NAWABSHAH: A day after facing a strong reaction from Muttahida Qaumi Movement lawmakers in the Sindh Assembly over his serious allegation of an ‘attack on CM House’ by MQM activists, Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has expressed his confidence that the party will soon join the ruling coalition led by him.

Speaking to journalists here on Wednesday after inaugurating a pilot project for the lining of the main Rohri Canal on the outskirts of the city on Wednesday, Mr Shah acknowledged that the PPP-MQM relations were tense at the moment but expressed his optimism that the tension would die down ‘very soon’.

“The doors for dialogue always remain open in politics,” he argued when some journalists referred to his outburst over the alleged attack and the MQM’s strong reaction leading to acrimonious scenes in the house on Tuesday.

The chief minister spoke of the favours he extended to the MQM to keep the relationship sound, saying that lands for the establishment of two universities proposed to be named after MQM chief Altaf Hussain had been allotted to the estranged coalition partner ‘within a single day’ when requisitioned.

In reply to a question, he insisted that what he uttered in the assembly was truth. “I spoke what was truth and if anyone does not like it, I can’t help as truth remains truth and it can be bitter, too.”

Answering another question, he said that he was unaware of any contacts between Mr Hussain and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on the MQM’s rejoining the government.

Regarding media reports about PPP-Parliamentarians president Makhdoom Amin Fahim’s recent meeting with former president Pervez Musharraf, Mr Shah repeat­ed his party’s explanation and said neither the Makhdoom was going to leave the party nor was there any grouping emerging within the PPP.

Regarding PPP opponents’ protests over the sugar cane price, the chief minister said that his government fixed and notified the rate at Rs182 per 40 kgs as desired by cane growers.

“The rate will remain the same until the Supreme Court verdict on a relevant plea is issued,” he added.

On the occasion, the chief minister announced a grant of Rs500,000 for the Nawabshah Press Club. Minister for Information and Local Government Sharjeel Inam Memon also announced a matching grant for the club.

Mr Shah said that his government was serious about ensuring quality education in the province and for this purpose four bills were passed into law in the assembly within a day.

He told the journalists that on a directive of the PPP co-chairman, the provincial government launched the pilot project for the lining of Rohri Canal from the Chanessar regulator to Sakrand regulator. When completed, the project would help save 194 cubic feet water and irrigate 65,000 acres.

He said the project, started at an estimated cost of Rs3.44 billion, was scheduled to be complete Jan 31. More such projects would be launched to save water and irrigate barren lands in the province, he added.

He said that such projects would also help contain water-logging and salinity.

Mr Shah that Sindh had produced a bumper wheat crop this year and was now in a position to export wheat.

“This has also brought financial benefits to wheat growers,” he said.

Finance Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, MPAs Syed Fasih Shah and Ghulam Qadir Chandio, Haji Ali Hassan Zardari and other PPP leaders were also present.

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2015

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