LARKANA, Jan 1: The opposition in the Sindh Assembly will play a positive role in strengthening the democratic institutions but the chief minister should desist from issuing ‘irresponsible statements’.
The leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, said this while addressing a press conference here on Wednesday.
He said that it should be verified whether the chief minister himself was issuing statements or his personal secretary had taken over that responsibility.
Commenting on the statement of Ali Mohammed Mahar, Mr Khuhro said that had the chief minister ordered earlier for taking pre-emptive measures there would have been no loss of life in the Jatoi-Mahar tribal clash.
He said that defectors, turncoats and opportunists would “face the music”.
He said that the Sindh Council of Pakistan People’s Party had suspended the “lotas”, and added that the chairperson, Benazir Bhutto, would expel them.
Mr Khuhro said that his doubts were confirmed when Mr Mahar kept silent over the postponement of the Sindh Assembly session, and it was further strengthened when he had appeared along with five party deserters — Manzoor Panhwar, Mehboob Bijarani, Naseer Khoso, Abdul Razzak Mahar, and Manzoor Shah.
He said that the government was seriously thinking of tightening the noose around nine Awam Dost District Nazims to suit its interests.
He said that district Nazims would be pressured to come to terms with the government and that was why the development funds had been frozen under a new set of ordinances and laws as a part of crippling these local government institutions.
Responding to a question, Mr Khuhro said that Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad was the only choice for President Gen Pervez Musharraf.
He said that perhaps the MQM chief had pleaded that if Nawaz Sharif could be given a safe exit after winding up his cases, then why could not Dr Ishratul Ibad be made governor after withdrawing his cases.
He said that now it all depended on the government to clarify the position regarding the truth in the cases.
He said that the opposition would take up the issue in the National Assembly.
He foresaw that the joint opposition in the National Assembly where the MMA and other political parties sitting under the umbrella of the ARD would come closer and form consensus over tackling issues on the floor as well as outside. “Practically, there will be one opposition.”
He said that the opposition would work for the betterment of Sindh and remind the treasury benches of its responsibilities, and it would block all anti-Sindh plans.
Regarding the Senate election, he said that the PPP would ask its party ticket holders and members to adhere to the party’s principles.
Ayaz Soomro, Ghulam Mujdid Isran (MPAs), Asghar Shaikh, Azizullah Abro, and others were present on the occasion.