Centre ignoring development in Sindh, CM writes to PM

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday sent a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan to complain that the federal government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf since coming to power has been doing discrimination against Sindh when it comes to the issue of the Centre’s obligations towards the development of the province.

In his latest correspondence, the CM complained that the discriminatory attitude of the federal government continued even in the proposed new Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) to become a part of the upcoming federal budget for next financial year 2021-22.

The CM alleged that the development schemes of his province had been ignored in the proposed new PSDP for the upcoming fiscal year.

The CM complained that the presence of a federal entity in the province-Sindh Infrastructure Development Company-was like interfering in the provincial affair with a set-up similar to the “East India Company”.

He mentioned in his letter that reservations and complaints of the province concerning the cause of its development was constantly being ignored. He said that the centre had been doing injustice with the people of Sindh as the excesses in this regard should come to an end.

He highlighted the fact that the PSDP for the next financial year contained 22 development schemes of National Highway Authority for Punjab whereas there were only two such schemes for Sindh.

The CM said that several schemes proposed by his government for construction of roads and provision of drainage system in Sindh had not been included in the new PSPD.

He complained that Sindh’s share in the proposed federal development programme for upcoming financial year had been less than Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He lamented the situation that Sindh had paid in 2017 its due 50 per cent share to construct Sehwan-Jamshoro highway but the NHA was yet to complete the highway project despite passage of four years. He said that the incomplete highway project continued to endanger the human lives.

The CM appealed to the PM to review the proposed PSDP for upcoming financial year. He said that PM should ensure provision of due share of the province instead of depriving Sindh in this regard.

He said that there was little chance that the K-IV bulk water supply scheme for Karachi would be timely completed as the budget reserved for the project would likely to be lapsed.

He mentioned that Federal Finance Ministry had proposed development projects for Punjab having cumulative value of Rs 86,605.72 million while for Sindh the proposed projects have the value of just Rs 4,808.97 million as this allocation is too much less.

He said that funds of billions of rupees had been allocated for provincial road sector schemes in Punjab but unfortunately there was no such allocation for Sindh. He said that federal government had earlier allocated funds to carry out development works, having substandard quality, in Sindh at the level of union councils without taking into account the provincial government.

The CM said that the federal government continued with its discriminatory attitude towards Sindh as the province should be given its due rightful share for development while considering it as one of the entities of the federation of Pakistan.

He said the Article-156 of the Constitution had also been violated by the federal government by not convening the meeting of the National Economic Council. He said the elements of injustice and prejudice shouldn’t be removed from the new PSDP.