PM hits out at Sindh CM over ‘failed governance’

Imran Khan denies striking deal with PPP; parliamentarians complain against Murad Ali Shah

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday lambasted the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)-led Sindh government, saying that governance in the province was not only “bad” but it was also a “total failure”.

The prime minister met a delegation of parliamentarians from Sindh, belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as well as allied parties, led by provincial Governor Imran Ismail. During the meeting at the Prime Minister House, PM Imran was briefed on the ongoing development projects in the province.

وزیراعظم عمران خان سے صوبہ سندھ سے تعلق رکھنے والے اتحادی جماعتوں کے ممبران کی گورنر سندھ عمران اسماعیل کی سربراہی میں اسلام آباد میں ملاقات ۔

ملاقات میں صوبہ سندھ میں جاری فلاحی و ترقیاتی منصوبوں پر پیشرفت کے امور پر بریفنگ ۔ pic.twitter.com/T9ldBuiJoq

— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) December 6, 2019

PM Imran said that the progress and prosperity of the people of Sindh was one of the top priorities of the government. Expressing resolve to play his role in improving the political situation in Sindh, he said the government would continue to serve the masses without any discrimination.

He said that elimination of corruption was the basic agenda of the PTI government. "Corruption will not be tolerated. Because of this menace the country lacked development,” he said. “I have come to wage a Jihad against corruption. There will be no deal, no doctrine of necessity.”

The delegation included lawmakers Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Asad Umar, Omar Ayub, Ali Haider Zaidi, Muhammadmian Soomro, Naeemul Haq, Firdous Shamim Naqvi, Haleem Adil Shaikh and Khurram Sher Zaman, among others.

Kishwar Zehra, Faisal Sabzwari, Naveed Jameel, Khawaja Izharul Hassan, Muhammad Hussain, Hameedul Zafar and Rashid Khilji of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), and Dr Fehmida Mirza, Ghaus Bux Mahar, Arbab Ghulam Rahim, Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi, Ayaz Palijo, Safdar Abbasi, Zulfiqar Mirza and Ali Gohar Mahar of the Sindh Democratic Alliance (SDA) were also present.

During the meeting, the prime minister was informed about the hurdles in implementation of the government's road map for the progress of the people of Sindh. The meeting agreed that focal persons would be posted in federal ministries, which related to the issues of the province.

Without mentioning any names, according to sources, PM Imran told the participants that proofs of corruption worth billions of rupees have surfaced, therefore, they were worried. "Accountability will take place and everybody's turn will come. There is no place for the corrupt in Pakistan," he said.

Complaints against CM

The participants of the meeting, particularly those from Sindh raised complaints against Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and demanded legal action against him.

The lawmakers claimed that the provincial government was ignoring the rural as well as urban areas. Aside from the provincial government, the federal institutions in Sindh were also not cooperating, they said, alleging that in the presence of CM Shah, no development project could be completed in the province.

They also raised the issue of limiting powers of the chief secretary and the inspector general of police. They requested the prime minister that gas royalties paid to the province should be spent on the areas, which had the right on it.

The lawmakers asked if there was any deal between the federal government and the PPP. On this, PM Imran stated that there would be no compromise and there would be no deal.

During the meeting, the MQM-P demanded funds for the municipal corporations of Karachi and Hyderabad. The prime minister directed Umar, the planning minister, to release the funds for the development of Sindh.

According to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office, the prime minister emphasised in the meeting that the process of accountability would continue indiscriminately, as the government would not tolerate corruption.