In meeting with Murad, Shehbaz assures full support

Centre has assured full support to Sindh in resolving issues raised by the province.

Chairing a meeting at the Chief Minister House, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif assured Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah of the federal government’s full support in resolving their issues.

The premier said: “We will work together like brothers, like a unit in the larger interest of the people.”

He added that working together is the sole option for the sake of prosperity and progress.

The premier told the chief minister that he is present at his beck and call.

The PM’s assurance came following the CM Murad lamented the lack of support from the centre regarding inclusion of Sindh in new development schemes.

The meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was attended by federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Khalid Maqbool, Musadik Malik, Jam Kamal and Attaullah Tarar and others.

The chief minister said that Sindh has more representation in the Prime Minister’s Cabinet as  Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Jam Kamal and Qaiser Sheikh live in Karachi. Khalid Maqbool is from Karachi and I think the problems of Sindh should be solved on priority basis, he added.

The chief minister told the prime minister in a briefing that the floods of 2022 had caused havoc and it was agreed in the reconstruction phase that 70 per cent of the funding would be provided by donor agencies while 30 per cent would be provided by the federal and Sindh governments. Donor agencies provided Rs557.79 billion rupees and the construction of houses for flood victims is a project worth $500 million. The project for the construction of schools needs Rs11, 917 million rupees.

Murad Ali Shah complained to the prime minister that the Sindh government released Rs25 billion but the federal government did not provide funds. The federal government ignored Sindh in new schemes for the last four years, he added.

Earlier today, in his first visit to Karachi after assuming office of the prime minister, Premier Shehbaz Sharif has arrived at the airport, where he was received by Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori.

The prime minister is accompanied by Cabinet members. From the airport, the prime minister along with the Governor Tessori and Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah flew via helicopter to the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam, where he offered Fateha. The prime minister also recorded his impressions in the visitors’ book.