SUKKUR: Federal Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has said that corruption has been committed on so massive a scale in the country that one National Accountability Bureau cannot deal with it and at least 10 NABs are required to handle graft cases.

The minister told media persons at Circuit House here on Monday evening that no government would like to take unpopular decisions within its first 45 days in power and add to people’s difficulties but this government had no other recourse. It had to deal with the mess left by the previous government which ultimately caused sudden rise in inflation, he said.

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf made history as its government did not use state machinery in election to ensure its candidates’ win for the first time in the country’s chequered electoral past, he said.

He said that those who were responsible for the mess were accusing the new government of damaging the country and talking about justice, corruption and development. The “thieves” who usurped public money were now posing as innocent and honest persons, he said.

Mr Ahmed said that former leader of the opposition in National Assembly Khursheed Ahmed Shah was chairman of Public Accounts Committee in the previous government and he did nothing to uncover the government’s graft scandals. How was it possible that such a person would do accountability of his own government for 22 years, he said, adding that Sukkur was a beautiful city but an “ugly politician” had made it ugly.

He said that shuttle trains would be plied for labourers in Karachi and Hyderabad and industrial zones might be set up along railway stations. A summary for 10,000 new recruitments in the department was forwarded to the federal government but 2,000 were approved while he planned to provide 50,000 jobs in the department, he said.

Mr Ahmed said that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to China would be historic and successful. Railways was an important part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, he added.

Economy going from bad to worse: Khursheed

Pakistan Peoples Party senior leader and MNA Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah has said that the country’s economy is going from bad to worse due to wrong policies of the new government and he has offered Imran Khan to sit with him and talk on how to achieve a turnaround of economy.

He told journalists at his residence here on Monday that the country had been presented to Imran Khan on a platter but the outcome of his unpopular policies had already made themselves felt in by-election.

He said that Rs20 jump in dollar rate within a day was beyond comprehension. Its reasons would be unearthed soon.

Mr Shah said that although the government had a thin majority PPP assured that it would cooperate with it and not create any hurdle to its smooth running. This government was going to create bigger scandals than the Ashiyana housing scheme, he said.

He said that PML-N’s Asif Kirmani was just now talking about thrusting of PTI on the country while PPP had been referring to it all along since the party’s advent.

Mr Shah said that chief Justice of Pakistan was a respectable person and he would not dare call him Baba Rahmatay but if justice was done selectively it would be harmful.

He said that he had talked to speaker of National Assembly about getting Shahbaz Sharif protective bail and he was assured of it. He would once again talk to him in the upcoming assembly session, he said.

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2018