LARKANA: Pakistan Peoples Party Sindh president Nisar Ahmed Khuhro has said that situation for Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has worsened to such an extent that even its allies are reluctant to sail in the sinking boat with Imran Khan, who has become so frustrated that he is now passing derogatory remarks against opposition parties’ leaders.

He said in a press statement issued on Monday that no-confidence motion was ready to send Imran packing but he had still time to resign voluntarily and announce snap polls. PML-N being majority party in the house had the right to have its prime minister after the successful no-trust move and then a majority party would be mandated to form government in the wake of elections, he said.

He said that PTI’s policies had failed on all fronts, pushed the country’s economy to the brink of devastation and tarnished its image globally. People were demanding with one voice that they be freed from this government, he said.

Khuhro challenged the prime minister to test his popularity by contesting elections after dissolving assembles. He would know then the degree of his popularity in masses, he said.

He claimed that the prime minister was now looking for ‘artificial support’ to help him perpetuate in the rule but he [Imran Khan] would fail to get it this time. His fate would not be different from that of retired Gen Pervez Musharraf, he claimed.

He said that time was ripe for the PTI government to quit and let opposition parties put the country back on the right track. The centre’s injustices towards Sindh government in the NFC award, gas and water supply had deepened a sense of deprivation among people in the province, he said.

He said that Imran Khan, who was against the 18th Amendment since it came into being and provincial autonomy, avoided holding meetings of Council of Common Interests regularly, which were to be held mandatorily every third month.

Khuhro said the PTI government was dragging its feet on announcing the National Finance Commission award in which provinces’ shares had to be enhanced. Sindh was facing acute water shortage but the centre was bent upon building Greater Thal Canal despite Sindh’s reservations, he said.

He alleged that Sindh was not getting its quota in services in the centre and termed recent cut in oil price by Rs10 after increasing it by Rs12 per litre as a mere eyewash and a cruel joke.

Apparently referring to foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s recent visit of Sindh, Khuhro said that people had rejected the “rent-a-Pir” and his group of orphaned politicians. Peoples’ only demand was that PTI government should go, he said.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2022