KARACHI: Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) chief Pir Pagara Sibghatullah Shah Rashdi has urged the opposition parliamentary groups in the Sindh Assembly to do homework regarding problems faced by people in the province so that relevant issues could effectively be raised in the house.

Pir Pagara was talking to a Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) delegation led by Firdaus Shamim Naqvi, which called on him at his residence Kingri House here on Thursday after his (Naqvi’s) nomination as leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly by the opposition parliamentary groups.

He assured the PTI team that whoever highlighted the pressing issues of people with courage, he would get his full support and cooperation.

He also advised Mr Naqvi not to restrict himself only to Karachi and Hyderabad, but being leader of the opposition also pay visit to the interior of the province where people in villages and towns were affected by grave problems. His first-hand knowledge of their sufferings would help him project public issues in the house to mitigate difficulties and provide relief to them, he added.

Pir Pagara said: “Our concern and interest [is] progress and prosperity of the country and we are keen to see the problems resolved so that people could get some relief and could benefit from the fruit of independence and democracy in the country.”

Those who welcomed the delegation included Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) central leader Pir Sadruddin Rashdi, along with Dr Zulfikar Mirza, MPA Hasnain Mirza, Arif Mustafa Jatoi, Nand Kumar Goklani, Dr Rafique Bhanban, Qazi Shamsuddin Rajar and others.

They said the people of Sindh had pinned a lot of hopes and expectations on the opposition, adding that: “We are confident that Firdaus Naqvi would take all parliamentary groups on the opposition benches along and promote mutual faith and cooperation”.

Published in Dawn, September 8th, 2018