KARACHI: Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Ali Zaidi on Friday claimed that the findings of investigations into cases against Uzair Baloch, the alleged head of one of the criminal gangs operating in Lyari, and Nisar Morai carried names of political leaders, members of parliament and senior police officers, but still they had not been made public.

Talking to reporters after filing a contempt of court petition in the Sindh High Court for not making Joint Investigation Team (JIT) reports of high-profile cases public, he said the Pakistan Peoples Party’s government in Sindh was protecting criminals by misusing its powers and authority.

“The court had directed the Sindh authorities to make public JIT reports on Lyari gang war kingpin Uzair Baloch, Baldia factory fire tragedy and former Fishermen’s Cooperative Society chairman Nisar Morai in January this year,” he said.

“But the chief secretary of Sindh has not made these reports public so far. I, therefore, have filed a contempt of court petition requesting the court to proceed against the Sindh chief secretary. Everyone knows why the Sindh government is not making them public. These reports put direct blame on those leaders who are now part of the parliament and police officers, who are their blue-eyed boys and still getting promotions.”

Ali Zaidi files contempt of court petition in SHC for not making JIT reports public by Sindh govt

He said that important revelations were made by the suspects arrested in the Baldia factory case and that report should also be made public so that people could know facts. He said that he had written to the Sindh chief secretary referring the SHC directives for the government to make public reports of JITs against Uzair Baloch, former chairman of Fishermen Cooperative Society Nisar Morai and the Baldia factory fire incident.

“But my request went unheard. Why is the Sindh government so much worried about these reports? Over 200 people were killed in Baldia factory fire and Uzair Baloch had turned Lyari into a war zone. The Sindh government only in a bid to hide the truth pertaining to the involvement of police and government officials in these crimes is hesitating to make them public,” he added.

Mr Zaidi also criticised the Sindh government for poor arrangements of health system in the wake of coronavirus pandemic. He accused the PPP government of failing in implementing the lockdown.

“One cannot even imagine the state of health and other services in public sector in rural parts of Sindh,” he said. “They [Sindh government] couldn’t save people from dog bites and dozens lost their lives in past two years. How one can expect them to show any efficiency in this global challenge?”

Regarding locust attacks in different parts of the country, he said the federal government was well aware of the challenge and making all due arrangements.

“We need to move fast before it’s too late. The government has devised a comprehensive strategy and relevant institutions and experts are working tirelessly to save our crops and agriculture produce,” he added.

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2020