KARACHI: Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has warned Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi that he will boycott the upcoming meetings of Council of Common Interests and National Economic Council if the latter does not resolve the power crisis in Sindh.

He was speaking at the My Karachi Exhibition organised by the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the Expo Centre on Friday.

The CM told the participants that he had sent the third letter to the PM asking him to play his part in settling the dispute between SSGC and K-Electric.

Demands shares in governing bodies of SSGC, KE

“The confusion between SSGC and KE shows the federal government is not good at running organisations. Give us proper share in their (SSGC, KE) governing bodies and then observe how brilliantly we manage them and make them serve the masses,” he said.

“Nepra and Ogra are also federal entities. They are also failures. It is actually lack of sincerity on the part of PML-N government which is aggravating the situation,” he added.

Mr Shah further said he feared the federal government was trying to damage industries in Sindh through loadshedding.“I think the centre is trying to force industrialists to shift their businesses from Sindh. And now the FIA is being used to stop supply of gas to KE.”

The chief minister recalled that two years back the law and order situation was not good in Karachi.

“We crushed terrorists who used to extort money from industrialists. Law and order have been restored and now one can run his business in safe and secure environment. We have started reconstruction of the city.”

Regarding those who he feared had vested interests and who could take the law into their own hands, he said, “Restored peace in Karachi will be at stake as various political parties and civil society organisations have threatened to protest on streets. We have achieved tranquillity after hectic efforts and through the sacrifices of our law enforcement agencies. We should not let it go to waste,” the CM vowed.

He further stated the Sindh government was kept away when an agreement was signed between a private party and the government of Pakistan for privatisation of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC).

About other cities of the province, Mr Shah said, “Performances of Hesco and Sepco are also deplorable, which, in fact, is the failure of the central government.”

He claimed that he fulfilled almost all the promises he had made with the people of Karachi, including construction of flyovers, underpasses and main arteries.

“Now, the World Bank-sponsored Karachi Neighbourhood Progra­mme is being implemented under which old areas of the city from Pakistan Chowk, DG Science College, Arts Council to Empress Market are being renovated and made traffic-free pedestrian areas.”

Mr Shah told the industrialists that he had given them Rs3 billion to construct roads in their areas. “It is your (industrialists’) responsibility now to develop them,” he said.

At the end of the programme, the chief minister visited various stalls set up at the exhibition and appreciated the effort.

NICH visit

Earlier in the day, the chief minister paid a visit to the National Institute of Child Health and inspected different wards, including the recently-built intensive care unit.

He announced to establish NICH’s centres in different cities of the province so that the patients who come from other provinces for treatment could be facilitated in their own cities.

The CM asked the NICH director to submit a proposal in that regard.

Prof Jamal Raza informed the CM that the rate of death has come down to 82 in 1,000 births.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2018