SUKKUR: Leader of the Opposi­tion in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah has said that even after splitting in factions, the strings of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) are still being pulled by Altaf Hussain and all the factions are loyal to him.

He was answering a question while speaking to the media after laying the foundation stone of a new building of Agha Badaruddin Law College here late on Saturday evening.

Several reporters insisted on giving a tip about the caretaker chief executive of the country after completion of the incumbent government’s tenure by the end of this month, but Mr Shah said he would not divulge the agreed upon name of the caretaker prime minister.

He said that he would not disclose the name to protect him from unnecessary media attention and attacks though media was trying its best to get him to disclose the name. They had done their best to propose name of such a person who was acceptable to the entire nation, said Mr Shah.

He said that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was participating in protests against acute water shortage in Sindh. It was his government’s responsibility redress sufferings of people because it had taken votes, he said.

Mr Shah said that despite existence of a great river in the province growers were thirsting for even a drop of water.

They were getting desperate as they had no irrigation water and their crops were drying, he added.

He said the PPP would hold a sit-in in Hyderabad on May 16 in which a large number of growers would also participate to raise demand for water.

He said that it was sad that the standard of education in the country was steadily going down instead of improving.

New colleges had been opened at the taluka level but standard of their faculties was not up to the mark, he said.

He said the three-storied building of law college was being constructed at an estimated cost of Rs100 million in which a large number of students from Sukkur and its surrounding areas would get education of law.

He said that he still stood by his statement that healthcare facilities in Sukkur were far better than Europe, adding that those who were criticising his statement should first visit the NICVD hospital and then share their experience.

Sukkur Mayor Barrister Arsalan Islam Shaikh said that Mr Shah had submitted an application for the establishment of a law college at the time when he was a student.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2018