‘No similarity between PTI’s past sit-ins and JUI-F’s upcoming one’

Governor says Centre not threatened by Molana

HYDERABAD: Sindh Governor Imran Ismail said there is no comparison between the sit-ins of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government and the upcoming one of Jamaat-e-Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F).

"The PTI's sit-in was against the corrupt government of PML-N which misappropriated trillions of foreign and local loans. But Molana's [Molana Fazlur Rehman] sit-in is to help the corrupt people who have been put in jails and to stop the process of accountability."

Ismail reiterated the PTI's contention that the JUI-F will use children of the seminaries in the sit-in. He asked the provincial governments in the country to stop children from participating in the sit-in. "... because children are apolitical."

However, he asserted that the PTI's government does not feel threatened by Rehman's sit-in. Speaking at an event in Nawabshah and Bhit Shah districts on Monday, the governor said that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is not going to participate in the sit-in while two groups have emerged in PML-N one of which does not want to participate.

He clarified that no decision is under review to impose governor rule in Sindh. The Sindh government can complete its constitutional tenure and no one will interfere in its jurisdiction, he said.

He emphasised that the PTI has no plan to divide Sindh. "Neither a new province is going to be created in Sindh nor is the federal government working over such a plan."

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader in Sindh Assembly Firdous Shamim Naqvi said Sindh is one and will remain so but the thieves of Sindh will be cut into pieces. He asserted that Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah cannot escape the accountability. "He will be seen behind bars." He alleged that 40 per cent of Sindh's budget goes to the pockets of those at the government's hierarchy.

In a rejoinder to the governor's statement, provincial minister, Syed Sardar Ali Shah, said the PPP will facilitate Rehman's sit-in. "The PPP wished to see the Molana succeed in his mission."

He criticised the PTI and described it as tehreek-e-inteshar [a movement for chaos] and tehreek-e-intiqam [a movement for revenge].

"What makes governor Sindh feel that Molana will take children of the seminaries to the sit-in which has still not begun?" he questioned.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 15^th, 2019.