The Governor of Sindh, Kamran Tessori, and the chief minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, as well as the members of the cabinet, visited the mausoleum of the founder of the nation – Quaid -Ezam Muhammad Ali Jinnah – on the occasion of Pakistan day.
They offered Fateha (prayers) and laid flowers on the tomb of the founder of Pakistan.
Addressing the media, the CM Murad Ali Shah reflected in the importance of March 23, 1940, when the Muslim League of all India adopted the Pakistani resolution in Lahore, which laid the foundations for an independent homeland.
The CM also mentioned the tragic events of 1971 and how former Prime Minister Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto played a central role in the reconstruction and union of Pakistan.
Commenting on recent terrorist incidents in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balutchistan, including the attack on Jaffer Express and incidents in Noshki, Kalat and Bannu, Murad Ali Shah stressed the importance of national security. He criticized political elements which had previously neglected to attend the meetings of the National Security Committee and reiterated that terrorism should be discussed collectively.
‘No channel is under construction’
To a question, the chief minister Murad Shah categorically declared that no channel was built. Responding to public concerns, he stressed that the president of Pakistan of the People’s Party (PPP), Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, will personally visit various fields to reassure citizens that no channel will be built.
He reiterated that the PPP will never allow the construction of these channels and that any disinformation concerning the question will be clarified.
Murad Ali Shah also said that no channel had never been planned for construction in the Sindh, and even the land allocated for corporate agriculture will receive water from any channel.
He urged the federal government to convene a CCI meeting to discuss all the outstanding questions, including the question of water.
Expressing his concerns, the chief minister also underlined the delay in the construction of the Hyderabad-Sukkur motorway.
“Despite several attempts to advance the project, it was not launched,” he said. He stressed that this highway is not only intended for the Sindh, but for the whole country, because it will considerably improve trade.
Shah said that the funds for this highway were allocated as part of the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP), but this priority is unjustified. He recalled that when the question was previously raised within the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), Sindh opposed – not to the construction of a road, but to the lack of fair development, which is mandated by the Constitution.
The CM argued that the Hyderabad-Sukkur motorway should be built first rather than focusing on the connection of other districts elsewhere. He also said that although the Sindh government is not required to contribute, he is willing to do so to speed up the project.
Stressing provincial autonomy, the chief minister clearly indicated that the Sindh government would not authorize any federal institution to undertake projects in the province without its consent, because such actions lead to the duplication of efforts.
He cited the past cases, in particular during the mandate of Imran Khan, where parallel projects were launched by the federal and provincial governments, causing ineffectures.
By concluding his speech, the chief minister prayed for the continuous progress of Pakistan and urged all citizens to be ready to defend the country.
