Slogan of separate province a bubble of hot air, says Murad

Naimat Khan

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that the PPP has swallowed the bitter bill of supporting constitutional amendment for starting delimitation on the basis of provisional census results so that elections could be held in time.

This he said while talking to media just after attending a reception hosted by the ambassador of Azerbaijan to celebrate 25 years of diplomatic relation between Azerbaijan and Pakistan at a local hotel on Thursday evening.

The chief minister accused the federal government to doing census work at sanil pace. “Had it [fed govt] done its census assignment on fast tract the constitutional amendment would have not been required,” he said and added “We have swallowed the bitter pill and agreed to amend the constitution so that delimitation could be made on the basis of provisional census results against which we have serous reservations,” he said. He went on saying “we are a political party and cannot afford to delay general elections,” he said.

Replying to a question, the chief minister said that MQM and PSP are at logger heads and just to win over political support of people of Karachi the MQM has again raised the issue of a separate province. “Otherwise they know very well that Sindh cannot be turned apart in two provinces,” he said and added “the MQM is struggling for its survival, their leaders have lost their political base and now their workers, leaders and well-wishers are with PPP because the PPP government have restored peace and returned normal life and prosperity to the city,” he said.

Murad Ali Shah said that when they (MQM) fight against each other, they talk like that. “this is not a new thing but result of their sheer depression, despair and disappointment,” he said and added “this demand is like a bubble of hot air – don’t take it seriously,” he advised to the reporter who asked him the question.

The chief minister said that PPP has gained a vast political base in Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas and Sukkur. “PPP is a genuine political secular force and is much above linguistic, sectarian and religious considerations,” he said and added under the umbrella of PPP people of different religion, sects, languages and school of thought are united, this is why we are called as a federal party,” he concluded.