SEHWAN (Dadu): Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has called the federal government inefficient and said it has caused a tsunami of price hike and unrest and pushed the poor into abject poverty by further reducing employment opportunities.

He was speaking at the 12th death anniversary of his father, former Sindh chief minister Syed Abdullah Shah, at his native village Wahur near here on Sunday.

He said the ‘inefficient’ federal government had completely failed to deliver the goods as it had no capacity to rule and ameliorate the lot of the disadvantaged section of society and had no roots in people. Everyone knew very well how they had been propelled to power, he said.

Mr Shah said that when people asked him about launching of development works in their areas he replied “… the federal government has failed to release Sindh government’s due share from divisible pool. We, therefore, are facing shortage of funds and cannot start development works as we had started last year,” he said.

He vowed the provincial government would launch development schemes from its own resources from the next financial year.

About inauguration of Thar coal-fired power plant, the chief minister said that it was a major achievement of Sindh government. “We have realised the dream of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto who had performed groundbreaking ceremony of the coal mine and the coal-fired power plant at Keti Bandar,” he said.

“It was not a dream but a sincere and visionary step by Benazir Bhutto which was aimed at bringing an end to loadshedding in the country,” he said.

Mr Shah said that they had gathered in the village last year to observe Syed Abdullah Shah’s 11th death anniversary and then went to the polls. “Our opponents formed big alliances and groups but people of Sindh rejected them and instead voted PPP to power with more seats and more strength,” he said.

He said the PPP government would continue to serve people of Sindh because it was the party’s golden tradition.

He recalled that PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was just going to Naudero to attend Z.A. Bhutto’s death anniversary on April 4 by train but people living from all nooks and corners of Sindh came rushing to railway stations to pour out their love and respect for the son of Benazir Bhutto and accorded him a warm and historic welcome.

“The historic welcome caused agitation in corridors of power in federal government. They are scared of Bilawal because they know he has the ability to deliver the goods for the country and its people,” he said.

PPP Sindh chapter president Nisar Khuhro said that Syed Abdullah Shah had the ability to deal with all the elements that had hatched conspiracy against Sindh and its people. Abdullah Shah was well aware of the people who had always promoted politics of hatred and division and managed to thwart their nefarious designs, he said.

He said that some people were once again talking about division of Sindh. “Whenever they (Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan leaders) are rejected they try to take its revenge from Sindh. You were defeated by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in general election but you are exacting revenge on your motherland. It betrays your character,” he said.

Read: MQM-P urges PM to intervene, 'help' Sindh's urban centres get 'their due share'

He said emphatically: “Sindh is, was and will always remain united and we know how to defend its unity.”

Sindh Minister for Education Syed Sardar Shah said: “I want to tell them that Urdu-speaking people know very well the people who are once again singing the old song of Sindh’s division, and they will not be part of their old antics of pseudo nationalism,” he said, adding that people of Sindh, particularly Urdu-speaking Sindhis would never allow them to play into their hands.

He said that Abdullah Shah was a true lover of Sindh and its people. He served Sindh and its people to the best of his abilities. He was a brave and courageous leader who served this province to his best under the dynamic leadership of Benazir Bhutto.

PPP Jamshoro district president Asif Shah, Hyderabad divisional president Ali Nawaz Shah Rizvi and others also spoke at the gathering. Towards the end of programme the participants offered fateha for the departed souls of Syed Abdullah Shah, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto and slain workers of PPP.

Members of provincial cabinet, special assistants to chief minister, MNAs, MPAs, senators, PPP workers and members of general public attended the gathering.

Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2019