Daily Times

The development projects in Karachi have been facing predicament owing to the non-payment of Rs 130 billion meant for these projects from the centre. To tackle the coronavirus threat, isolation wards have been set up in Jinnah, Civil and Agha Khan hospitals while screening of the people coming from abroad is also being performed on the airports.

Sindh Minister for Information Nasir Hussain Shah has said that the issues and the problems being faced by the Journalists community were in the knowledge of the Sindh government and that all those problems were being resolved on priority basis.

The minister said this while addressing a convention on “Problems faced by Print Media Industry, especially small and medium sized publications”, organized by All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) at APNS House, Karachi on Saturday.

Shah said that following the sincere efforts of his colleague Saeed Ghani, he would also work for resolving the problems being faced by the people attached to the newspaper industry. The minister said that he would also request the people working in the media to highlight the accomplishments and achievements of the Sindh government in the same way as they highlighted its shortcomings.

He said that Chairman Pakistan People’s Party had also directed him as he assumed the charge of the Information Ministry that all the rightful problems of the media persons should be resolved on priority basis. The minister said that Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also gave a message for the high-ups of the print and electronic media that they should avoid expelling people working with them, besides taking care of their staff.

Talking about the issue of the distribution of government advertisements to the print media, the information minister asked the office bearers of the APNS to form a committee in this regard. The minister assured that all the suggestions of this committee would be implemented. The minister said that the Sindh government never issued the advertisements to the media discriminately.

Shah also assured the members of All Pakistan Newspapers Society that all their dues would be cleared within a month. The minister said that the government of Pakistan People’s Party always believed in freedom of Press and the welfare of the journalists. He said that the Sindh government would continue to do so in the future as well.

Earlier, Secretary General of APNS Sarmad Ali and other office bearers informed the minster about the issues being faced by the journalists community. Talking about the removal of encroachments from various parts of Karachi, Shah said that as always, the orders of the Supreme Court would be followed in letter and spirit. He said that first the alternative to the residents would be made available for the people from the government, only then their home or building would be demolished. The minister also said that the affairs of Sindh Building Control Authority would be streamlined soon.

Shah said that the population of Karachi had increased manifold that’s why the government was facing multiple problems. Talking about the issue of the replacement of Inspector General of Police, Sindh, Shah said that the federal government had made this issue controversial without any reason. The minister once again advised Syed Kaleem Imam to go on leave immediately instead of becoming more controversial. ppi

Shah also advised the Sindh IGP Kaleem Imam to go on leave amid stalemate between Sindh and the federal government on replacement of the police chief.

“Sindh Inspector General is a senior officer, existing confusion will serve no good to anyone,” provincial minister said while talking to media.

IGP should go on leave for the sake of resolution of the issue, Nasir Shah was of the view.

A routine matter of transfer of the police chief is not being resolved because Sindh being governed by the People’s Party and not the PTI, provincial minister claimed.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on last Saturday penned yet another letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan to remove IG Sindh Kaleem Imam and pick one of the five names recommended by the provincial government for the slot of the top cop.

The chief minister said the federal cabinet’s Jan 28 decision to put the issue on hold is a violation of a 1993 agreement. He insisted that one of the five names floated for the post be chosen to replace the incumbent IGP.