HYDERABAD: Qaumi Awami Tehreek (QAT) president Ayaz Latif Palijo has said that corruption amounting to trillions of rupees has been reported in Sindh government’s departments of local government, irrigation, food, education, health and highways but now ‘Sindh card’ will no longer work to hide the massive loot of public money.

He urged the judiciary to hold the corrupt accountable for plundering development funds and asked why accountability courts in Sindh were providing relief to suspects in corruption cases.

He demanded immediate arrest of all corrupt government officers and politicians and said that caretakers had failed to deliver the goods and it appeared the Pakistan Peoples Party was still ruling Sindh.

Palijo was speaking at his party’s public meeting whose slogan was Sindh bachayo, mulk bachayo held at Hatri bypass on Sunday.

Demands accountability of all corrupt elements

He said that Sindh’s institutions had been destroyed and cities had been converted into junkyards. Sindhi and Urdu speaking working class would soon hold the corrupt accountable for plundering every single penny of Sindh, he said.

He vowed to resist settlement of illegal immigrants in the province and called for their immediate repatriation. Some forces had planned to foment ethnic riots in Sindh but this conspiracy would be foiled with the help of people, he said.

He accused the federation of committing excesses against Sindh in the supply of gas, water and electricity and complained that the centre had not given any package to Sindh.

He said that present uncertainty and political polarisation were destroying the country and proposed urgent steps to address economic woes like imposing tax on people who owned big shops, houses, vehicles and large landholdings.

He rejected digital census and accused PPP, MQM and PML-N of bargaining on head count in Sindh.

Palijo said that Pakistan would not become a party to war and conflicts of international powers. Man had landed on moon and Mars but “we are still busy in committing violence against women and quibbling over sighting of moon for Eid.”

He lamented that a large number of people had to starve in oil, coal and gas rich Sindh where girls were subjected to rape and violence in such a callous manner which was not even seen under Nazi regime.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2023