Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has clarified that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) does not support the banning of any political party, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Speaking to the media in Pir-jo-Goth, Khairpur, after offering condolences for the passing of Nazir Dhoki, Media Coordinator for PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Murad Ali Shah stated that PTI must evolve itself as a political entity to address its challenges. “The ongoing issues faced by PTI are its own responsibility,” Shah remarked, emphasizing that any decision regarding a ban on PTI rests with the federal government and the judiciary. “Our party’s leadership has not been consulted on this matter,” he added.
The Chief Minister’s comments came in the presence of notable figures including former Sindh CM Qaim Ali Shah, MNAs Khursheed Shah, Nafisa Shah, and Javed Shah, as well as provincial ministers Zia Lanjar and Nasir Shah, and MPAs Halar Wassan and others. Replying to a question, the CM said that PPP was not in favour of imposing a ban on any political party. “Our party has clarified that it has not been consulted on the decision to ban the PTI,” he said and went on saying that the PTI was responsible for whatever was happening with it. Murad Shah said that the decision to ban the PTI has to be taken by the federal government and courts. Replying to a similar question at Rohri, the CM said that his party would never support banning any political party but PTI would have to prove itself as a political party.
“No political party, except the PTI, has ever refused to adopt the route of dialogue to resolve the issues,” he said. Shah said that no political party, except PTI, has ever launched a movement against national institutions. “The onus of polluting political culture with the frequent usage of foul language falls on the shoulders of the PTI,” he said. “If PTI wants to seek the political support of the PPP, it would have to evolve as a political party and behave like a political party,” Murad Shah said. The CM held a meeting with the administration at the residence of Mayor Sukkur Arslan Shaikh. Minister P&D Nasir Shah, Minister Home Zia Lanjar, Commissioner Fayaz Abbasi, DIG Pir Mohammad Shah, DC MB Dharejo and SSP Amjad Shaikh attended it.
Deputy Commissioner MB Dharejo briefing the CM said that 1209 majalis, and 145 processions are being held in the district. He added that the most sensitive Moharram processions were and are to be held in the district on Muharram 5, 7, 9 and then 10th of Moharram.
On the procession of 5th Muharram, a procession of over 60,000 mourners was held in Old Sukkur – the C-Section police area. A police force of 842 was deployed and Alhamdulillah’s it ended peacefully. CM Murad was told that on 10th Muharram four major mourners’ processions were taken out, of the largest one would be at Rohri in which over 70,000 to 80,000 mourners were expected to participate. It would be secured by a police force of 383. Another Ashura procession would be taken out of Sukkur City in which 60,000 to 70,000 mourners would participate and it has been provided security of 783 policemen. The CM was told that four Control Rooms had been established in District Sukkur which were working round the clock. The control rooms were located at DC office Sukkur, Masroor Shah House Old Sukkur, Thaeem House (Rohri Karbala Maidan) and Khursheed Park near Clock Tower Sukkur.
The CM visited Karbala Mola Mourning area which has a 500-year history of mourning. The visited mourning procession met with organisers and inquired them about the facilities being provided to them by the administration. The organizations were satisfied with the arrangements and the support of provincial minister Syed Nasir Shah and his family extended them.
The meeting at Jacobabad was held at Pir Bukhari Point and was attended by Commissioner Larkana Ghulam Mustafa Phul, DIG Nasir Aftab, and DC Jacobabad Zahoor Marri. The DC briefing the CM said that Jacobabad has a history of suicidal attacks in Jacobabad – 2015; therefore, keeping in view the continuous crackdown on the banned terrorist organization in the country as a whole, retaliation could not be overruled by the terrorists for various operations conducted by the Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) throughout Pakistan. Jacobabad has a 124 km porous border with Balochistan, which has 31 Entry / Exit Points with the [Jacobabad] District, including an 82-km border with Districts Kashmore, Shikarpur, Larkana, and Qambar. The CM was told that there were 13 troubling areas in the district where appropriate security had been provided.
The SSP Jacobabad informed the CM that a police force of 2609 has been deployed in the district to provide security to the mourners’ processions.
