KARACHI: Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Khwaja Izhar-ul-Hasan has warned the government of serious riots in the city if the water issue is not resolved, saying the provincial government despite spending Rs650 billion has failed to solve the city’s water problem. Even the government scheme of water supply through tankers had failed to provide relief to people due to corruption, he added.

The month of Ramazan was approaching but the government had not taken proper measures to improve water supply in the harsh summer, he said, adding that the Sindh government would be responsible if water riots broke out.

He said his party had also informed Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad and the Corps Commander of Karachi about the water crisis.

Shadow budget to be presented on 15th

Mr Hasan, who was speaking at a press conference on Friday here in the assembly building with Muttahida Qaumi Movement Parliamentary Party leader Syed Sardar Ahmad and other lawmakers, also announced that the MQM would present a shadow budget on May 15.

“We informed the chief minister about the water crisis through a letter, because if we call on him he does not pay heed to the issues except offering a cup of tea nor respond to our letters.”

He asked what was the outcome of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) probe into the Rs200 billion corruption in water projects and why all government institutions had kept mum over it despite MQM’s written request to the Rangers and the National Accountability Bureau in this regard.

The leader of opposition said it seemed as if there were more than one chief minister in Sindh.

He said Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah sought prime minister’s response on Panama Papers allegations, but did not ask the chief minister of Sindh about corruption allegations against the provincial government and ministers.

MQM leader Syed Khalid Ahmad said there were for major water projects for which millions of rupees had been allocated but not a single penny had been spent on their implementation. Meanwhile, Syed Sardar Ahmad said that the MQM would present its shadow budget on May 15. The party would not favour any new tax when there was already enough price hike and unemployment, he said.

Published in Dawn, May 7th, 2016