Peoples demand met by restoring commissionerate system

HYDERABAD: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has said the commissionerate system has been introduced through legislation in Sindh Assembly as it was a long time demand of people of Sindh.

Talking to reporters at Eidgah here Wednesday night after condoling with Fisheries Minister Zahid Bhurgari on his brother's demise, the chief minister said the revival of old geographical boundaries of Karachi and Hyderabad was also a demand of the citizens of the two cities.

"The new system was not established according to whim of any individual rather it had an overwhelming support of the province's people and their elected representatives," he added.

Talking about the law and order situation in Karachi, Qaim voiced optimism that peace would be restored in the city. "By the grace of god and political acumen of President Asif Ali Zardari the violence in Karachi has been controlled and soon peace will prevail there," he said. He also appreciated MQM chief Altaf Hussain and Governor Sindh Ishratul Ebad for their cooperation.

"MQM has been cooperating with Sindh Government in dealing with the situation in Karachi," he said when asked did the former coalition partner gave any guarantee that it would help calm down Karachi situation once its governor had taken the charge.

Replying another querry regarding holding the local government election, the chief minster expressed hope that LG elections would be held soon under the 1979 law of the local bodies. "Although certain amendments to the law will precede its enforcement and that will be done unanimously in consultation with all the political parties," he assured.

Qaim said the police order of 1861 had also been approved by Sindh Assembly and enforcement of the law had began through instituting administrative changes in the police department.

When asked about the protests from the people of Tando Allahyar and Tando Muhammad Khan against ending the district status of their areas, the chief minister asserted that an overwhelming majority of people from those two cities support the Sindh Government move. Qaim said that Sindh Government has declared the financial year 2011-12 as the year of development. "We have earmarked huge amounts for the process and have also put education, water and agriculture on the priority list of development," he informed.

According to Qaim, the government was also taking sincere steps to harness the gifted resource of coal in Thar. "People often misunderstand that Sindh government was responsible for delay in Dr Samar Mubarak Mand's project," he said, adding that "the project was approved by ECNEC and the federal government is responsible for funding".

He told that Sindh government was working on a separate project in That in partnership with Engro Corp. "We are investing $4.5 billion in Thar but the project completion will take time.

Yet we can expect that it will be completed at a fast pace as the feasibility report was completed within the timeline," he said. However, he stated that Dr Mubarak's project of underground gasification, unlike the extraction method, was planned to produce 50 megawatt energy within one year or eighteen months after the start.

"We acknowledge that the delay has been caused as the federal government could not timely provide the required funds," he added. On the occasion, Sindh Fisheries Minister Zahid Ali Bhurgari, MPA Fareen Mughal, PPP leaders including Amanullah Siyal, Dr Tehseen Shaikh and others were also present.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011