LARKANA: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has said that talks with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) are in progress and he can say something about it once the talks are over.

Talking to journalists after presiding over a meeting of the mazar committee at Moenjodaro on Saturday, the chief minister said that talks were a democratic process and doors for dialogue always remained open in a democracy.

About death threats to party patron-in-chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Mr Shah said the threats would not deter his leader from carrying on with his political activities. Mr Bhutto-Zardari was as brave as his mother Benazir Bhutto and he could go anywhere in the country without fear, he said.

He said: “We have protested to the federal and Punjab governments over the death threats and urged them to provide him adequate security”.

Earlier at the meeting, the chief minister asked the officials concerned to make proper arrangements to facilitate party workers, sympathisers and supporters who would gather at the Garhi Khuda Bakhsh Bhutto to attend the 35th death anniversary of their beloved leader Z.A. Bhutto on April 4.

He directed the officials to ensure lighting, sanitation and parking arrangements for the participants and fix direction boards to guide visitors up to the venue. The party’s central leaders would address the gathering, he added.

Senior PPP leader Ghulamullah Mahoto, chairman of the committee, informed the meeting about the arrangements being made for the event. Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani, MNA Ayaz Soomro, MPA Khursheed Junejo and other party leaders attended the meeting.

Later, the chief minister visited the residence of Jacobabad district and session judge, Khalid Shahani, in Sachal Colony and offered Fateha on the death of his son, Aaqib Shahani, who was killed in Hyderabad about a month ago.