Imran fanning polarization: Murad

Says his behavior unbecoming of an ex-PM 8Discusses wheat requirements to ensure food security

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that after losing his government, former prime minister Imran Khan had lost his senses and had started attacking and maligning national institutions, including judiciary, national security, and Election Commission of Pakistan and was encouraging polarization and hatred in society.

“This attitude is uncalled for by a person who has been the prime minister of the country,” he said while talking to media at Sukkur airport. In a statement issued from CM House, Murad Ali Shah said that the language the former prime minister was using in his public meeting against important institutions of the country was not only derogatory, insulting and humiliating but it was bound to create civil war in the country.

“I am surprised that a person who has been the prime minister of the country is crossing all the limits in targeting national institutions just for his personal interest,” he said. Political battles are fought politically in the political arena, Shah said, adding that they cannot be converted into personal enmities. “But, his [Imran Khan] statements show that he has no respect for any institution, politician and even has no regards for international relations of the country – it means he has no respect for himself,” he said.

Murad Ali Shah said that Imran is trying polarize the society, which is already struggling against socio-political differences. “We, as a nation have to forge unity, inculcate national spirit among the people instead of fomenting hatred,” he said. Shah said that Imran Khan as prime minister of the country had weakened all the institutions apart from destroying the national economy. “The new coalition government has to work day and night to restore the national economy and alleviate poverty,” Shah said while warning Imran Khan to refrain from defaming national institutions, otherwise this nation would never pardon him.

Also, Murad Ali Shah paid a surprise visit to the Old Sindh Secretariat, known as Tughluq House on Monday morning, and visited different departments to check attendance of the officers. The departments the chief minister visited include Agriculture, Excise & Taxation, Education, Industries and Home department. The chief minister urged the provincial secretaries to ensure attendance of all the officers so that public problems could be addressed in time.

Separately, Murad Ali Shah and Federal Minister Tariq Bashir Cheema met at CM House and discussed available wheat stock, new crop harvested recently and further requirements so that necessary import could be made in time. Cheema said that the federal government has decided to assess the wheat stock in the province so that shortage could be assessed for importing wheat well in time.

Also, the chief minister said that BRT Red Line issues would be resolved on priority basis so that work on the corridor started last month could be completed in time. This he said while presiding over a meeting of Asian Development Bank Technical delegation led by Gia Heeyong. Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah also met with Ambassador of Norway Per Albert Ilsaas at CM House and discussed investment opportunities in the province. A Norwegian company is already working in Sukkur and Khairpur to install solar power plants of 150MW.

The chief minister invited Norwegian companies to come over and work with the provincial government in the development of the dairy industry.

Hanif Samoon is a senior journalist based at Thar/Badin and contributes reports from different districts of Sindh to Minute Mirror. He has won a number of awards, including the Agahi Award twice for his stories on health and child rights. He tweets @HanifSamoon1 and can be reached through email at [email protected]