KARACHI: Opposition parties on Tuesday continued to criticize the ruling PPP government over 'turning the province into ruins' during the Sindh Assembly sitting.

However, the ruling PPP government's legislators overwhelmingly glorified their party's rule for developments from Thar coal power generations to establishment of hospitals in the province.

The house resumed its pre-budget debate into second sitting with PTI member Shehzad Qureshi complaining about no-uplift schemes approved by the Sindh government in opposition's constituencies.

Like treasury members, he said, this opportunity should have also been given to the opposition to appreciate the government for the uplift schemes. He said the development projects would have rather benefited the government in political terms.

He said the government did not consider schemes proposed by the opposition for the development of the province. There are 26,000 schools in the province, which lack a facility of drinking water for the students, he added. A female minority legislator of MQM, Mangla Sharma said Karachi has grown into ruins for a lack of development. She said the safe city project meant for the metropolis stands in doldrums for the last six years.

"Everyone wants to rule Karachi but none is serious to develop it," Sharma said.

A lady legislator of the GDA, Nusrat Sehar Abbasi censured Chief Minister Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah for corruption in the province, saying that "there is a rule of mafias not a political party".

She also criticized Omni Group for its growing financial influence in the affairs of Sindh government, saying the chief minister Sindh job is only to protect corruption.

However, Speaker Aga Siraj Khan Durrani intervened to halt her speech and asked her if she has any documented evidence should go to the court. Former chief minister and PPP's veteran Syed Qaim Ali Shah said his party's government provided public with record jobs in public sectors, adding that details and documented evidence can be given on each district's development.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021