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DADU/HYDERABAD: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday described Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) leader Syed Mustafa Kamal’s desire of ruling over Sindh as his wishful thinking, saying that the party had not yet grown big enough.
He was responding to similar questions posed by media personnel at Sehwan airport, Dadu residence of MNA Rafiq Jamali and Bhuttos’ mausoleum in Larkana after Mr Kamal, addressing his party’s public meeting in Karachi on Sunday, claimed that the PSP would sweep the next election and become in a position to bring in its own chief minister.
“It may be the desire of any party to rule over the country or a province but it takes time, requires long struggle and demands great sacrifices to win over voters; the PSP has a long way to go,” he told local reporters at Mr Jamali’s residence, Jamali House, which he visited to offer his condolences to the bereaved family over the death of the MNA’s brother, SSP Farooq Jamali. Gianchand Esrani, Mukesh Kumar Chawla, Fayyaz Ali Butt, Imdad Pitafi, Syed Ghulam Jilani and MPA Dr Sajeela Leghari accompanied the CM.
Mr Shah also rejected Mr Kamal’s allegations of his government’s failure to provide adequate and safe drinking water to Karachiites and ensure proper sanitation in Karachi as well as providing or accepting wrong census figures of Karachi and other parts of Sindh to the federal authorities. He said the allegations were merely an attempt to undermine the popularity of his government and the ruling party.
“Parties like the PSP, PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf) and the alliances like the GDA (Grand Democratic Alliance) use to emerge only in election season,” he remarked, and argued that “why they always become active a little before elections and fall into slumber after suffering a defeat?”
He advised the GDA components and other parties to work for the betterment of the province and its people round the year and every year if they could compete with the PPP.
Rebutting Mr Kamal’s allegation of neglecting Karachi in terms of development, sanitation and other civic issues, the chief minister said that the city had descended into such a state after Mustafa Kamal became its mayor. “This is a fact known to everyone,” he added. He said the mayor had done no good for Karachi during his entire tenure.
CM Shah also commented on the recent series of public meetings organised by the PTI in Sindh.
“Its activity is restricted to the venues of such gatherings; the party will realise its real strength when the election results will emerge,” he said.
He argued that the PPP will seek votes on the basis of its excellent performance while others had only slogans and speeches to show to the public.
In reply to a question about the position of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Mr Shah observed that the party had yet to decide even who would be its prime minister.
“While Nawaz Sharif stands disqualified, an alternative prime minister has been brought in and at the same time the next prime minister is named for a future dispensation,” he pointed out. In such a situation, all party chapters were in fix as to whom they should follow, he said.
Speaking to reporters in Sehwan and Larkana, the chief minister also commented on police action against teachers at a recent demonstration in Karachi.
He said the matter being agitated by them had already been sort out. He said holding protests was a democratic right of aggrieved people but they should not defy the law. He said protests should not be held in a prohibited area to avoid such an action.
An inquiry would, however, be held into the incident, he said. He said the protesters should also exercise restraint.
He observed that certain political parties were unnecessarily meddling in such matters. “I don’t want to name such parties,” he said.
Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2017
