Conditional promise: No crackdown against PTI in Sindh, says CM

Adds permission comes with condition that protesters will remain non-violent

HYDERABAD: As the supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) confront a crackdown in Punjab and federal capital, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has said his government will not impede any protest demonstrations of the party in Sindh. However, the permission came with a condition that the protesters will have to remain non-violent and avoid any harm to life or property.

He was speaking to the media in Jamshoro and Hyderabad on Friday. "It's the democratic right of people to organise protests," he said. "We will not block roads in Sindh [for caravans of PTI going north]. But they will have to keep the protests non-violent because the government can't tolerate harm to lives or assets."

Shah expressed concern over what he described as the crackdown on the PTI's workers in Islamabad on Thursday night. The CM advised the federal government to resolve all issues politically.

LG funds

The chief minister said he will soon nominate four members for the provincial finance commission, which will be followed by distribution of funds to the local councils. He justified the recent freezing of the local councils' bank accounts across Sindh, saying that the move will help balance the fresh distribution.

Concerns over CPEC

Talking about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Shah pointed out that the map of the CPEC route, which was formed during the presidency of Pakistan Peoples Party-Parliamentarians (PPP-P) chairperson Asif Ali Zardari has been changed. "That map, which was [then] displayed on a wall of the Presidency, has seen some changes," he said. "Because of this, we have some concerns that we keep raising before the [federal] authorities from time to time."

He expressed interest in attending the meeting of CPEC implementation committee in China, which is scheduled this December.

Increase in paid slots for doctors

Speaking at the fourth International Dental Conference in Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS) in Jamshoro, he announced doubling of the paid slots for postgraduate doctors.

"The number of paid slots of postgraduate students enrolled at LUMHS will be increased from 265 to 500," he said.

At LUMHS, a large number of doctors pursuing Fellowship of College of Physicians and Surgeons (FCPS) are being allowed enrolment on a condition that they will not seek Rs42,000 stipend during the residency. The problem came to light when nine female doctors filed a petition in the Sindh High Court that LUMHS either denies them enrolment in postgraduate programmes or offers one without stipend. The university received Rs150 million last year from the provincial government for payment of stipends to 265 postgraduates. The sum is likely to double with the sanction of 500 slots.

Commenting on the conference's theme of 'maxillofacial trauma and rehabilitation', Shah observed that the number of accidents have increased in the province. "Unfortunately, the statistics of fatal traffic accidents and causalities are very high in Sindh and most of them are caused by the collision of vehicles, over-speeding and avoiding precautions during driving," he said. He underscored the need of promoting research for the treatment of people who survive such accidents but often suffer injuries to their face and skull.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29^th, 2016.