BHITSHAH: Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah on Tuesday said that his government has taken-up the “most sensitive issue” of the province – recoveries of dead bodies of Sindhi nationalists – with federal government demanding a probe be launched into the incidents.

He was speaking to media representatives after laying a floral wreath at the shrine of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai on his 271st Urs celebrations here. His advisor on culture and tourism, Sharmila Farooqui, advisor Sarfaraz Rajar and others were present.

“It’s really a sensitive issue for Sindh. We have taken it up at the level of IGP [Sindh] and politically, too,” the CM told a questioner when he was reminded that trend of recovery of mutilated bodies of workers belonging to nationalist parties is developing fast on the pattern of Balochistan, where bodies of missing Baloch political activists are found.

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A number of bodies of Sindhi nationalists mostly belonging to banned Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM), which is working for an independent ‘Sindhudesh’, are recovered in different parts of the province over the last few years.

It has caused anguish among civil society and nationalist parties that seek an end to this trend while arguing that if some Sindhi nationalist forces have different ideological point of views they should be engaged but ‘extra-judicial killings’ of young political activists could not be allowed.

CM Shah regretted that dead bodies of activists should not be found regardless of their association to any political party.

“I have taken it up with federal government and have written to it. I’ll write more on it,” he vowed while saying that law enforcers played a dominant role in combating terrorists and laid down their lives.

“We will try our level best that this trend [recovery of bodies of political activists] should come to an end. He pointed out that law enforcing agencies especially Rangers, who are assisting provincial government on its request to control law and order, have really worked hard to lay hands on terrorists.

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“Many [terrorists] are in jails where they tried to build a tunnel but their attempt was foiled by our forces. We lack expertise and we need modern weapons for our forces,” said Shah, adding that sophisticated weapons are being provided to law enforcers.

Earlier, people in large numbers converged at Bhitshah to participate in Urs celebrations. However, the shrine remained closed since morning today on account of CM Sindh’s visit. Devotees were allowed to visit the shrine after the chief minister left in the evening.

The CM Sindh told a questioner that some pending funds are released by federal government to Sindh after he took it up with federal finance minister. But, he continued, around Rs50 billion to Rs60 billion are yet to be released by the federal government.

He said that he would talk to legal experts in view of recent directive of the apex court on holding of local government elections.

“It’s a lengthy process. Delimitations are to be done and then you know people move courts against certain decisions of delimitations. Even in the past LG polls were held in phases,” he said.

The Supreme Court has directed Punjab and Sindh governments to complete legal process of holding LG elections by December 31.

The local government polls were last held in 2005 on non-party basis during former military rulers Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf’s regime.

The Sindh government has enacted Sindh Local Government Act 2013. PPP and MQM – two major political forces in Sindh – differ over present LG law. MQM had boycotted 2001 non-party basis LG elections but participated in 2005, whereas PPP took part in both elections.