Sindh governor thinks Zardari is confused

Imran Ismail asks PPP supremo to also tell who put his party into power

HYDERABAD: Sindh Governor Imran Ismail has said the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Zardari is in a state of confusion due to the corruption cases that he is facing.

"Zardari is confused by the graft cases he is facing. The powerful people are now being held accountable,” said Ismail on Monday during his visit to Sindh’s Hyderabad district.

The governor, who belongs to the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), was responding to Zardari’s recent statements against the ruling party and the powers that be.

Zardari had alleged that the PTI's government was installed by establishment through a fake mandate. He had asserted that a national government would have emerged if free and transparent elections had been held in June this year. He had also predicted an early election in view of what he called the PTI’s failure.



“It was sad to hear what he said. Zardari should also tell who put him into power,” said the governor, who was accompanied by Federal Water Minister Faisal Vawda and the PTI Sindh's general secretary MPA Haleem Adil Shaikh.

During the visit, Ismail also inaugurated a residential apartments project by the Selani Welfare Trust in Hyderabad’s Latifabad area.  Offering partnership to the charity orgnaisation to construct homes for the poor, he asked it to join with the prime minister's initiative for constructing 5 million residential units

“Soon I will get land from the PM for constructing 5,000 flats which will be built by Selani,” he added.

The governor praised the charity for its range of free services for the people. He said the trust gives meals to around 10 million people every day. "Welfare trusts emerge when the government fails to take care of the people," he said.



Ismail said the PTI government wants to learn from Selani how it builds and distributes residential units among people. Selani has sold flats to deserving people at the monthly installment of Rs11,000. Besides an advance payment of Rs300,000, the buyers will have to pay the installments for a period of 14 years before they can get the ownership rights. On the occasion, 92 persons were given keys of their flats.

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan in his recent visit was dismayed to know that no shelter home has been set up in Karachi. "The PM feels sad for the people who sleep on the roads and footpaths." He assured that soon shelter homes will also be established in Karachi.

Ismail said welfare trusts like Selani and Edhi Foundation cannot operate successfully in countries like the US or Western Europe because governments in these countries take care of the poor people.

The governor acknowledged that there is a shortage of water in Sindh and said the situation will aggravate if the province receives less rainfall. He said Keenjhar Lake in Thatta district is destroyed due to the provincial government's negligence.

He claimed that Sindh is getting its due share from the Indus River and blamed the PPP led provincial government for delaying construction of small dams. "We still have time. Together we can put things on track."

He said the federal government has provided the required funds for the KIV project which will supply additional 250 million gallons per day water to Karachi. Faisal Vawda asked the PPP to pay attention to serving the people of Sindh. "Those ruling Sindh have plundered the province with both hands," he said.