SUKKUR: Sindh Minister for Information and Local Bodies Syed Nasir Hussain Shah has said that Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and heads of all other opposition parties have reached a consensus that the country will continue to suffer ever greater losses if Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf remains in power.

The minister told journalists at the press club on Sunday that Bilawal and the rest of the opposition wanted to “protect” the country from further harm and double standards of PTI.

He said the federal government’s incompetence was visible in every department under its control. While opposition parties were facing accountability the ruling party’s men were obtaining stays in their cases, he said.

Khursheed Ahmed Shah’s case was a litmus test for the fairness of the accountability process as the veteran politician was incarcerated even when he was admitted to hospital while cases of PTI leaders were not even being processed, he said.

He said the report of commission on sugar crisis proved that PTI leaders were “thieves” and they had committed the theft under the nose of Imran Khan who also held portfolio of ministry of commerce but Shahzad Akbar did not dare mention his name.

The minister said that Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had taken the stand that under the Constitution the federal government had no power to decrease share of provinces in the National Finance Commission award and it could only increase it.

He said that they had no objection if the federal government spent on defence or launched projects from its own resources without deducting share of provinces.

He said that PTI rulers had announced Rs162 billion for Karachi but did not allocate the amount in the budget and schemes were launched in other areas but Karachi was deprived.

Whereas, he said, the provincial government had provided millions of rupees to metropolitan corporations for cleaning drains. As a result rainwater drained out from most of the areas within a few hours after rain and only Federal B. Area, Liaquatabad, North Nazimabad and Kashmir Colony remained submerged due to hurdles created by the under-construction Green Line corridor, he said.

He blamed the megaproject for the inundation in many areas and said that federal government was “punishing” the Sindh government through Green Line project.

The prime minister had directed the National Disaster Management Authority to provide relief to the rain-hit areas and they would heartily welcome the authority to work jointly with the Sindh government.

He said the chief minister had released funds for cleaning drains in all big cities of the province including Karachi. All departments concerned were preparing to cope with post-rain situation in view of forecast of heavy rains in Karachi, Mirpurkhas and other areas, he said.

Later, the minister participated in a protest held by journalists against the arrest of editor in-chief of Jang/Geo Group Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman and handed over a cheque for Rs5 million to chief patron of the Sukkur Press Club.

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2020