SUKKUR: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that if Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf wants to seek political support of the Pakistan Peoples Party, it will have to evolve as a political party and behave like one.

The PPP had made its position clear on federal government’s decision to ban Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and reiterated it was not in favour of imposing ban on any political party but PTI would have to prove itself to be a political party, he said while talking to media persons at Pir-jo-Goth in Khairpur district on Tuesday after offering condolence over the death of Nazir Dhoki, media coordinator of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.

“No other political party, except the PTI, refuses to engage in dialogues to resolve [contentious] issues,” he said.

He said that PTI itself was largely responsible for whatever it was facing today but the decision to ban the party had to be taken by the federal government and the judiciary. “Our party has already made it clear that its leadership has not been consulted on the matter,” he said.

He said in answer to a question at Rohri that his party would never support banning any political party but PTI would have to prove itself as a political party. No party, except PTI, had ever launched a movement against national institutions, he said.

“The responsibility for polluting political culture with frequent use of foul language falls squarely on the PTI’s shoulders,” he said.

“If PTI wants to seek political support of the PPP, it will have to evolve as a political party and behave like one,” he said.

Former Sindh CM Qaim Ali Shah, MNAs Khursheed Shah, Nafisa Shah, Javed Shah, provincial ministers Zia Lanjar, Nasir Shah and MPAs Halar Wassan and others also accompanied the chief minister.

Earlier, the chief minister chaired a meeting of administration officials at the residence of Sukkur Mayor Arsalan Shaikh and was briefed by deputy commissioner M.B. Dharejo on Muharram security plan and arrangements.

The CM was told that on the 10th of Muharram four major processions would be taken out. Of these, the largest one would be organised in Rohri in which over 70,000 to 80,000 mourners were expected to participate.

Another Ashura procession would be taken out in Sukkur City in which 60,000 to 70,000 mourners would participate and 783 policemen had been assigned duty to provide it security.

The chief minister visited 550-year-old Karbala Mola Imambargah in Rohri and chaired a meeting at Jacobabad which was attended by Larkana Commissioner Ghulam Mustafa Phul, DIG Nasir Aftab and DC Zahoor Marri.

‘Dry, wet test of Sukkur Barrage’s replaced gate on Friday’

Sindh irrigation secretary informed Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday that all gates of Sukkur Barrage had been opened fully to lower level of upstream pond in order to avoid further damage to the gates and facilitate ongoing repair work at gate No.44 and 47.

The secretary Zareef Khero told the chief minister during his visit to the barrage to inspect ongoing work on the replacement of gate No.44 and 47 that as a consequence, supply to all the canals off-taking from the left and right side of the barrage, including Nara, Rohri, Khairpur East, Khairpur West, Northern Dadu, Rice and North-Western canals, was to remain reduced until the restoration of the two gates.

He said that at gate No.47, plate joint welding work, bolt tightening, and wire rope setting were completed on July 16. On July 17th, the process of installation and connection with counterweight would be completed, on July 18th, rubber side ceiling, roller train insert, bottom stiffeners and bottom ceiling would be fitted and on July 19, dry tests and wet tests would be carried out, he said.

He recalled that the damage the gates was detected at 7:20 pm on June 20. The preliminary assessment revealed that gate No.44 had developed a bent but was intact in full section (geometry), while gate No.47 was substantially damaged, he said.

He said that he and the irrigation minister, along with a team of chief engineers, reached the site at 4.00 am on June 21. The standard operating procedures for the movement of Caisson gate at gate No.44 in the river required a pond level of 195.0 to 197.0 with a discharge of less than 125,000 cusecs upstream barrage, he said.

The secretary said that as of Tuesday, the discharge upstream was 133,400 cusecs but after seven days, it would rise to 145,000 cusecs. Consequently, the pond level had increased above today’s pond level that was 198.4, he said.

He said the movement of the Caisson gate at these discharges and levels would be quite risky for installation and removal of the gate. Lowering the pond level to 197 would again cause the right bank canals to suffer more, he said.

Moreover, the removal of the Caisson gate, which was experienced at gate No.36, was more challenging. Therefore, vigilant monitoring of gate No.44 was important, he said.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2024