Murad promises provincial finance commission in one month

The Sindh government will form the provincial finance commission (PFC) within a month. This pledge was made by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah as he addressed a press conference at the CM House on Friday. Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab and Hyderabad Mayor Kashif Shoro accompanied him during the press conference.

The CM said his government had approved Rs5.3 billion for the Safe City project and it would spend Rs22.5 billion to provide relief to the impoverished class during Ramazan. He explained that eligible families would receive a cash grant of Rs5,000 this year, compared to Rs2,000 last year. The grant would benefit 4,413,584 families, constituting 60 per cent of the province's population, Shah maintained.

He said an anti-hoarding operation was under way, which was being monitored by him. The operation involved district administration, police and agriculture department officers, he stated, adding that a price control mechanism had also been established to ensure adherence to government-set prices for fruits, vegetables and other commodities.

The CM spoke on the importance of social safety nets, citing Zakat as an example in Islam where the well-off supported the needy. He said the Sindh government had established a separate department for social protection to better serve eligible people.

Expressing dissatisfaction at the current law and order situation, particularly in rural areas like the riverine belt, Shah announced that a major reshuffle would take place in the police department.

To improve policing, the CM said he had approved Rs5.3 billion for the Safe City project's first phase that would see the installation of intelligence video surveillance (IVS) and vehicle management system (VMS) cameras in Karachi.

Shah also announced that his elected government would review the policy decisions taken by the caretaker government. He clarified that while the caretaker government managed day-to-day affairs, it had also taken some policy decisions that required review.

The CM said he had planned to approach Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif regarding the constitution of the National Finance Commission. He praised the PM's work ethics and support to Sindh during the last floods and compared him with former PM Imran Khan who, according to Shah, did not visit the affected areas.

Shah said he would constitute the PFC within a month and announce its award within the next six months. He added that most demands of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan had already been incorporated into the provincial local government system. He expressed openness to supporting future demands of the MQM-P that benefitted the people.

Shah also commented on the Supreme Court's ruling in Zulfikar Ali Bhutto case, saying that justice was served after 12 years. He demanded Bhutto's official recognition as a martyr and the establishment of ‘Nishan-e-Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’ for political workers.

The CM thanked the people of Sindh for granting the Pakistan Peoples Party a two-third majority in the provincial assembly. He commented that the PPP and the people of province enjoyed a long-standing trust.

Shah assured that the main accused in journalist Jan Mohammad's murder case, Sher Mohammad, would be apprehended soon. Five other suspects had already been arrested, he added.