KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party-Parliamentarians chief Asif Ali Zardari has asked Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah to continue ‘reconciliation policy’ and issued instructions to sort out differences among some party leaders over allotment of land to certain builders in Jamshoro district, according to sources.

Mr Zardari urged the chief minister during a one-to-one meeting in Dubai on Tuesday to step up pace of work on ongoing development projects before upcoming general elections, said the sources.

Mr Zardari gave this instruction after having been briefed by the chief minister on his meeting with new prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi immediately after the PML-N leader was sworn in at an oath-taking ceremony in Islamabad.

The sources said that Mr Shah briefed the party chief about his exchange of views with the prime minister regarding working relations with the Centre, issues related to National Finance Commission, loadshedding and shortfall in transfer of the province’s due share in resources. He also briefed Mr Zardari about the stand MQM had taken on the election of new prime minister, said the sources.

They said that it was learnt the PML-N had reportedly promised MQM a berth in the federal cabinet and also offered to announce another development package for Karachi and Hyderabad and expedite work on the ongoing development projects including the Blue Line transport scheme to facilitate commuters in Karachi.

The party chief asked the chief minister to continue reconciliation policy and step up pace of work on the ongoing uplift schemes so that they could be completed at the earliest to facilitate people before upcoming elections.

Mr Zardari, the sources said, gave instructions to sort out differences among some party leaders over allotment of land to certain builders in Jamshoro district.

In this connection, the sources said, PPP leaders, chairman of Jamshoro district council Malik Asad Sikandar and Gayanchand Israni also reached Dubai on Wednesday to meet the party chief and apprise him of their point of view on the land allotment issue.

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2017