LAHORE: The Sindh chief minister may stop receiving the prime minister when he visits the province in reaction to placing his name in the exit control list by the federal government, says former Punjab governor Makhdoom Ahmed Mahmood.

“The PTI government initiated an unnecessary controversy by placing on ECL the name of Murad Ali Shah, a foreign-educated thorough gentleman and diligent chief executive of Sindh. The treatment meted out to the CM of a smaller federating unit is dangerous for the federation itself,” said Mr Makhdoom.

“Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are already alienated from the centre and now PTI’s follies may distance the Sindh province too,” he cautioned while talking to a group of reporters here on Monday.

Condemning the federal government’s measure, he said Mr Shah may not receive Mr Khan whenever the latter would visit Sindh province and that he (Makhdoom) too, as senior PPP leader, would recommend and support the policy.

Referring to the contacts PTI leaders made with Ali Gohar Mehar of Ghotki to seek support for ousting the PPP from Sindh government, he downplayed the move saying had the PTI been serious it would have tasked Jehangir Khan Tareen, its point-man for winning loyalties.

He said the powers that mattered must also measure sentiments of Sindhis as “maneuvering” of political scene and forming of Grand Democratic Alliance resulted contrary to what had been desired as the PPP got a clear mandate.

Replying to a query about possibilities of political cooperation between the PPP and PML-N, the south Punjab PPP president forecast that “if pushed to the wall democratic forces will ultimately get united for a joint resistance”.

Talking about the opposition parties’ objections to the ongoing accountability process, the ex-governor said neither the PPP nor PML-N was against accountability as both former ruling parties knew misappropriation of accounts was against national interests.

Commenting on the economic policies of the PTI government, he warned that “economic meltdown” would continue in the next six months damaging every sector as the rulers were failing to give their economic vision and infusing a sense of confidence and security among the investors.

He feared that the democratic set-up might be wrapped up if the fall of the economy could not be checked.

Published in Dawn, January 1st, 2019