LARKANA: Sindh Senior Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Food Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, who is also the provincial president of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), on Friday said that local government representatives were enjoying all powers delegated to them by the Sindh Assembly under the relevant law.

Clearly referring to the Karachi mayor but without mentioning the slot or name, Mr Khuhro in unequivocal terms said “he should forget about getting the powers that the [Karachi] mayor had enjoyed during days of military dictator General Pervez Musharraf”.

He was speaking to the media after visiting the sites of various ongoing development schemes in Larkana city.

Mr Khuhro accused the [Altaf Hussain-led] Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) of the past of neglecting Malir, Lyari and other such areas while its elected representatives had been enjoying full powers for development and other purposes. Contrary to that, he added, the PPP had been carrying out development works across the board.

He said the PPP would emerge victorious in Karachi in the next general elections, pointing out that the party’s reorganisation process at UC level was now in its final phase.

The senior PPP leader said those talking about the division of Sindh themselves stood divided and those who were thinking on these lines could achieve this [Sindh division] only in dreams. “Sindh cannot be divided in our life ... we strongly oppose naming Karachi and Sindh as separate entities ... Karachi is [an] inseparable part of Sindh,” he said.

Mr Khuhro said that the revenue generated by the Karachi port was meant for Sindh and not Karachi alone, and criticised those who had always been presenting a wrong interpretation in this regard.

Recalling that it was Sindh that had welcomed Mohajirs with open arms, he asked a certain group to desist from sowing hatred among people on ethnic lines. “We cannot afford hearing anything against Sindh,” he warned.

In reply to a question, the Sindh PPP chief said that the Centre was subjecting this province to excesses by constantly avoiding announcement of the new National Finance Commission (NFC) Award and denying Sindh its due share in the previous award.

‘PM better step down now’

Mr Khuhro observed that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should better step down to pave the way for a ‘clean’ premier so as to ensure completion of assemblies’ terms. Otherwise, he warned, he [Nawaz Sharif] might not find a narrow exit [route] to escape.

He said the country could not afford [intervention by] an undemocratic force; the PPP stood by continuation of democracy in the country.

“It makes no difference if one PM goes and another one comes in,” said Mr Khuhro, and advised Mr Sharif to bring his successor from within his party until he came clear in the Panama Papers case.

Observing that the prime minister was currently trapped in a blind alley, Mr Khuhro guessed that his party [Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz] might come up with a strategy to get him a safe exit through calling early elections. In the same breath, the senior PPP leader said: “We will not let the PML-N escape”.

Mr Khuhro was of the view that if the PM got the National Assembly dissolved before time, the provincial assemblies would remain intact.

Free wheat distribution in Thar

Answering another question, the minister said that free wheat distribution in Tharparkar would commence on Saturday (June 24). He said each deserving family would be getting 100kg of wheat free of cost. A total of 287,964 registered families living in the drought-hit areas of Tharparkar district would benefit from the scheme in its next phase, beginning on Saturday, he added.

Ceremony

MITHI: PPP MNA Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani, speaking to Dawn on Friday said that Food Minister Nisar Khuhro will inaugurate the 11th phase of wheat distribution on Saturday and would also address a big public gathering after the in inauguration ceremony.

He said that Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had sanctioned an amount of Rs973.403 million for the scheme. He expressed the hope that Thar region would soon receive rainfall, which would enable Tharis to cultivate their traditional crops.

Dr Malani said that coal projects would usher in an era of unprecedented development and prosperity in the desert region.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2017