KARACHI-Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that the political strategy of PTI leadership was so naive and pathetic that despite winning six national assembly seats in the by-elections they lost their strength in the parliament. “Earlier, the PTI had 162 seats in the National assembly and now despite winning six seats in the by-election they have reduced their strength to 156 seats – this shows that their upper chamber is empty.”
This he said on Tuesday while talking to the media at the `Memorial of the Martyrs of October 18, 2007’ at Karsaz. He was accompanied by Minister Information Sharjeel Inam Memon. Replying to a question, the chief minister said that his [Imran Khan] upper chamber was totally empty, and his decisions reflect his political immaturity and naivety. “Had he fielded his party candidates in the bye-election instead of contesting himself he would have added six seats in his numerical strength in the national assembly,” he said and added he was not a political material.
Mr. Shah said that Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto had termed him [Imran Khan] as `selected’ in the assembly when he was made prime minister, and he had thumped the desk to make a mockery of the term. “Now he has publicly admitted that he was a puppet prime minister, and his strings were elsewhere,” he said. “Look at his [Imran. Khan] political wisdom that he has quit the parliament and now plans to throng the federal capital to take over the government by force,” he lamented and added that had he [Imran Khan] been a democratic-minded leader he would have chosen the way of parliament to return to power.
Murad Ali Shah warned Imran Khan that Pakistan was a democratic country and that change of government was only possible through votes in the parliament.
Talking about the Karsaz tragedy, Murad Ali Shah said that on Oct 18, 2007, some 15 years ago he was with his great leader, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto on the truck. The CM said that hundreds of thousands of people from all over Pakistan had arrived to welcome their leader at the airport.
“People were enthusiastic to see their charismatic leader and were chanting slogans `Benazir aaie hae, Rozgar laie hae’ (Benazir has come back to provide employment opportunities to the people) when blasts were detonated which claimed 180 lives and injured over 450 innocent people,” he recalled.
The Chief Minister said that the investigation into the Karsaz incident or the murder of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto could not be concluded because the evidence was removed from the crime sites. “15 years have passed since the Karsaz tragedy and to the Shahadat of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto but still she is alive in the hearts of people,” he said and added those who were behind the conspiracy of killing her have disappeared in oblivion which is the revenge of democracy.
To a question, Mr Shah said that the families of the Karsaz Shuhda were taken care of properly, and to remember them in the history of the country a memorial has been constructed here [at Karsaz] which speaks volumes of their bravery and sacrifice for the cause of democracy. Earlier, the chief minister laid a floral wreath on the memorial of Shuhda and offered dua for them.
Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah has approved a summary seeking amendments to Local Government (LG) Act, making next Karachi mayor as chairman of several municipal institutions.
According to details, the amended local government (LG) act will be tabled in the next session of the Sindh Assembly for approval. The draft law will likely be passed through an ordinance. Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori is expected to issue an ordinance which will later be sent to the provincial assembly for ratification into law as a bill.
As per the amendments, the next mayor would be the ex-officio chairman of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) and chairman of the Karachi Development Authority (KDA).