KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has asked the National Accountability Bureau to stop witch-hunt in Sindh, telling it that “it is not your job to investigate cases of small-scale corruption that is what the Anti-Corruption Establishment is for”.

The chief minister said while talking to journalists just after performing the concluding ceremony of the urs of Hazrat Abdullah Shah Ghazi in Clifton on Sunday evening that he did not know whether NAB had summoned Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani as well.

“I will advise NAB to stop this kind of witch-hunt. This harassment is against their mandate — this is the job of ACE,” he said and added that his government would take steps to further strengthen the ACE.

He said in response to a question that the innocent workers of MQM would be released if they were found to be in custody. “We don’t believe in victimisation, we respect rights of each and every individual living in the province but at the same time we’ll not allow anyone to take law into his or her own hands,” he said.

He denied reports the government was considering transferring inspector general of police, Sindh.

About development schemes, the chief minister said that he would personally monitor progress on uplift schemes and not allow any scheme to exist only on papers.

“We’ve decided to post all the facts about development schemes on website, right from their approval to the release of funds, so that people feel a sense of ownership of the uplift works in their areas,” he said.

Mr Shah said that his government was very clear on improving education system, health services and law and order. “We’ve paid a big price for restoring peace to the city, therefore, we’ll not allow anyone to vitiate it,” he said.

Earlier, the chief minister laid a floral wreath and chador on the grave of Hazrat Abdullah Shah Ghazi and offered Fateha to officially conclude the three-day urs.

Later, he visited MPA Nusrat Khwaja at her residence to offer his condolences on the death of her brother Wazir Ali Khwaja, a renowned banker.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2016