had been used by the Musharraf regime to perpetuate its rule, she said.

She said that the country’s exchequer was almost empty when the government took over reins and held successful negotiations with the IMF without preconditions to seek financial help.

To a question about induction of 41 new ministers in the federal cabinet, the minister said it had been done to fill the ministries that fell vacant in the wake of resignations by PML-N ministers. The government waited for a considerable time in hope they would stage a comeback, she said.