HYDERABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party Sindh president Nisar Ahmed Khuhro called on Sindh Taraqqi-pasand Party chairman Dr Qadir Magsi at the STP House here on Friday and discussed issues relating to the 18th Constitutional Amendment, National Finance Commission Award, 2017 census and water share of Sindh.

The two sides decided to raise these issues jointly. Mr Khuhro also offered his condolences to the STP chief on the death of his senior party colleague Altaf Jiskani in a murderous attack.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Mr Khuhro said that conditions in the country were worsening and provincial autonomy was being attacked as federal ministers were hinting at rolling back the18th Amendment after gaining majority in the forthcoming Senate election. He said that since 2015, a new NFC Award had not been announced. “Any attempt to weaken provinces will ultimately weaken the federation,” he said.

The senior PPP leader claimed that population of Sindh was under-counted in the 2017 census whereas overall census figures also appeared conflicting. “By showing lesser population of Sindh, attempts are made to cut share of the province in the NFC Award,” he said.

He alleged that islands of Sindh and Balochistan were being occupied [by the federal government].

Speaking about the movement launched by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), he said it was currently a drive against the PTI government. “The PDM would welcome Sindhi nationalists to its fold,” he said.

He claimed that PTI was made a larger [than its actual size] parliamentary party “artificially”. “Assemblies are not property of the federal government,” he added.

Mr Khuhro said that PPP trusted the masses and it was struggling with their support. This struggle would continue until people were rid of this government, he said.

He said PPP legislators would tender their resignations in order to oust the PTI government, if need be. He said that PDM could hold a long march and also initiate steps like courting arrest.

He insisted that the PTI government was formed with artificial majority, and demanded general elections in the country afresh. He said that there were no differences within the PDM. The PPP is one of the main components of the alliance, he added.

Mr Khuhro told the media that he and Dr Magsi discussed core issues of Sindh at the meeting and found a consensus on safeguarding the province’s permanent interests.

Dr Magsi said that Pakistan could only be run through a federalist system. He said that the PPP government in Sindh needed to improve its governance and address the issue of maladministration.

He pointed out that there were no medicines at hospitals whereas the education sector stood destroyed and people did not have access to clean drinking water.

He said he did not discuss with Mr Khuhro STP’s inclusion in the PDM, which comprised federalist parties. However, he said, STP would support PDM if need be.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2021