DADU: Sindh United Party chairman Syed Jalal Mehmood Shah has said that a new but unwritten National Reconciliation Ordinance has been awarded to the Pakistan Peoples Party after the party drove a wedge between opposition alliance of Pakistan Democratic Movement and set in motion its disintegration.

Shah said at the 26th death anniversary programme of founder of Jeay Sindh Tehreek G.M. Syed at Sann town in Jamshoro district on Sunday that as compensation for debilitating the alliance from within the PPP leadership had been provided relief.

He said that people of Sindh were flabbergasted to see PPP leadership, ministers and MPAs involved in corruption of billions of rupees had been given a freehand. Unbridled and unabated mega corruption had badly affected governance in Sindh and in the latest evidence of corruption in the Sindh government, high court stopped officials of Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC) from working and showed no confidence in the SPSC, he said.

He said that corruption was in fact order of the day in SPSC where varying rates for jobs in grade 16, 17 and 18 had been fixed and it had happened after appointments in the commission were made on political grounds.

Jalal Shah says unwritten NRO awarded to PPP to puncture PDM

He said that wheat harvest season had started but the government had not yet opened procurement centres, which would ultimately lead to flour crisis in the province in near future.

He said that billions of rupees corruption had been made in the food department over the past 13 years. Hundreds of wheat laden trailers disappeared on way to Karachi but no one was charged with this mega pilferage hence none was arrested, he said.

He said that price of flour was still high in Sindh in comparison to the price of the staple food in other provinces. The government demolished houses and rendered thousands of poor families homeless across the province, thus it completely failed to honour its slogan of providing Roti, Kapra aur Makan to masses, he said.

Shah said that people faced great hardships day in and day out due to bad governance and poverty had increased so much that the poor could no longer afford the luxury of having three times meals a day.

He said that the Sindh government’s projects only added to poverty and benefited the already rich, who were becoming richer while the poor were becoming poorer. Besides, outsiders had occupied Sindh’s resources, he said.

He said that a large number of unregistered migrants had landed in Karachi and other parts of the province but the Sindh government was not paying any attention to this burning issue. If the migrants continued to arrive at this pace, Sindhis would soon turn into a minority, he warned.

He demanded imposition of ban on selling land and other properties to unregistered migrants in Sindh where any outsider could freely buy and sell properties.

Shah said that the Sindh government had not developed any successful programme to stop spread of Covid-19 and the social and economic crisis caused by lockdown.

The PPP lawmakers and leaders in collusion with deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners, mukhtiarkars and local government officers embezzled billions of rupees funds released on the pretext of supply of ration to the poor though almost all the ration bags were given away to PPP voters, he said.

He said that the third wave of Coronavirus had enveloped the country but the Sindh government had not taken any serious efforts to control it. The health department had billions of rupees budget at its disposal still there was shortage of ventilators and oxygen at government hospitals, he said.

He said the Covid situation was getting dangerous by each passing day and advised people to follow SOPs to control the virus for their own safety.

Shah demanded the Sindh and federal governments complete work on double road from Manjhand to Sehwan as soon as possible as the under-construction road was causing accidents in which precious lives were being lost.

SUP senior vice chairman Syed Zain Shah said that Syed Sahib had warned in his address at Wana conference in 1952 that religiosity was increasing in the world, which would pose danger to humanity.

He said that Syed Sahib believed that religion and politics were separate and could not function together. As long as religion was not severed from state affairs, the country would not develop, he said.

Earlier on Sunday morning, family members of G.M. Syed and SUP leaders led by Jalal Shah, Zain Shah and Roshan Ali Buriro arrived at Syed Sahib’s grave, offered fateha and laid wreaths.

A Sufi programme was held at Syed Sahib’s bungalow in which Shafi Mohammad Faqir and Wazir Ali enthralled the audience with Sufi songs. At midnight, SUP activists and leaders took out a torch-bearer rally.

Meanwhile, delegations of Jeay Sindh Qaumi Movement-Bashir (JSQM) led by its chairman Sanan Qureshi, JSQM-Arisar led by Aslam Khairpuri, Jeay Sindh Mahaz led by its chairman Riaz Chandio and Jeay Sindh Qaumi Party led by Nawaz Khan Zour arrived at G.M. Syed’s grave separately, laid wreaths and offered fateha.

The administration had increased patrolling on the Indus Highway to ensure security to the anniversary programme.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2021