Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that when former prime minister Imran Khan had blocked the phone numbers of the people he believed to be his enemy, then how he had received the threat he disclosed in his public meeting in Sialkot.
He said this while addressing a press conference along with the organisers of ‘My Karachi Expo’ at the Expo Centre. He was flanked by Information Minister Sharjeel Memon, Law Advisor Murtaza Wahab, Business Group Chairman Zubair Motiwala, KCCI chief Mohammad Idress, general secretary AQ Khalil and others.
Murad advised the former prime minister to disclose the name of the person who has threatened him so that necessary action could be taken by the concerned government. “But, he [Imran Khan] says the names would be disclosed if, God forbid, he is killed,” he said and added, “It shows he has started to be fretful.”
The Sindh CM said this matter should not be used as a political scoop. Murad said that the former prime minister had no respect for any institution or any person. “He is trying to blackmail everyone to return to power,” he said, adding that his government was removed through a political and democratic process.
To a question about the state of the national economy, the chief minister said that over three years ago, Pakistan People’s Party co-chairman Asif Zardari was on record offering Imran Khan to sign the charter of economy on the floor of the National Assembly but he did not pay heed. “Zardari is a seasoned politician who keeps his eye on national and international issues and foresees the situation such as economy and politics,” he said, adding that keeping in view the worsening economic condition of the country, the former president had advised him but Imran Khan did not take him seriously. But the CM assured the nation that the coalition government in the centre was capable enough to control the situation.
To a question about MQM, Murad said that they have signed an agreement with the government to amend the local government. “The law is in the assembly, and it would be amended as per our agreed points,” he said. As far as joining the provincial government by MQM, he said that it would be in the interest of the government if a larger party like MQM joined the Sindh government.
Replying to a question about a police raid at the residence of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader Haleem Adil Sheikh, the chief minister said that the law was taking its course. “If he violates the law, of course, the law will take its course,” he said, recalling that during a by-election Haleem had visited stations along with his armed guards.
To a question about the rise in accidents on the Indus Highway, Murad said that it was originally constructed by the PPP government in 1993 and it was one of the best roads in the country. “In 2017 a request was made to the federal government for dualization of the Indus Highway from Jasmhoro to Sehwan,” he recalled and went on to say that the federal government asked the provincial government to bear the 50 per cent cost of the dualization of the road. He added that he had paid Rs7 billion as a 50 percent cost of the dualization of the road to the federal government in 2017, but work on it was almost stopped during the tenure of the Imran Khan government.
Shah recalled that when he approached the then state minister Murad Saeed to discuss the slow pace of work on the road, he refused to meet him. “Imran Khan is responsible for all the losses of lives taking place on Indus Highway because his government failed to complete it,” he said.
The CM said that he had offered the federal government to return his government’s money and pay its share. “But the PTI government turned down the offer. Now I have requested Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and he has vowed to complete the construction of the Indus Highway on a fast-track basis,” he said.
To a question about water shortage in Sindh, the chief minister said that in 2018 the attorney general of Pakistan had submitted his report to the CCI but Imran Khan could not decide on the distribution of water as per the accord.
Later, the chief minister visited a stall set up in different halls of the expo and mingled with the people visiting the stall.
