HYDERABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will address a historic public meeting and a convention of party workers here tomorrow and will speak to a select gathering.

This was stated by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Sindh senior vice president Shah Mohammad Shah while speaking at a press conference in the local press club on Sunday.

Mr Shah rejected criticism of the PM that he had bothered to pay attention to Sindh at the fag end of his tenure, arguing that Mr Sharif had paid many visits to the province in the past.

“Mr Sharif firmly believes that Sindh is the province that has created Pakistan. It’s Mr Sharif who had given Sindh the 1991

Water Apportionment Accord. The PPP had opposed it in the Council of Common Interests but later conceded that it’s a fine award,” said Mr Shah. He said the PML-N would never compromise on Sindh’s integrity.

The PML-N leader described that Urdu-speaking Sindhis as ‘true sons of the soil’, saying that they were rightly proud of their forefathers’ sacrifices for this country. He said those who were showing signs of remorse over creation of this country would know about their worth in the 2018 elections.

Mr Shah said that the prime minister would also visit Jacobabad, Naushahro Feroze, Larkana and Tharparkar as he had shared his programme with the media earlier. He said Mr Sharif did not have any deal with the PPP but he was honouring the Charter of Democracy he had signed with slain PPP leader Benazir Bhutto under which he had committed not to derail the democratic process.

Mr Shah observed that it was the apex court that took notice of contaminated drinking water being supplied to people in Sindh “because Asif Zardari’s government had destroyed all canals on the right and left sides of the Indus”.

Without naming anyone, the PML-N leader remarked that ‘Baba-i-corruption’ and former estate agent had now returned to Hyderabad in a caravan. “And his friend Nisar Khuhro — who had distributed sweets in Larkana on [Z.A.] Bhutto’s hanging — is discussing census,” he added.

Senator Saleem Zia told reporters that the Sharif government rightly claimed the credit of restoring peace in Karachi. “The [Rangers-led] operation in Karachi was launched when Nawaz Sharif decided to take on terrorists; otherwise it was a business as usual in the provincial capital over the last 25 years,” he said.

Mr Zia said that Mr Sharif had so far paid 22 visits to Sindh “but ‘friends’ have opened their eyes only now to see him here”.

Senator Nehal Hashmi also spoke at the press conference.

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2017