Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda blamed the Sindh government for ongoing Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) crisis in province. Speaking to a group of journalists on Saturday, the minister said that CNG was a provincial subject after devolution of powers under the 18thAmendment in the Constitution. He further said that possibility of such a crisis was the reason he was opposed to the amendment. Vawda further said that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government had nothing to do with the ongoing anti-encroachment drive in Karachi. He alleged that the city government was damaging properties of PTI supporters on pretext of Supreme Court’s (SC) order. He accused authorities of indulging in unlawful acts and milking money under the guise of Court order. “The anti-encroachment operation is not being carried out in certain areas,” he maintained. He claimed that those razing public properties were telling people that they were paying price for ‘Naya Pakistan.’ Minister Muhammad Faisal Vawd clarified that the ongoing anti-encroachment drive in Karachi was completely a provincial matter and the federal government had nothing to do with its affairs. “The PTI government was extending its maximum support to the Sindh government for ensuring the basic facilities of life to the citizen of Karachi,” he said. The minister expressed his disappointment in the media persons and anchors who were criticising the federal government for not carrying out work in Karachi. He maintained that the federal government had a limited role in affairs of the province. The federal minister also lambasted the former State Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali for accusing him of laundering money to buy properties in central London.”Abid Sher Ali’s mental state is not right,” Vawda said. “He (Abid Sher Ali) would stand in front of the Buckingham Palace and claim it is mine. He should not make claims and instead, show us the proof,” Vawda lashed out. “I not only know how to handle people like him but I also know how to deal with them,” he added. Published in Daily Times, December 16th 2018.