SHIKARPUR: Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar alleged on Monday that the Sindh government was politicising the issue of coronavirus vaccine deployment despite not having a single dose of the jab.
Addressing a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers convention in Shikarpur on development projects in the area, he said the Sindh government, led by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), was lying at press conferences about the procurement and delivery of vaccines because “they did not have a single vaccine [dose]”. He said the PPP should be ashamed for politicising an issue pertaining to the health of the people.
“The federal government will be providing all the vaccine doses for the inoculation campaign and the Sindh government will be standing in line for the vaccine, [saying] the federal government should give it,” he said.
“Tell them [Sindh government] not to worry, we will give them the vaccines because the people of Sindh are as precious to us as people of other areas and Sindh is ours just like the rest of Pakistan is ours,” he added.
The minister also said that the people of Sindh, particularly in Shikarpur, Jacobabad and Ghotki did not feel safe, adding: “When the injustices against the people of Sindh are discussed with the provincial government then they remember the 18th Amendment”.
He said he will request Prime Minister Imran Khan to take responsibility for the people of Sindh in order to protect their lives and livelihood. Umar said in just two months after the onset of coronavirus Rs200 billion were distributed among the people of Pakistan, of which Rs65 billion were spent on the people of Sindh.
His remarks came after he expressed similar criticism of the Sindh government the other day at a gathering in Karachi where he accused the provincial government of not owning the metropolis. “If the one who enjoys all powers doesn’t work in Karachi then someone has to do it.”
Shortly after Umar’s address, Sindh government spokesman Barrister Murtaza Wahab lashed out at the Centre, saying the incumbent administration’s modus operandi from day one had been “na khelain ge na khelnain dain ge” (neither will we play nor will we let others).
“This is a government of accusations, statements and press conferences. Unfortunately, it does not believe in working. Again and again they (federal government officials) lead the nation astray by twisting facts and never state facts,” he alleged.
Wahab said Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had written a letter to the federal government on January 21 regarding the procurement of Covid-19 vaccine.
“Today he (CM) gets a reply of that letter saying it is better if we do it. This is important. They did not say go ahead and do it we are with you or that take some money and procure some more [...] but if you still insist we will issue an NoC,” he said. Instead of buying the vaccine the government was relying on philanthropists or donations for the purpose, he alleged.