Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday said that the water situation in the province was getting worse.
He was talking to the media during a visit to the Sukkur Barrage where he was briefed about the water situation by irrigation officials. Syed Khurshid Shah and Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro accompanied the chief minister.
The chief minister said that the inter-provincial water agreement has not been implemented since 2000.
He said that he had requested Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to convene a meeting of the Council of Common Interest (CCI).
The chief minister added that Rangers had been requested to stop water theft along Nara Canal.
“We received 40 percent less water against our pledged share due to which cotton crop had been affected,” he said, adding that work on rehabilitation of the barrage was in progress.
He said that water was not being distributed judiciously and advised growers to avoid cultivating paddy.
He claimed that there was no water shortage in the province during the government of the PPP in the centre.
The chief minister went on to say that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan had become history.
“Imran Khan’s statements and narrative pose a threat to the country. Institutions have been made controversial,” he maintained.
Murad Ali Shah said that the federation and its units should jointly work for the country’s progress.
Meanwhile, the chief minister said that PPP Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari would make all efforts to establish good relations with all countries.
“Unlike the previous government, we will boost relations with all states,” he said and alleged that relations between Pakistan and the United States deteriorated after the PTI accused the latter of being behind the regime-change conspiracy.
“Hopefully, the incumbent federal government will meet the expectations of the people and God willing a new era of development will begin,” he stated.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) also suffered due to poor policies of the previous government, he alleged.
Referring to the Dadu village fire incident, which claimed the lives of nine people last month, the chief minister said he had directed the authorities concerned to keep fire brigade vehicles fit to avoid a recurrence of such incidents.
Moreover, the chief minister said that local body elections would be held on time.
“Thank God, Sindh is an ideal province in terms of health facilities as we have SIUT, NICVD and Gumbat Hospital,” he said, adding that the people of Sindh are getting the best medical facilities.
He, however, admitted that there was a shortage of doctors in some health centers. He said that the Sindh Public Service Commission would be made functional and added that the recruitment process of doctors would be started.
Replying a question about the incident of harassment at the Nawabshah University, the chief minister said that an inquiry had been ordered and the culprits would be brought to justice.
MNA Sikandar Ali Rahpoto, Raees Amanullah Shahani, former MPA Hasnain Ali Shah, Jamshoro Deputy Commissioner Farid-ud-Din Mustafa, SSP Javed Baloch and others were also present on the occasion.
Earlier, Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah started his visit by attending a reception hosted by Makhdoom Zameer in Bobak. He extended condolences to Shaman Rahputo on the demise of his cousin Haji Khair Muhammad Rahputo.
Separately, the Sindh government on the request of Mirpur Khas and Hyderabad divisional commissioners has deployed Rangers to stop water theft by influential people and ensure the judicious distribution of water among farmers.
