Maqbool welcomes formation of parliamentary committee on Balochistan

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui Thursday welcomed the formation of parliamentary committee by the government to redress the grievances and deprivations of Balochistan.

Talking to media persons outside the Parliament along with other leaders of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, the minister urged the government to announce package for Sindh province also similar to one given to Balochistan.

Khalid Maqbool said that the government should also focus on the urban areas of Sindh as Karachi was earning 70 percent revenue of the country despite all the deprivations.

Quoting the article 149 of the Constitution, the minister said the federation was bound to directly intervene if the provinces fail to fulfill their responsibilities and the said article was for the urban areas of Sindh.

He said that Karachi was victim of economic terrorism during the last ten years, adding that Karachi could face severe water crisis in coming days.

Khalid Maqbool said it seemed that urban areas would not get their due share in the budget, adding the situation in rural areas was more severe as compared to conditions in urban areas.

The minister said that poverty had increased by 50 percent in Sindh and the budget of the province was against the aspirations of the urban areas. He said that federal government should remove grievances of urban areas.

He said that not a single university had been constructed during the last 70 years in Hyderabad and 100 important hospitals of Sindh had been handed over to the non governmental organizations.

Khalid Maqbool said that K-IV water project was still not complete and if it remained incomplete then Karachi would be without water.

To a question, the minister said that MQM-P had made alliance with the government to redress the difficulties of their people and urged the federal government to intervene in the matters of Sindh government by using article 149.

He said that MQM-P had fulfilled its promise and the government should also fulfill its pledges, adding that the government had promised to provide Rs 25 billion and the amount should be provided.

Khalid Maqbool said that if the government would not resolve their issues then the MQM-P would reconsider its decision to stay with it.