KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minis­ter Syed Murad Ali Shah has said restoration of peace through the Rangers-led targeted operation against terrorists and extortionists in Karachi not only helped check capital flight but also brought new investments.

With the ongoing reconstruction of infrastructure, things are moving properly and putting Sindh on the path of development and prosperity, he told participants of the National Security Workshop held at CM House on Tuesday.

The delegation was led by Rear Admiral Zain Zulfikar, the chief instructor at the National Defence University (NDU). Sindh Ministers Dr Sikandar Mandhro, Jam Mehtab Dahar, Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon, IGP A.D. Khowaja, P&D chairman Mohammed Waseem and provincial secretaries also attended the workshop.

Before the launch of the operation, law and order situation in Karachi had been horrible, which also badly affected routine life and business and development activities, besides having tarnished the city’s soft image, the CM said, adding that the business community, affected and threatened by extortionists, had been shifting their capital and businesses to other countries while every citizen was feeling insecure due to targeted killings.

“I must appreciate Karachiites for courageously facing the situation and extending their unflinching support to government and law enforcement agencies to ensure success of the operation,” he said.

Mr Shah said that now when complete normalcy had returned to the city, multinationals and other foreign investors had been calling him in queues these days and expressing their keen interest in executing their projects in Sindh, more interestingly in rural areas like Thar.

In reply to a question about terror financing, the chief minister explained that acts of terrorism in Karachi were being financed by those who used to collect bhatta (protection money) from industrialists, traders, transporters and others and forcibly collect fitra as well as hides and skins of sacrificial animals.

All such crimes were curbed through the targeted operation, in which not a single innocent life was lost and no disruption in routine life was caused, he said.

Answering another question about census results, Mr Shah expressed his disappointment over federal government’s attitude, saying that it did not incorporate Sindh’s proposals regarding the whole process.

“Had it done so, the results may have been credible ... we have now conveyed our reservation to the Centre and have also formed a technical committee to identify discrepancies in the results,” he added.

The chief minister conceded that his government could not carry out full-scale development in the province. However, he pointed out, reconstruction of infrastructure was being given priority.

Prof Rizvi presents his book to CM

Professor Dr Adibul Hasan Rizvi called on Syed Murad Ali Shah at the CM House on Tuesday to present his book Health is a birthright to the chief minister.

Mr Shah thanked Prof Rizvi and lauded his selfless services to ailing humanity, particularly people of Sindh.

“Your services are beyond borders,” the CM said, and noted that patients from other countries also preferred to receive treatment at SIUT (Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, founded by Prof Rizvi).

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2017