KARACHI: In his maiden meeting with newly-appointed British High Commissioner Christian Turner, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah took up the issue of Kashmir urging the latter to force the Indian government to stop atrocities against the people of the occupied valley.

He said the Indian government had unleashed state terrorism against the people of Kashmir; its hatred against the Muslims could be assessed from their Citizen (Amendment) Act, 2019, in which every foreigner was acceptable to them except for Muslims.

“Now, the Indian authorities have started genocide in Kashmir and have annexed the occupied state into their umbrella by withdrawing its special status, which is sheer violation of the UN resolution,” he said.

Mr Shah urged the United Nations, international community and international human rights watchdogs to become voice of the voiceless people of Kashmir and liberate them from the clutches of and stop their genocide by the Indian state.

The British deputy high commissioner in Karachi, Mike Nithavrianakis and principal secretary to CM, Sajid Jamal Abro, also attended the meeting.

During the meeting, they discussed issues related to education and health sectors in which the British government desired to invest.

Mr Shah said teachers training programme and adoption of latest teaching methods and improvement of syllabus were some key areas where the UK and the Sindh government could work together.

The visiting British envoy assured the CM that his government would surely support Sindh in the education and health sectors.

The CM told the British diplomat that the UK government had constructed Sukkur Barrage, one of the beautiful and best barrages of the world in 1923, and now it needed massive overhauling and renovation.

“We would be glad if the British government or any British private firm may ... assist the Sindh government in the rehabilitation of the barrage,” he said.

Christian Turner assured Murad that he would make efforts to support the provincial government on the matter vis-à-vis renovation of Sukkur Barrage.

Meanwhile, a delegation of McKinsey & Company, led by its managing director Ozgur Tanrikulu, called on Chief Minister Murad Shah and during the meeting they agreed to work together on capacity building of teachers, improvement of textbooks, and capacity building of hospital administration staff.

Mr Shah directed the education and health departments to sit with them and chalk out a detailed programme for implementation of reforms in education and health sectors.

Health Minister Azra Pechuho was also present in the meeting where she scheduled another meeting with the visiting delegation to discuss issues regarding training of hospital administration staff and their capacity building.

Published in Dawn, January 28th, 2020