KARACHI: The Sindh government on Saturday denied the federal government’s allegations of a fertiliser crisis and its price hike in the province.

Representatives of the Sindh government said Prime Minister Imran Khan was blaming the provincial government to cover up his government’s shortcomings.

Addressing a joint press conference, Sindh CM’s Adviser on Agriculture Manzoor Wassan, accompanied by Sindh Energy Minister Imtiaz Shaikh and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawala, said the price of diammonium phosphate (DAP), the world’s most widely used phosphorus fertiliser, was still lower in Sindh than in Punjab.

The agriculture adviser said the PM had “adopted the method” of Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s founder who issued threats and then cried. “That’s why I am naming him (PM) Altaf Khan,” he sarcastically said.

He predicted that 2022 would be a “dangerous” year for the prime minister. “Imran Khan may either resign in October or himself dissolve the assembly.”

Mr Wassan said that PTI was unable to run the country’s affairs, adding that the federal government blamed the provincial government if there was any crisis or shortage of anything in the country. “Avoid creating a sense of deprivation in Sindh and hold fresh elections to steer out the country from the ongoing crises,” he advised the prime minister.

He said that officials of the provincial agriculture department had taken effective and strict action against the profiteers and made surprise visits to control urea prices, imposing fines and making arrests. He said that 22 FIRs were registered against those who sold DAP at exorbitant prices.

Answering a question, he alleged the federal government was conspiring against the Sindh government.

The provincial energy minister said gas was an important issue in Sindh. The federal government had deliberately created shortage of gas in the country, he alleged.

He said that Sindh, which produced more than 68 per cent of the total gas produced in the country, had been deprived of gas. “If you are not capable of handling a fair distribution of gas, then hand over Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) to Sindh, we have the capacity to run it (properly),” he added.

He deplored that Sindh was not given any representation in the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra). “The province does not have representation even in Hesco and Sepco. This is adding to the sense of deprivation among the people of Sindh,” he added.

He urged the prime minister to take concrete action against incompetent members of the federal cabinet. “Changing ministers won’t solve the problems,” he added.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2021