KARACHI/SUKKUR: The Sindh government on Saturday termed unconstitutional the formation of a Karachi Transforma­tion Committee by Prime Minister Imran Khan, saying that only the provincial government was constitutionally authorised to take such executive measures.

“In accordance with the Constitution, all the executive matters of a province are to be looked after by the provincial government alone,” said Murtaza Wahab, adviser to the Sindh chief minister on information and law, while speaking at a press conference. “No matter how many committees the prime minister forms, all these committees would be headed by the chief minister of the province and not the governor.”

He said it was the chief minister who was constitutionally the chief executive of a province, and not the governor.

He said Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah was not invited to any of the events attended by the PM during his Sindh visit.

Khursheed Shah says the PTI govt caused a tsunami of inflation in the country

“Probably [had the CM been invited] Shah sahib would have raised questions about the outstanding dues, supremacy of the Constitution, National Finance Commission Award, and [province’s] rights over gas and electricity; that’s why he was not invited,” said Mr Wahab.

He said only those who belonged to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation had attended the event of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf at Bagh Ibne Qasim. He added that the Sindh government had announced a Karachi package and implemented it in letter and spirit.

‘Grand development’

“The renovation of Cantonment Station and roads in its surroundings, revamping of Sharea Faisal, construction of underpasses and overhead bridges on it, revamping of University Road and Tariq Road were a few examples of the grand development works carried out by the Sindh government under the package.”

Barrister Wahab said the Sindh chief minister had demanded 650 million gallons per day of water for Karachi in a meeting of the Council of Common Interests, but he found no positive response from Islamabad. “Even the federal minister for water and power has admitted on the floor of the National Assembly about stealing water from the share of Sindh.”

He said the structure of the Green Line Project was also in doldrums despite the fact that seven months had passed since the PM had promised to complete the project.

“What the people of Pakistan have been given during the last eight months of the PTI rule is hike in prices of every single utility.”

He said they had “once again fooled the people of Sindh” through “ridiculously glorified dreams”.

He also demanded that the federal government should not take charge of the health facilities of Sindh as the provincial government was capable of running those facilities in a much better way.

‘Tsunami of inflation’

Speaking in Sukkur, PPP leader Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah has prayed to Allah Almighty to save Sindh, the land of Sufi saints, from the “shar” (mischief) of Imran Khan, alleging that he has caused a tsunami of inflation in the country.

Giving examples, he said a scheme in Peshawar that was to cost Rs40 billion would now cost Rs100bn. He said something that cost Re1 earlier has now reached up to Rs5. He said it was to be investigated that how the rate of the dollar had increased “overnight”, who benefited from it and how the billions of rupees in the shape of dollars had gone abroad.

Talking to the media at his Sukkur residence on Saturday, he demanded that the federal finance minister resign as he had failed to lower inflation as he had promised.

Mr Shah said they were talking about the 10 years of PPP rule, but they were not talking about Gen Pervez Musharraf’s regime which was to blame for the dismal economic situation of the country. He said they did not talk about retired Gen Musharraf because a big part of his cabinet was part of the present government.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2019