KARACHI: The Sindh United Party has appealed to the Urdu-speaking people to establish their natural link with the province and the country they live in instead of paying heed to the vested interests trying to push them again to a dead end, as they have already suffered a lot from the politics of terrorism.

The SUP, whose central executive committee met here at Haider Manzil with its president Syed Jalal Mehmood Shah in the chair on Monday, expressed these views after having deliberations on current political situation with specific reference to developments in the aftermath of August 22 speech of London-based leader of Muttahida Qaumi Movement Altaf Hussain and Sindh chief minister’s move to get NFC award without a fresh census, besides provincial government’s failure to check corruption.

The SUP chief said the stand taken by Altaf Hussain in his August 22nd speech, followed by attack on media houses had brought an end to MQM’s politics as it isolated Altaf Hussain so much that not a single follower was there to endorse his views. The anti-state posture compelled the Urdu-speaking people to disassociate themselves from the MQM which was the failure of the mindset of Altaf Hussain’s politics of terrorism, differentiation, division and encroachment.

Mr Shah said some elements were trying to woo the Urdu-speaking people again for their vested interests. Such idealists ought to have mercy on the innocent Urdu-speaking people who after having suffered a lot due to the politics of terrorism finally got an opportunity to associate themselves with Sindh and Pakistan.

‘NFC award without a fresh census to deprive Sindh of its due share’

About the NFC award, the SUP chief told the media that Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah was making efforts to get the NFC award without having a fresh census. This amounted to deprive the province of Sindh further from its due share from the national kitty, he said. He said the SUP demanded that next NFC award be decided after a fresh census, while the previous formula of NFC award be followed for the award for the coming year.Also, the SUP chief was of the view that a tug of war was going on between the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and the ruling PPP in the country. With its double role of having reconciliation with the PML-N government and at the same time with the PTI, the PPP wanted to take some relief in accountability and corruption in view of the possibility of a change of government, he added.

In reply to a question, he said there was no improvement as far as governance in Sindh was concerned even after the new set-up of the PPP government, as it didn’t bring any relief to the people who had been suffering due to corruption.

Published in Dawn September 6th, 2016