HYDERABAD: Sindh Minister for Information Syed Nasir Hussain Shah has said the provincial government had issued no-objection certificate for the development of islands on condition that fishing community’s rights would be protected but Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government came up with a presidential ordinance in this regard, which exposed its real intentions.

The minister told journalists after addressing balloting ceremony for the first phase of plots for local journalists at the press club on Saturday that PTI turned an otherwise beneficial project controversial because the party’s leadership lacked political acumen. The party always bungled issues and situations that could have been resolved amicably, he said.

He said that if PTI’s intentions had been sincere about islands’ development then it would have first discussed the issue in lower and upper houses of parliament.

‘PIDA Ordinance after issuance of NOC exposed federal government’s real intentions’

The Pakistan Peoples Party favoured development and its handling of Thar coal project proved it where alternative accommodation was provided to displaced communities, he said.

He condemned arrests of Gilani family members and registration of cases against them and warned that Pakistan Peoples Party would hold public meetings across the country to mark its founding day if permission for Multan public meeting of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) on Nov 30 was not given.

He said that when the PTI ministers and spokesman were claiming PDM would not be able to oust the government through the public meetings then why were they so unsettled by the gatherings.

He wondered whether coronavirus did not spread in PTI public meetings which were addressed by the prime minister himself in Gilgit-Baltistan recently. If this was the case then how could coronavirus spread in PPP and other political parties’ public meetings, he argued.

This government was hiding behind coronavirus threat after having used National Accountability Bureau narrative, he said.

He said that PTI and its allies faced many cases but no action was seen against them.

This government was only victimising PPP and other opposition parties in the name of accountability, he said.

Mr Shah said the prime minister was activating anti-corruption department in Punjab these days only to dig out old cases and its recent example was registration of case against octogenarian mother of a PML-N MNA.

He said that situation in Karachi and Hyderabad had changed for better because people of the two cities used to vote due to fear in past and believed PPP would get electoral success in both cities if free and fair elections were held.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement, which was notorious for ‘body bags’ was now promoting ethnic politics and raising slogan for separate province which was being used to incite and spread hatred, he said.

The minister promised in his address to the balloting ceremony that Sindh government would try its level best to ensure development in journalists’ colony as it had provided land for it in 2008 when Asif Ali Zardari was president of the country.

PPP Senator Maula Bux Chandio, PPP district president Saghir Qureshi and others were also present at the ceremony.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2020