KARACHI, Sept 19: Chief Minister Ali Mohammad Mahar has said that people of Sindh are looking at the performance of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly which, he claimed, was just wasting time.

He was talking to newsmen here on Friday after the oath-taking ceremony at Governor House where Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah was administered oath as Acting Governor.

Mr Mahar pointed out that the current assembly session has been requisitioned by the opposition. The provincial government showed great magnanimity and brought their issues on the agenda, he said, adding that the opposition, however, was not speaking on principles and had resorted to waste the time of the House.

The conduct of the opposition and the treasury is before the people to look at, he remarked, and said that the government was committed to the welfare and wellbeing of the people of Sindh and would continue to serve them notwithstanding the role of the opposition.

The opposition may speak on anything on the floor of the House, he said, but they should avoid creating a fuss and making noise.

In reply to a question, the chief minister said that it was a welcome development for everyone that various factions of Muslim League had integrated themselves through a merger and that the united PML would now have an opportunity to serve the citizens of Pakistan together. Describing the development as ‘good omen’, he said that the merger would greatly benefit the masses.

He was optimistic about a united PML to flourish in Sindh saying that it would be strengthened at grassroots level and reorganized at tehsil level.

In response to another question about the National Alliance coming into the folds of the unified Muslim League, the CM revealed that talks with the NA leadership were under way.

When asked why was the Thal Canal issue not discussed on the floor of the House, Mr Mahar said this question should put to the opposition.

Chief of the Sindh Democratic Alliance and a provincial minister Imtiaz Shaikh, responding to newsmen’s queries, said that no decision had so far been taken regarding a merger of the National Alliance and Muslim League.

He indicated that the NA was to meet later in the day and the proposal, as well as its political implications, was to be discussed by the leadership.

He pointed out that the Sindh Assembly had many a times discussed the issue of Thal Canal. The treasury benches, he clarified, had not changed their stance.

He said that the SDA continued to support the two resolutions on the issue which had unanimously been passed by assembly. He expressed the determination to resolve the problem.

On his part, Mr Mahar said that talks with the SDA were also under way for a merger with the PML.

“We are also holding dialogue with the SDA leaders on the merger,” he said, adding: “hopefully, the results would be positive.”

There were speculations that the Education Minister Irfanullah Khan Marwat was pondering his joining the PML. When asked to comment on the reports, Mr Marwat confirmed that he and his friends were in consultations whether or not to join the party.—APP/PPI