PTI submits white paper on govt’s poor performance

MPA Khurrum Sher Zaman slams Sindh govt’s governance in 2017

KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Sindh Assembly parliamentary leader Khurrum Sher Zaman presented a ‘white paper’ on the Sindh government’s abysmal performance in 2017.

Zaman, accompanied by fellow MPAs Samar Ali Khan and Dr Seema Zia, held a press conference on Monday highlighting the poor governance of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)-led Sindh government in 2017.

In the area of police reforms, the Sindh government continues to be non-serious and more occupied with trying to remove current Inspector-General of Police Allah Dino Khawaja than with initiate any action on much needed police reforms, said the PTI leaders. We are living in the 21st century but the province’s police force is still governed by the Police Order 1861 that was a British Raj era law that makes the police force servants of the rulers instead of the public, as is the case in ‘democratic’ policing.

Zaman mentioned the dismal performance of the Sindh government in the area of law and order in Karachi, where street crimes are rising and the extortion mafia is reappearing, terrorizing the business and trader communities.

According to the Citizens Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) data for January to October 2017, 23,553 motorcycles, 27,219 mobile phones and 1,294 cars were stolen in Karachi.



The situation of secondary and post-secondary education in Sindh is just as bad as the conditions of primary and middle school education, the leaders lamented.  Out of 239 postgraduate, degree and intermediate public sector colleges across Sindh, 50 are running without principals while 80 lack teaching and non-teaching staff.

Zaman’s white paper said that the education department has not appointed a permanent director for secondary education for more than two years and the absence of a permanent director is adversely affecting the operations of the department and delaying promotions of many teachers.

In addition to this, the PTI claimed that the University of Karachi is in a financial crunch due to underfunding by the Sindh government.

The party’s Sindh Assembly parliamentary leader blasted the Sindh Government for the contaminated water supply throughout Sindh, as over 70% of the water supplied is unfit for human consumption as per results of tests conducted by the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources.

Furthermore, 1.6 million people of Thar were deprived of water as 84 reverse osmosis plants were shut down by Pak Oasis Company in March because the Sindh Coal Authority failed to renew its contract that expired in June 2016, claimed the party representatives.

The public health sector also suffered, as the release of funds by Sindh finance department for various Annual Development Plan (ADP) schemes for the health sector has been little to zero with almost half the fiscal year lapsing.



Repealing the National Accountability Ordinance in Sindh without introducing a replacement bill shows malafide intent on behalf of the PPP, as it appears that it wanted to protect its cronies, accused the PTI leaders. They said the National Accountability Bureau is conducting inquiries and investigations against more than 600 persons, including 15 lawmakers, mostly belonging to the PPP, in Sindh.

Zaman pointed out that the passing of the Sindh New Captive Power Plant Subsidy Bill, 2017 at the same time of repealing the NAB Ordinance was another act by the Sindh government to financially help PPP supporters and cronies.

Zaman blamed the PPP-led Sindh government for the years of neglect and poor governance in Sindh and reminded them that hollow slogans alone cannot solve the basic issues of the people of this province when the government lacks the political will to do what is right.