Sindh tells Centre to mind own business

| PPP minister warns PML-N govt against ‘unnecessary interference’ in provincial affairs

KARACHI - The Sindh government of Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) has warned the federal government of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to refrain from interfering in the affairs of Sindh unnecessarily.
Sindh Information and Local Government Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon has said that after the 18th Amendment in the constitution, the federal government has no right to indulge in the affairs of the province unnecessarily and it should stop meddling in the provincial matters.
PPP government’s mouthpiece did not mention the subjects in which the federal government was ‘interfering unnecessarily’. However, the sources in the Sindh government said that the decisions on targeted operation in Karachi were being taken solely by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif which has annoyed the PPP government in the province.
Sharjeel Memon said that PPP has always demonstrated political maturity. He in his statement issued on Saturday advised PML-N central government to concentrate on its own problems and take better care of internally displaced persons (IDPs) who he said were living in severe distress and still looking for support. He alleged that the IDPs were being ignored completely by the federal government.
The Sindh minister also asked the federal government to take serious steps for reduction in loadshedding in the country during ongoing holy month of Ramazan.
Referring the 90’s tenure of Benazir Bhutto as prime minister, Sharjeel said that Punjab government had not welcomed the country's president and prime minister at airport in the past; “a prejudicial behaviour was adopted towards us but we will never do any such thing”.
It is noteworthy that whenever the PPP wants to take on the PML-N government, it sends the Sindh information minister in the field to make some harsh statements. But interestingly, in contrast to Sharjeel’s uttering bitter words and allegations, Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah is used to talk in softer language on issues with the federal government.
It happened so on Saturday too as when Sindh information minister issued his harsh statement, CM Qaim Shah Ali Shah in his media talk in Sukkur on Saturday evening said his government was working in cooperation with the federal government of PML-N. He did not talked about anything like centre’s meddling in provincial affairs.

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