KARACHI: Local Gove­rn­ment Minister Saeed Ghani has said that the federal government’s “hasty” decision to put 172 persons named in the report of a joint investigation team (JIT) formed by the Supreme Court on the Exit Control List (ECL) suggested that it was actually a conspiracy to topple the Sindh government.

The minister said this while talking to the media after the session of the Sindh Assembly on Monday.

To a question, he said that the JIT had overstepped its authority by recommending in its report the names for their inclusion on the ECL. He said it was not his viewpoint, but it was the observation of the chief justice of Pakistan since the JIT was tasked to investigate the allegations and submit its report.

He asked whether the government had constituted any committee for including the names on the ECL or whether the Supreme Court had given orders to the federal government to do so.

In reply to another question, the LG minister said that objections were being raised on the capabilities and performance of the National Accountability Bureau ever since it was constituted.

He said during all previous governments, including the then Pakistan Peoples Party-led government, NAB had been politically victimising the PPP and even today it was being used by the government against his party.

Regarding Prime Minister Imran Khan and Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry’s upcoming visit to Sindh, Mr Ghani said that unfortunately Mr Khan was a “selected prime minister” who could visit Sindh by all means but Mr Chaudhry was not even recognised by his own party members so what could he say about him.

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2019