Change in provincial government is a shattered dream of PTI: Murad

KARACHI:  Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah  said that change in the provincial government of Sindh was a shattered dream of the PTI leadership. “Now, they are trying to resort to magical tricks but these [magical] tricks won’t work in Sindh.”This he said on Wednesday while talking to media at two different places, Al-Jamea-tus-Safiyah Al-Mahlat al-Burhaniya which he visited in the morning and then at under-construction Shaheed-e-Millat, Tariq Road Inter-section, underpass. He was accompanied by local government Minister Saeed Ghani and his Advisor on Information Murtaza Wahab.The chief minister replying a to a question said that it was a dream of PTI leadership to bring a change in the provincial government but “this dream would never come true because they don’t have numerical strength in the provincial assembly,” he said and added “oh yes, they always play talk about magical tricks under which they believe they have acquired power in the Center,” he said in lighter but critical mood and went on saying “these tricks won’t work in Sindh.”He said that the federal government was hatching conspiracies against Sindh government. “If you weaken the provinces means you are weakening the federation,” he reminded the federal government.To another question, the CM Sindh  said that the person who had no experience of government and its system, has been made prime minister. “Now, under the influence of power he [prime minister] has started conducting experiments on the people of Pakistan,” he said and added under his first experiment he deprived poor people of square meals by unleashing a tsunami of price hike in the country. Murad Ali Shah said that the prime minister was considering everyone as thief and dacoit but he was forgetting that he himself was facing NAB cases. “You cannot rule by suppressing the people and throttling their voice but you have to deal with every one like a good human being and ruler,” he said and added throw threats and suppression you could not silence the people from raising voice for their rights.To a question, the chief minister said that he was personally against the amnesty schemes because under the scheme the government was going to legalize the ill-gotten wealth people have amassed. “Politicians were not entitled to take benefit from the scheme,” he said. Mr Shah said that when their amnesty scheme has failed they have started conducting raids on houses of the people. “where we are leading this nation by creating a wave of fear, unrest and insecurity,” he questioned and added in such state of affairs people would fly their capital and business to other countries.Replying to a question about the arrest of Rana Sanuallah, the CM condemned it and said this kind of political victimization would further undermine the credibility of the government. “You [PM] are behaving like a dictator and damaging political people – this is not good move and would end up in serious situation,” he said.Syed Murad Ali  Shah said that the arrest of Rana Sanaullah would prove to be a charge-sheet against the prime minister.To a question about installation of banners against Sindh government by a political party, the chief minister said that they were making failed attempts to hijack the people of Karachi once again. “They have never raised voice for the rights of people of this city but they have always ditched their voters,” he said and added that his government was carrying out development works in the city and serving people without any discrimination. “We know we don’t have any MPA at Shaheed-e-Millat area, Tariq Road, University Road, Shahrah-e-Faisal and various others areas of the city even then we reconstructed road network, laid afresh drainage lines, trying to resolve others issues sincerely,” he said.These people [who have installed banners against his government] have always played politics of destruction, hatred, divide and destabilization in this city and this was an open secret. “People of Karachi know their friends and foes very well and they would never come into their crocodile tears,” he said and vowed he would resolve all the issues of this city such as water, sanitation, cleanliness and improve investment environment. The Chief Minister said  that he visited District Central which was full of filth and garbage. Who is Chairman of the DMC Central, he asked and said it was MQM. “We have provided them funds and they have their own resources and sufficient sanitation staff then why they were not pressing their chairman to clean their districts,” he asked and said “this is politics and they are playing on the pointation of some others.” KMC: Talking about the performance of the KMC, the chief minister said that it has failed to achieve all its revenue recovery targets from last many years. Instead of taping new revenue sources and enhancing and achieving recovery targets, he [mayor] was seen always blaming Sindh government for his failures.The KMC has completely failed to undertake any tangible exercise to control its non-development expenditures, rationalize over-crowded staff, undertake proper use of its funds and resources but just they have set their eyes on provincial government resources which was wrong, he said.Mr Shah said that the federal government had faced shortfall in its revenue recoveries, therefore they have transferred less funds to the province. “We are facing financial crunch even then we have given sufficient funds to the KMC so that it can serve people of this city but they [KMC] lack sincerity and will to serve the people of this city.He said that the court has asked the Sindh government to work out a methodology to clear Rs580 million electricity bills of KMC upto March. The provincial government against a Rs580 million electricity bills has already paid over Rs320 million and the remaining amount would also be paid. “But, how long the provincial government would be paying power bills of the KMC, he asked and questioned why the KMC was not creating its own resources. He said that the prime minister had announced Rs65 billion package for Karachi and a few leaders of PTI and MQM claimed to have brought Rs45 billion but when the budget was announced it turned to be only Rs12 billion. “Why are you not strengthening our hands in getting our due share from the federal government,” he asked the MQM leadership. Why MQM elected representatives did not talk about K-IV in which federal government has stopped funding, he said.Shah said that presently 400 to 450 MGD water was being supplied to city against the required of around 1200 MGD. The solution of this water shortage lies in completion of K-IV project, he said. Shah said that the federal government was not ready to talk to Sindh government on K-IV and other projects- this kind of attitude was detrimental for national reconstruction. Plea Bargain: To a question, the chief minister said that he had no knowledge of Khursheed Jamali [of private power plant consultant] request to NAB for plea bargain. “I have nothing to do with the power plant – just I was a provincial minister and had not executed installation or procurement of the power plant,” he said and added “some `political actors’ were spreading baseless propaganda against him,” he said and added “I am not scared of such propaganda because it has no foundation or base,” he said. PTI against CM in ECP: To a question, the chief minister said that he had heard that the PTI has filed an application against him in the Election Commission of Pakistan for violating code of conduct of election in Ghotki. “I went to the house of Jam Saifullah Dharejo in Karachi where he announced to join PPP,” he said and added “we did not go to his home in Ghotki- how it can be termed as violation of code of conduct,” he asked and said he would file his reply when and if ECP issued him a letter.He said when schedule of the election was announced the prime minister went to Ghotki to offer condolence for the death of Federal Minister Ali Mohammad Khan Maher. “This was violation of code of conduct,” he said. Earlier, the chief minister visited under construction Shaheed-e-Millat, Tariq Road Inter-section, underpass and inspected pace and quality of the work. The chief minister was given detailed briefing on the work on the project. The project has been launched for Rs437 million and around 75 percent its work has been completed. The chief minister directed PD Niaz Soomro to complete the project by August 2019.He also visited under-construction underpass at Hyder Ali Intersection launched for Rs478 million. The chief minister was given detailed briefing by the project Director Niaz Soomro. The project has achieved 60 percent physical progress and would be completed by the start of November 2019.