KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has said that the Sindh government would take up the issue of injustices to the people of Sindh in the proposed federal budget for 2016-17 at every forum as in the given political atmosphere he did not want to take the issue to the level which could harm democracy.

He said this while speaking at a press conference in Chief Minister House on Wednesday. He was accompanied by ministers Syed Murad Ali Shah, Nisar Ahmad Khuhro, adviser Maula Bux Chandio and MNA Nafeesa Shah.

Soon after the press conference, Mr Shah left for the airport to fly to Dubai where he was summoned by former president Asif Ali Zardari, who is also co-chairman of the PPP.

He said the attitude of the federal government with Sindh was like that of dictators. Of the Rs800 billion PSDP, Sindh was proposed to be given only Rs12 billion and against the 102 new development schemes not a single scheme was approved for Sindh. He said except Punjab, no province appeared satisfied with the federal budget.

He said Rs100 million allocation for the K-4 water project was a joke with the people of Karachi. He said it was a project which was approved by the Executive Committee of National Economic Council at an estimated cost of Rs25.5 billion with 50 per cent share from the federal government and provincial government each. He said last year the federal government had allocated Rs2.5 billion as Sindh, in addition to the amount, had provided land for the execution of the project so that the water problem of Karachi was solved. This year also Rs2.5 billion would be allocated in the new budget, he said.

Similarly, he said, for the S-3 sewerage project for Karachi only Rs1.2bn was allocated in the PSDP, which was also a small amount for the mega project. He said when he took up the issue with the finance minister, he promised to sort it out through talks but without fixing any timeframe for it and left the NEC meeting saying that he had to attend a budget meeting. Without making any review on the suggestions from smaller provinces, the new budget was passed in a hurry by the cabinet, he added.

“Now the only remedy left with us is that PPP members of parliament should take up the matter of injustice in the National Assembly when the budget would be taken up for discussion as the prime minister would not be available for two to three weeks,” the CM said.

Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2016