HYDERABAD, Aug 01 (APP): The Opposition Leader in Sindh Assembly and central leader of Pakistan Tehreek Insaf Haleem Adil Sheikh on Sunday lashed out at Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and termed his government as the security risk for the country.
While addressing press conferences at Jamshoro and Nawabshah, Haleem Adil Shaikh alleged that Murad Ali Shah and his government had become the security risk for the country for his dangerous decisions, adding that Shah was creating the hurdles in the completion of the Sukkur-Hyderabad-Karachi Motorway.
“The person, who imposed the lockdown without seeking the permission from the officials of NCOC, just wanted to stop the smooth sailing of the economic activities in a city like Karachi and this step was nothing but an open threat to the flourishing economy of the country” Shaikh noted.
He said that the Sindh Chief Minister instead of ensuring the vaccination of the people against the deadly virus, had been doing politics on the directions of his boss Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
“The Federal Government provided testing kits, ventilators and then the vaccines but the high-ups of the provincial government could not ensured the proper vaccination of the people” he said and held PPP rulers in Sindh responsible for the mess and their utter failure to even set up a single vaccination centre where people could be vaccinated in a proper manner in a conducive atmosphere.
‘Murad Ali Shah and the incompetent Sindh Minister for Health had never bothered to tackle the issues and they even could not pay the salaries to the staffers they had hired to vaccinate the people at Expo Centre in Karachi instead they were involved in selling the
vaccines, which were provided to them by the federal government’ Haleem Adil said and warned them to stop playing with the lives of the people.
He said that Murad Ali Shah after Covid-19 pandemic instead of handling the situations in a proper manner only got himself busy making money.
The rulers in Sindh falsely claimed to have provided ration among 2 million people but people of the province continued to face hunger and starvation due to lockdowns, he said and added that it was federal government of Imran Khan which had given Rs 65 billion to the people of Sindh through Ehsas Kifalat Program without any discrimination when
the people desperately needed the money to feed themselves and their kids. Murad Ali Shah and PPP rulers in difficult times only cried foul and did nothing for the starving people.
He asked PPP chairman Bilawal to desist from issuing the dangerous statements just to gain the cheap popularity, adding he claimed the PPP government in Sindh wanted to turn situations like that of Indian occupied Kashmir by imposing the lockdowns under a conspiracy.
Haleem Adil further said that on Saturday he witnessed ugly glimpses in Karachi during the lockdown and people were being humiliated by the Police at Kathore Bus Stop.
The people, who were unaware of the sudden decision of the lockdown, who were travelling to Karachi by buses were tortured by police personnel, he said and added that such ugly scenes reminded him of the grim situations of the Indian-held Kashmir.
Sheikh observed that the lockdown of one week in a city like Karachi would affect the economic activities in the whole country for many months.
He said insane rulers, who imposed such decisions, had become a security risk for the country.
The PTI leader said that corrupt PPP rulers, who had already failed to provide any relief to the people of the province, were now trying to snatch the morsels from the mouths of their people by imposing lockdowns.
He said that there was no lockdown on stray dogs, which were roaming and biting people, even in the hospitals, he claimed that outbreak of the hepatitis was killing people five times more than the virus but high -ups of Sindh were sitting cross-legged to address such core issues of the province. “The foul cries of Murad Ali Shah and the spread of the deadly virus were going on together for the past many months ” he added, asking Murad Shah to stop the foul-play with the people of Sindh.
He said that Murad Shah, who was not looking in his senses during a meeting on Friday, made a conspiracy against the economy of the country by imposing a lockdown in the province.
He said that the city, which was contributing to 67 percent revenues to the country, should not be allowed to be affected by such stupid decisions.
He said that PPP rulers were only interested in making money but were least bothered to make a concerted effort to tackle the situation under the directions of the National Command and Operation Centre.
He asked the Sindh CM to go to NCOC to seek permission from authorities before making any decision to destroy the economy of Karachi and Pakistan. “Nobody would be allowed to play with the economy of the country through senseless moves,” he commented.
Haleem Adil said that during his visit to Expo Centre in Karachi he witnessed the crowded situations, hundreds of people in long queues were waiting for their turn to get themselves vaccinated. He said hardly any person was observing the SOPs and that was enough to
expose the intentions of PPP rulers towards the health of people.
People were seen creating the riots and chaotic situations with no proper arrangements by officials of the Sindh government in the centre.
Sheikh observed that now only state institutions could only ensure the smart lockdown in the troubled areas and localities and to ensure the proper vaccination against the deadly virus. He said that the Supreme Court had ruled that the provinces could not take unilateral decisions in this regard, but the Sindh government’s announcement about imposition of a lockdown in the province was against such orders.
The PTI leader further elaborated that under Article 151 of the Constitution, Pakistan is a single market with the port of Karachi acting as the jugular vein of its economy. Any attempt that could affect the country’s economic lifeline should not be allowed.
He said that the PTI leadership strongly condemned such decisions, which were aimed at stifling economic activities.
Sheikh maintained that the option of imposing a complete lockdown was not available to any provincial government but Murad Ali Shah again made a very unwise decision and provided an opportunity to police officials to mint money from traders, business and vendors.
The policy about the Covid pandemic was formulated by the federation and the National Command and Operation Centre and the provinces were bound to implement it, he said and added that the Imran Khan-led PTI government had fought hard against the virus and had so far managed to save many lives while maintaining a stable economy.
He said that Pakistan under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan controlled the worst situations during the past peak times of the pandemic and his sincere and concerted efforts were lauded by the heads of other countries.
Had the Sindh government implemented the SOPs effectively, the situation in Karachi and other parts of Sindh would not be so grim and worse today, Haleem Sheikh said, adding that those living in Bilawal House and in their palatial palaces did not know how the poor people were suffering due to such uncalled for lockdowns.
Criticizing the lack of interest of the provincial government, Haleem Adil said the functionaries of National Highway Authority had already released Rs 14 billion to Sindh government for the acquiring of the land for the completion of Sukkur to Karachi Motorway but Murad Ali Shah was creating the hurdles on the way if this mega project.
CM Shah is creating hurdles and hindrances in his own home district against the completion of the mega projects for greed to make more money” he added.
Sheikh also asked the chief secretary to play his role and retrieve the occupied lands so that the work on the mega project could not hit snags due to the acts of PPP rulers.
He also warned that any move to halt any project of the Federal Government would be resisted and all such attempts would be foiled.
He said that PTI leaders had already requested Prime Minister Imran Khan to launch the effective operation against both criminals and corrupt people in Sindh by directing the Rangers and hoped that the province would soon be purged of such elements.
