DADU: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has dismissed Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader Haleem Adil Shaikh’s reaction to the recent dismantling of his farmhouse and said he had obtained lease of land for agricultural purposes but was making its commercial use.

If someone wanted to play politics on encroachments he was free to do so but the Sindh government was only complying with orders of Supreme Court, Shah told journalists in Bhan Syedabad town on Sunday.

He said that encroachment drive had been launched across the province and it was being executed purely according to the letter and spirit of the apex court order.

He said that the government had granted 30-year lease for agricultural purposes but the lessees built farmhouses on the land. The lease tenure would not be extended under clearly directives of SC, he said.

He said that he enjoyed complete trust of Pakistan Peoples Party leadership and would remain chief minister. Under the leadership of PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Sindh government had provided best services to the people of the province in spite of difficulties caused by Covid pandemic, he claimed.

He said that if opposition parties wanted to bring a no-trust motion against him they could do so but he believed the move to unseat him would fail. All PPP MPAs were united and they did not care of pressure or fears of victimisation, he said.

A day before, the chief minister said at a press conference in Sehwan that he made an offer to PTI, saying if the party was incapable of running federal government it should hand over its reins to PPP, which would manage affairs of the centre as ably as it was governing Sindh.

He said that PTI lacked majority in National Assembly to amend the Constitution. It was clear the party had no trust in the loyalty of its members hence it was insisting on “show of hands” for Senate election, he said.

About National Finance Commission award, he said that he would highlight the issue of Sindh’s share in the award in upcoming meeting of Council of Common (CCI) Interests. PTI should bring an amendment to the Constitution to change mode of Senate election, he said.

He said that PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari had introduced 18th Amendment after having sought consent of all political parties and this one instance showed the PPP’s capability to garner support of different parties for a common cause and proved how successful PPP’s tenure was in centre.

He condemned PTI members’ attitude towards PPP MNA Naveed Qamar in National Assembly and said that the ruling party members were acting foolishly as they did not know law nor Constitution.

He said the federal government had completely failed on Kashmir issue. The provincial government took some harsh decisions to face Covid outbreak and shut all shrines for all but the devotees who followed SOPs for coronavirus, he said.

Shah said that local bodies’ election would be held under the Constitution, which required the election be held according to census and Sindh government had serious objections over census 2017.

He said that a decision on the census would be taken in upcoming CCI meeting. He had learnt the census would be held again before 2023, he said.

He said that he had raised the issue of gas shortages and reiterated PPP would always stand by people of Sindh on its right over gas.

After the press conference, PTI district president Sardar Hakim Nohani announced joining PPP.

Earlier, the chief minister offered condolence to party supporters over death of their relatives in Lutuf Ali Bhand village and Bhan Syedabad town.

He was accompanied by PPP MNA Sikandar Rahpoto, Syed Asif Ali Shah, local PPP leader Amanullah Shahani, Jamshoro deputy commissioner Fareeduddin Mustafa, Jamshoro SSP Moha­mmad Anwar Khetran, Dadu DC Samiullah Nisar Shaikh and Dadu SSP Aijaz Ahmed Shaikh.

Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2021