KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday said slogan of separate province in Sindh was bubble of hot air.
“The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) are at loggerheads and just to win over political support of people of Karachi the MQM has again raised the issue of a separate province. Otherwise they know very well that Sindh cannot be turned apart in two pieces,” he said while talking to media here, after attending a reception hosted by the ambassador of Azerbaijan to celebrate 25 years of diplomatic relation between Azerbaijan and Pakistan.
He said the MQM was struggling for its survival, their leaders had lost their political base and now their workers, leaders and well-wishers were with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) because the PPP government had restored peace and returned normal life and prosperity to the city.
Murad Ali Shah said that when they (MQM dissenters) fight against each other, they talk like that. “this is not a new thing but result of their sheer depression, despair and disappointment,” he said adding that “this demand is like a bubble of hot air – don’t take it seriously,” he advised to the reporter who asked him the question.
The chief minister said the PPP had gained a vast political base in Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas and Sukkur.
“PPP is a genuine political secular force and is much above linguistic, sectarian and religious considerations,” he said
He further said under the umbrella of PPP people of different religion, sects, languages and school of thought were united, that was why they were called a federal party.
Murad said that the PPP has swallowed the bitter bill of supporting constitutional amendment for starting delimitation on the basis of provisional census results so that elections could be held in time.
The chief minister accused the federal government of doing census work at sanil’s pace.
“Had it [fed govt] done its census assignment on fast track the constitutional amendment would have not been required,” he said adding “We have swallowed the bitter pill and agreed to amend the constitution so that delimitation could be made on the basis of provisional census results against which we have serous reservations,” he said. He went on saying “we are a political party and cannot afford to delay general elections,” he said.
