In a hard-hitting press conference at the Governor House in Karachi, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry took a jibe at the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto and the Sindh cabinet, blaming them for stealing Sindh’s water.
Fawad said Punjab was not stealing Sindh’s water but Bilawal and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and the provincial cabinet were guilty of the crime.
“The water never runs short when it comes to Zardari and his sister’s lands,” added Chaudhry. He said the Centre had increased the share for provinces in the federal budget and that Sindh would receive more than Rs750bn according to the National Finance Commission (NFC) award.
“If so much money is coming in (each year), where is it going?” he asked. “They [Sindh government] were unable to create a [competent] police force in the city. They have to seek help from the Sindh Rangers every time,” added the minister.
Turning his guns towards the PPP leadership, Chaudhry accused Zardari of limiting the chief minister and provincial assembly’s role.
“All decisions are taken by the Zardari family,” he said. “They appoint one person as a rubberstamp chief minister. The Zardari family runs the chief minister in accordance with their wishes,” added Chaudhry.
Sindh Minister for Information Nasir Hussain Shah responded at length to the allegations by Fawad Chaudhry against the Sindh government.
Shah claimed that Chaudhry used to conspire against Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar and now he is making statements against Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah based on “utter lies”.
“Murad Ali Shah has never done the kind of politics that he has been accused of. We do not use the Sindh card, rather we advocate for the Pakistan card,” Nasir said.
Nasir Hussain Shah added it was rather unfortunate that Chaudhry spoke out against the Sindh police, who have made countless sacrifices in ensuring law and order.
“Who do you think thwarted the attack on the stock exchange which had foreign intervention?” he asked. “We have a lot of respect for the Rangers and they have supported us a lot but the sacrifices made by Sindh Police have ensured our success.”
Shah said this propaganda that Sindh is not delivering is baseless. The reality, he said, is that the Sindh government is a thorn in the government’s side. “They themselves say that Sindh is not theirs. And they cannot digest the fact that the chief minister is performing.”
