Rejecting the Sindh government's 100-days performance as achievementless, the opposition in Sindh Assembly on Friday said the prices of essential food items, like flour and sugar have witnessed an unprecedented rise of 58 and 28 percent respectively during this period.
Speaking at a press conference at Assembly Building, the Leader of the Opposition in Sindh Assembly Jam Madad Ali criticised Pakistan People's Party (PPP) led Sindh government for an unprecedented rise in government spendings, inflation, street crimes, mismanagement, worsening law and order situation and political victimisation and uncertainty in the country. He told the media persons that Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah's speech on 100-days performance did not mention any achievement and was laden with claims and plans only.
He said commenting on the performance of the government was needless as the PPP co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari had himself expressed dissatisfaction over the performance of Sindh government. While the poor people of the country are hungry, the government is conducting federal cabinet meetings in different provinces, a costly practice, which the government should immediately stop, Ali added. He also called upon the federal government to stop holding meetings outside Pakistan to decide the fate of the poverty-stricken people.
The opposition leader said during the last 100 days prices of Basmati rice, ARRI-6 rice, sugar, canola oil, soyabean oil, pulses have increased by 26 percent, 46 percent, 28 percent, 5 percent, 8 percent and 14 to 19 percent respectively.
"Even dale (pulses), which are said to be the food of the poor, have been rendered unaffordable for the poor people of the country which is facing the worst ever food crisis," he said. He said since the present government has claimed to have procured enough quantity of wheat the previous government could not be blamed for raise in flour prices.
Referring to a suicide attempt by a woman, along with her children in Sukkur, Ali said the poor people had no choice except committing suicide in view of the "unprecedented rise in the prices of food items". Criticising the government for raise in rates of gas, a locally produced commodity, the opposition leader said the prices of steel and cement had also doubled during the last two to three months.
Flanked by Arif Mustafa Jatoi, Marvi Jatoi, Rafique Bhanbhan and other opposition members of the provincial assembly (MPAs) from Pakistan Muslim League-Q, Pakistan Muslim League-Functional and National People's Party, he said PPP was "betraying public mandate by having differences in the party ranks." The opposition leader also advised the PPP led government to itself conduct a probe into the assassination of its party leader Benazir Bhutto.
Referring to the cases against Altaf Unar, Sohrab Sirki, Sadaqat Jatoi, Ali Bukhsh Shah and the family of Ejaz Ali Sherazi, he said political victimisation is unabated in Sindh besides a fast deteriorating law and order situation. He also asked for a clear stance of Sindh government on the disputed issue of Kalabagh Dam.
Meanwhile, Arif Mustafa Jatoi of National People's Party said the opposition would soon table some proposals in the Assembly to introduce legislative changes/reforms. He said the proposals would include the introduction of Sugar Act 2008 to protect growers' interests against the millers, establishment of Sindh Bank like other provinces, introduction of Small Claims Act to provide speedy justice and application of Factory Act on farmers.
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