The Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali During a press conference, he announced a Rs22.5 billion package for Ramazan, approved Rs5.3 billion for the Safe City project, reviewed policy decisions taken by the caretaker government, and pledged to form the Provincial Finance Commission within a month. The press conference was held at the CM on Friday. He was flanked by the Mayor of Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab and the Mayor of Hyderabad Kashif Hussain Shoro.
Ramazan package:
The chief minister announcing the Ramzan package said that last year, the government provided a grant of Rs2000 cash per family, and this year, during the Holy month of Ramzan, eligible families would receive a grant of Rs5000 cash per family. The grant would be given to 4,413,584 families, which constituted 60 per cent of the province’s population, he said and added the amount being distributed was Rs22.5 billion. Mr Shah said that simultaneously an anti-hoarding operation has been launched which was being monitored by him. “The operation is in progress in which district administration, police and agriculture dept officers are participating,” he said and added that a price control mechanism has also been evolved under which district administration would maintain the government notified process of the fruits, vegetables and other commodities.
To a question, the CM said that the Punjab government was not giving cash but they have decided to distribute ration bags (atta, ghee, sugar, basen, etc) and each bag cost Rs3425.
The KPK government has announced Rs10,000 cash each for 842,000 families and their total package comes to Rs8.5 billion while the Sindh government has announced a Rs22.5 billion package for over 4.4 million families. Replying to a question, the CM said that social protection packages for deserving families were being announced by governments all over the world. “In Islam, there is a proper Zakat system under which well-off people support the needy and deserving people financially,” he said and added his government has established a separate department for Social Protection and it would be made properly functional in the larger interest of the eligible people shortly.
Law & Order:
He expressed dissatisfaction over the state of law and order. “I am not satisfied with the law-and-order situation in the city and even in the rural areas, particularly the Riverine belt,” he said and added that he has decided to make a major reshuffle in the police department. Safe City: To a question, the CM said that he has approved Rs5.3 billion to start the Safe City project under which Intelligence Video Surveillance (IVS) and Vehicle Management System (VMS) Cameras would installed for technology-led policing in the city of Karachi in the in the first phase and then in other cities of the province. “The street crime in Karachi is on the rise and the kidnapping for ransom incidents have not been brought under control, ” he said and added therefore he has decided to reshuffle the police department so that the situation could be improved. Review: To a question, Murad Ali Shah said that the policy decisions taken by the caretaker government would be reviewed by his elected government. He added that the law was very clear that the main job of the caretaker government was to run day-to-day affairs. “But, we feel that some policy decisions were also taken, therefore the elected government would review all such decisions taken by the caretaker government.
NFC:
To another question, the Chief Minister said that his government would approach Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif for the constitution of National FinanceCommission (NFC). He said that he worked with Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif for six months and found him to be a hardworking, caring and accommodating person. “When the people of Sindh were faced with devastating floods, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif made several visits to the flood-affected areas and supported the affected people,” he said and comparing Shahbaz Sharif with Imran Khan said he never bothered to meet with therein-affected people. PFC: Murad Shah said that in the absence of the provincial assembly, the constitution of the Provincial Financial Commission (PFC) was not possible and now both the assembly and the local government were in place, therefore he would constitute PFC within a month and then announce the award within next six months.
Replying to a question, the CM said that most of the MQM demands have already been accommodated in the Local government system of the province. “If MQM makes such a demand which is in the interest of the people of the province we would support them,” he said. The chief minister also talked about the historical verdict of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto case. He added that the case was filed by then-President Asif Ali Zardari and after 12 years the Bhutto family and the party have been given justice. He demanded that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto be declared as Shaheed officially and Nishane Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto be initiated for political workers.
Mr Shah thanked the people of the province for giving over a two-thirds majority to the Pakistan Peoples Party in the Sindh Assembly. He said that since 1970 the people of Sindh have given more votes to PPP in every successive election which is the manifestation of people’s confidence in PPP and PPP’s commitment to them. To a question, the chief minister said that five accused in Journalist Jan Mohammad’s murder case have been arrested and the main accused Sher Mohammad would also be rounded up soon.
