KARACHI, Feb 19: Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali has asked the National Reconstruction Bureau to work out an acceptable solution to the problems of overlapping of powers between ministers and Nazims and to issues pertaining to local government under the devolution plan and the Police Ordinance 2002.
Regarding concern over the use of water from Thal Canal, he gave an assurance that every province would have due rights and share and the government would ensure that no injustice was done to any province.
The prime minister was responding to issues raised by ministers of the Sindh cabinet whom he met shortly after his arrival at Karachi on Wednesday.
Briefing journalists after the one-and-a-half-hour session with the prime minister, Sindh Information Secretary Mehtab Rashdi said various ministers had raised issues pertaining to water, unemployment, law and order, and local government, particularly overlapping of powers between the ministers and Nazims.
Minister of Irrigation Pir Sadruddin Shah Rashdi, expressing his concern about the Thal Canal, said people wanted a categorical statement from the government that Punjab would get water from its own share and not from the share of Sindh.
The prime minister said the government policy was clear on the issue — that every province would have due rights and share of water. “No less and no more,” he added.
Ministers Arbab Ghulam Rahim and Muhammad Hussain drew the attention towards overlapping of powers under the new local government system and stressed the need to sort out the anomaly.
The prime minister said that the NRB had been working on the local government and the police ordinance and soon some acceptable solution would be found.
Regarding unemployment, an issue raised by almost all ministers, Mr Jamali said the government was taking measures to provide employment.
Earlier addressing the cabinet Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali reposed confidence in the government of Sindh, the chief minister and members of his cabinet. He said: “We are aware of the expectations of the people from us which can only be met if we work with commitment, dedication and sincerely.”
He said talking of less important ministry was irrelevant as every ministry was important as it related to people.
Offering his condolences on the murder of Khalid bin Waleed the prime minister said that the MQM was “our good colleague”.
He asked Sindh ministers not to succumb to the pressure of people who approach them to get their undue work done.
IRAQ CRISIS: With reference to the Iraq situation, he said Pakistan would follow the Security Council resolution.
Before addressing the cabinet, the PM visited the new Sindh Secretariat along with federal ministers Aftab Sherpao, Shaikh Rashid and Liaquat Ali Jatoi.