ISLAMABAD - The PPP, which is dubbed a ‘friendly opposition’, declared on Thursday it will be pleased to see the back of PML-N government as the ruling party itself seems keen to sink its ship.
“The cederal government seems tumbling down due to its inefficiency and opposition is not ready to support it,” Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) senior leader and Opposition Leader in the Senate, Aitzaz Ahsan, told a press conference in the federal capital.
Without particularly mentioning PPP’s support for PML-N government during last year’s anti-government sit-ins in Islamabad by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek, he said at one crucial moment the PPP backed the federal government just to save the democratic setup in the country.
Accompanied by Sindh Finance Minister Murad Ali Shah and PPP leader Imran Zafar Leghari, Aitzaz blamed the federal government for ignoring development projects of Sindh, where PPP is in power, and providing smooth funding to Punjab projects. “The federal government is not giving value to Sindh government’s important projects of infrastructure, power etc,” he said.
The PPP leader also raised serious objection over Water and Power Minister Khwaja Asif’s selection of words in letters written to the Sindh government. “Such kind of language should not be used in government level letters... As word ‘frivolous’ used in a letter written to Sindh government is not appropriate,” he pointed out while elaborating the objection raised by Sindh finance minister about the behavior of federal government.
Sharing details about the federal government’s claims of receiving due amount of Rs65billion from Sindh government, Sindh Finance Minister Murad Ali Shah said that federal government is not taking practical steps to control power crisis.
Giving reference of article-161 and article-157 of the constitution, he said that Sindh government has consulted with law experts on overbilling in electricity and gas supply. “We will not stop here; If we have to stage sit-ins or knock the door of court, we will go for it!” he added. “Federal government only talks about Rs65billion (payable by Sindh) but they do not seems to be ready to resolve issue of over 20 hours loadshedding in Sindh,” he said.
Talking about overbilling issue, he gave example of Jacobabad’s Girls Middle School, which he said was sent over Rs1 million bill, only for one month. Qambar Model Girl School’s electricity bill for one month was also over one million, he said. “I have written letters to federal government but did not receive satisfactory response (over the issue),” he added.
Murad Shah said the outstanding dues of Hesco and Sepco for the period June 2003 to June2010 were stated to be Rs25.8 billion but at the time of reconciliation only 25 percent of dues (Rs6.4 billion) were found genuine while 75 percent billing proved to be actually overbilling. “Rs6.4 billion were paid to Pepco, hence, outstanding dues up to June 2010 against all connections and its entities became zero,” he added.