Food Minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro on Sunday accused PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif of having orchestrated the firing incident at the residence of Justice Aijaz-ul-Hasan ‘because he wants to get life term for Nawaz Sharif’.
“If the attack took place in the presence of police guards, then Shehbaz Sharif is responsible for it. If Shehbaz forms his separate party then perhaps Chaudhry Nisar will stand with him because both are old friends.”
Khurho was addressing journalists at local press club here on Sunday. He claimed, “we have given sweet water to 106 villages including those Sanghar and Khipro.” He asked if it was the job of the water commission to check sewerage drains, adding that the authorities should instead serve their energies in providing protection to Sindhis. He said industrial waste water of other provinces was making underground water of Sindh unsafe. “Water commission must also take actions in this regard.” He said 2.4 million acres of Sindh’s fertile land had been eroded due to sea intrusion. “Non-availability of water in the delta is responsible for this. Why is the water commission not taking up this issue with IRSA?” he asked. Khuhro alleged that Sindh’s water share is not being given to it. He said notices were being taken up on little issues but major water issues in the province were not being taken up by the IRSA, adding that the water commission should focus instead on water supply schemes. He said election results must be put on ECP website immediately after announcement. Khuhro termed imposition of ban on recruitment and development schemes as a ‘black law of the ECP’ because the ban could be imposed only after the announcement of the election schedule. He said demands for new provinces in Sindh were part of a conspiracy and making 22 provinces in Pakistan was also a part of that conspiracy which had continued since long, whereas, he added, no attention was being paid to Punjab which was more populated than the rest of the provinces combined. He asked if prime minister were entitled to red passports then why did Nawaz Sharif need an Iqama?
The PPP provincial chief said that there was no difference in the thinking of Musharraf and Nawaz, adding that the former wasted 10 years without constructing the Bhasha dam. He said Sindh had 5.5 million tons of wheat production, out of which 1.4 million tons would only be procured by the government after getting huge loans. The remaining four million tons are sold in the open market. Later he visited the residence of deceased artist Samina Sindhu and offered his condolences to the family.
He announced Rs500,000 for the bereaved family.
Published in Daily Times, April 16th 2018.