PPP hits back, says President Alvi, Governor Ismail had ties with Uzair Baloch

Published July 11, 2020
Saeed Ghani claims to have proof of contacts between PTI and Lyari gangster. — DawnNewsTV/File
Saeed Ghani claims to have proof of contacts between PTI and Lyari gangster. — DawnNewsTV/File

KARACHI: The Sindh government on Friday levelled serious allegations against Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leadership as well as President Arif Alvi and Governor Imran Ismail, claiming that they had ties with the chief of outlawed Peoples Amn Committee, Uzair Jan Baloch. PPP leaders added that they had evidence of the contacts between the Lyari gangster and key men of the ruling party at the centre.

The fresh charges came during a press conference of the close aides to the Sindh chief minister and key members of the provincial cabinet, who invited the PTI leaders to come forward and appear in court to become witnesses against Uzair Baloch if they were aware of his criminal record.

They also asked the PTI leaders to share the “complete truth” with the people of Karachi and admit their ties with the gangster as well.

“Uzair Baloch himself has said that he was approached by all political parties to join them,” Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani told the press conference at the Sindh Assembly’s auditorium.

Accompanied by Sindh Information Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Mr Ghani said: “The PTI was interested to make him [Uzair] part of the party. For that purpose their [PTI] senior leaders including the current governor [Imran Ismail] and president [Dr Arif Alvi] threw dinners for him at the house of one of their local leaders in Lyari. Why don’t they share these facts? There are proofs of such contacts.”

Saeed Ghani claims to have proof of contacts between PTI and Lyari gangster

The recent row between the PTI and PPP started when Federal Minister Ali Zaidi questioned the authenticity of a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report released by the Sindh government and asked the chief justice of Pakistan to intervene in the matter. He showed documents at his press conference in Islamabad, claiming it was the “original” JIT of Uzair Baloch which carried serious allegations against former president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur, apparently linking the duo to the Lyari gangster.

In a tit-for-tat reaction, the Sindh government had questioned the authenticity and source of the documents that the federal minister dubbed as the original JIT report before the media. Amid these allegations, the PPP-led Sindh government came up with fresh claims that included serious charges against the head of the state.

“I challenge Ali Zaidi and every leader of the PTI for a live debate on any TV channel. It’s a deliberate move from the federal government to keep people busy in non-constructive and non-serious debates so they cannot think about other failures of the PTI government,” Minister Ghani said, adding: “They don’t want the people to question them about petrol, flour, sugar and wages. They know that they have failed and every passing day is inviting public wrath.”

Desilting delayed due to coronavirus

Earlier, addressing the press conference, Information Minister Shah, who also holds the portfolio of local government, said that the provincial government had already planned cleaning of storm-water drains before the monsoon this year but the execution was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“This year cleaning of drains, especially in Karachi, has been started by Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) under its management of 38 major drains across the metropolis,” he said.

“All their choking points have been opened while the garbage in the drains has been removed and taken to the landfill side. The KMC as well as the local government department and Nespak are further coordinating to enhance the utility of all these infrastructures,” he said.

In addition, he said, the chairmen of the district municipal corporations (DMCs) and deputy commissioners were working together for the desilting of the drains coming under their management and for that purpose, the Sindh government had already released required funds.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2020

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