ISLAMABAD: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah Wednesday urged the federal government to impose a complete lockdown for two weeks to control the spread of the third wave of the deadly coronavirus.

Talking to reporters after appearing before the Accountability Court in illegal award of contracts in Sindh Nooriabad Power Companies (SNPC and SNPC-II) and money laundering case, he suggested the National Coordination Committee (NCC) on Covid-19 headed by Prime Minister Imran Khan to suspend inter-city transport and impose a complete lockdown for at least two weeks.

“I believe there is no such thing as a smart or micro-smart lockdown,” he said, adding that either there is a complete lockdown or there is no lockdown.

He said, “I have antibodies, yet I am still afraid of coronavirus.”

Due to the steps taken by the Sindh government last year, after the spread of the virus, we have been able to control the virus, he said, adding that last year the Sindh government had imposed ban on inter-city and inter-provincial transport, despite, opposition from the central government.

He said that practical steps should be taken for controlling the spread of the Covid-19 as keeping in view the current situation we were heading towards a big crisis.

“The world has controlled Covid-19 as they have vaccinated their people but unfortunately, we have yet not started vaccination of the people,” he said.

He said that we have neither timely imported vaccine nor vaccinated our people.

We are more vulnerable as compared to the rest of the world as we have not vaccinated our people, he said.

The chief minister said that the opposition must move together and leave this discussion who met with BAP or others rather look at what is happing in the country currently.

Both the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) need to stop making statements against each other, he said, adding that the Sindh government was planning to purchase Covid-19 vaccine.

To a question that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was demanding his resignation, he said that why would he resign, when he has not done anything wrong.

He said that a power plant of 100MW had been installed through public-private partnership, which was providing electricity to Karachi.

The plant was producing 100 percent power, since the installation of this plant was completed, he said.

About the reference filed against him by the NAB, he said that so far, he has not gone through the reference as its copies were not provided to him.

I have no information about the allegation leveled against me in the NAB reference, he said, when he was asked about it.

He further said that he had been given a questionnaire in April 2019 but it did not contain question related to purchase of costly equipments, involvement of the company executed the project in money laundering and hiding facts from the provincial cabinet regarding the installation of power plant.

Earlier, he appeared before the Accountability Court-III judge, Syed Asghar Ali, in the corruption case filed against him and others.

The NAB had filed a corruption reference which consists of 66 volumes against 17 accused persons including Shah, Omni group’s Anwar Majeed, Khursheed Anwar Jamali, and others for corruption and money laundering in the SNPC and the SNPC-II.

The NAB prosecutor requested the court to issue an arrest warrant of those accused who did not appear before it.

At this, the defence counsel said that some of the accused have so far not received summons then how they will appear before the court.

The defence counsel said that the NAB has also made a company an accused.

At this, the judge said that the company is registered and has a legal status.

Be careful while arguing before the court, the judge told the defence counsel.

The defence counsel further said that how the company will be indicted and who will sign on the behalf the company.

The NAB prosecutor replied that the company official will represent the company.

The court directed the NAB to produce copies of reference to all the accused persons before the next hearing.

The court adjourned hearing of the case till April 19th.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021