HYDERABAD: Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh has said that a no-confidence motion can be moved against Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah “the moment we get a nod from Prime Minister Imran Khan”.

He claimed that 51 Pakistan Peoples Party MPAs were in touch with Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and ready to support the move.

“Days of the CM have been numbered; that’s why he is resorting to favouritism and nepotism in the province, doling out promotions and postings to his family members and friends,” Mr Sheikh told a press conference in the local press club on Tuesday. Other PTI leaders including Dr Mustansir Billa were also present.

“PPP is hosting the Feb 9 power show of the Pakistan Democratic Movement as if it (PPP) has performed a remarkable job in Sindh” he said, adding that in fact, the PDM was a movement for saving ‘papa, daddy and maulana’.

He said PDM had run out of steam as it could not meet the deadlines given to the PTI government. He said in his address at the PDM show, [PPP chairman] Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari must present a few points highlighting performance of the Sindh government.

“He must explain spending of Rs7,880bn, released under the National Finance Commission Award, during the 12-year PPP rule over Sindh.” He said Rs1,560bn of the amount pertained to development and had the money been distributed among 29 districts, each district would have received Rs55bn.

He said that Sindh government did not offer public accounts committee chairmanship to the opposition although they held the same slot in the National Assembly.

He recalled that PPP-Parliamentarians including Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Sherry Rehman also headed different standing committees but they did not offer the PAC position to the PTI in Sindh Assembly on a flimsy ground.

Mr Sheikh said the PPP leadership must explain the spending of Rs920m on neutering stray dogs in Sindh, and said that whether it would need a ministerial committee to find out where this amount was spent.

He said that 120 people had deposed against the chief minister in the Nooriabad power plant reference being prepared by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and some of them had become approvers. He alleged that Murad Ali Shah was also involved in Rs19bn wheat scam through a former food director. He alleged that PPP destroyed Sindh and converted the entire province to a garbage dump.

He criticised PPP for opposing the bill for introducing show of hands method of balloting in the Senate election, arguing that the Charter of Democracy signed by it clearly mentioned the open balloting method.

He said PTI would produce a ‘white paper’ on each provincial department.

He said that as per a Sindh High Court directive, 465 civil service officers, who opted for plea bargain with NAB, or made voluntarily return, were supposed to be sacked but Sindh government was either giving them promotions or postings. He said the CM allowed promotion of five ex-PCS officers, including his brother-in-law, Aijaz Shah. He said Aijaz Shah had left Pakistan in 1999 but when PPP formed its government, he returned home and through a special enactment he and his likes were reinstated in service with all fringe benefits.

He said the CM was also facing a pension scam in which Rs2.47bn fake accounts were opened and fake pensioners were created.

He said PTI would explore all possible constitutional options against the PPP government.

The opposition leader said that incumbent finance secretary Hassan Naqvi had made a voluntary return of Rs120m but he was given the post.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2021