DADU/HYDERABAD: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on
Tuesday described Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) leader Syed Mustafa Kamal’s
desire of ruling over Sindh as his wishful thinking, saying that the
party had not yet grown big enough.
He was responding to
similar questions posed by media personnel at Sehwan airport, Dadu
residence of MNA Rafiq Jamali and Bhuttos’ mausoleum in Larkana after Mr
Kamal, addressing his party’s public meeting in Karachi on Sunday,
claimed that the PSP would sweep the next election and become in a
position to bring in its own chief minister.
“It may be
the desire of any party to rule over the country or a province but it
takes time, requires long struggle and demands great sacrifices to win
over voters; the PSP has a long way to go,” he told local reporters at
Mr Jamali’s residence, Jamali House, which he visited to offer his
condolences to the bereaved family over the death of the MNA’s brother,
SSP Farooq Jamali. Gianchand Esrani, Mukesh Kumar Chawla, Fayyaz Ali
Butt, Imdad Pitafi, Syed Ghulam Jilani and MPA Dr Sajeela Leghari
accompanied the CM.
Mr Shah also rejected Mr Kamal’s
allegations of his government’s failure to provide adequate and safe
drinking water to Karachiites and ensure proper sanitation in Karachi
as well as providing or accepting wrong census figures of Karachi and
other parts of Sindh to the federal authorities. He said the allegations
were merely an attempt to undermine the popularity of his government
and the ruling party.
“Parties like the PSP, PTI
(Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf) and the alliances like the GDA (Grand
Democratic Alliance) use to emerge only in election season,” he
remarked, and argued that “why they always become active a little before
elections and fall into slumber after suffering a defeat?”
He
advised the GDA components and other parties to work for the betterment
of the province and its people round the year and every year if they
could compete with the PPP.
Rebutting Mr Kamal’s
allegation of neglecting Karachi in terms of development, sanitation and
other civic issues, the chief minister said that the city had descended
into such a state after Mustafa Kamal became its mayor. “This is a fact
known to everyone,” he added. He said the mayor had done no good for
Karachi during his entire tenure.
CM Shah also commented on the recent series of public meetings organised by the PTI in Sindh.
“Its
activity is restricted to the venues of such gatherings; the party will
realise its real strength when the election results will emerge,” he
said.
He argued that the PPP will seek votes on the
basis of its excellent performance while others had only slogans and
speeches to show to the public.
In reply to a question
about the position of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Mr Shah observed
that the party had yet to decide even who would be its prime minister.
“While
Nawaz Sharif stands disqualified, an alternative prime minister has
been brought in and at the same time the next prime minister is named
for a future dispensation,” he pointed out. In such a situation, all
party chapters were in fix as to whom they should follow, he said.
Speaking
to reporters in Sehwan and Larkana, the chief minister also commented
on police action against teachers at a recent demonstration in Karachi.
He
said the matter being agitated by them had already been sort out. He
said holding protests was a democratic right of aggrieved people but
they should not defy the law. He said protests should not be held in a
prohibited area to avoid such an action.
An inquiry would, however, be held into the incident, he said. He said the protesters should also exercise restraint.
He
observed that certain political parties were unnecessarily meddling in
such matters. “I don’t want to name such parties,” he said.
