F.P. Report
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has said that talking or writing to Prime Minister Imran Khan is like conversing with the deaf.
Shah said this in a meeting of the National Economic Committee Tuesday. He was concerned about the delay in development projects in Sindh.
“We [Sindh government] told the PM to give us the money with the promise to construct roads in a year but they never did,” the chief minister said.
He said that the provincial government was not interested in seeing the faces of the ministers. “Just get the work done.”
This year, the Finance Division announced 14 schemes for Punjab, 10 for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 28 for Balochistan, according to Shah.
“Only two schemes worth Rs1.5 billion were announced for Sindh,” he complained, was it enough for the province generating 70% of the country’s revenue.
The chief minister pointed out that none of Sindh’s projects had been included in the National Highway Authority portfolio.
He said they were told to pay half of the total amount for the construction of the Jamshoro-Sehwan Dual Carriageway in 2017.
The Sindh government paid Rs7 billion, according to Shah. It’s 2021 but there’s still no update on the project.
“We don’t have complains from anyone except the federal government,” he said, adding that the NHA had just allotted Rs7 billion for Sindh development projects this year.
The chief minister rejected the Sindh Infrastructure Development Company too. “We will not tolerate the centre’s rule over Sindh with this money.”
On Monday, the CM wrote a letter to the prime minister complaining of “blatant bias against Sindh”. It seemed as if the prime minister didn’t consider the people of Sindh Pakistanis, he remarked.
Bahria Town protest
Shah said according to the Supreme Court’s orders, Bahria Town was allowed all constructions on the land it had bought.
“We were told that a peaceful protest is being organised and the demonstrators were instructed against violence, road blockades and hate speech,” he revealed.
The government facilitated the protestors by setting up tents and placing water coolers for them but they violated the law.
So far, 11 FIRs have been registered against the protesters, of which two were by the state and the remaining were filed by private parties.
Shah said that due action would be taken against those found guilty.
The Sindh Action Committee, an alliance of nationalist parties in the province, gave the call for the protest against the alleged hostile takeover of some goths by the Bahria Town management.
It was attended by residents of nearby villages, who say they are being forced to give up their lands.
The demonstration turned violent when hundreds of protesters attacked Bahria Town Karachi and set fire to several shops and vehicles in the housing society.
An anti-terrorism court in Karachi has handed over 120 people to the police for two-day physical remand.
