ISLAMABAD: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday said that like the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and the leader of the opposition in senate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, the members of other opposition parties also remained absent during the passage of the State Bank of Pakistan (Amendment) Bill, 2022.

Talking to reporters after appearing before Accountability Court in illegal award of contracts in Sindh Nooriabad Power Companies (SPNC-I and SPNC-II) case, he said that not only Gilani but members of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), JUI-F, and the Balochistan National Party (Mengal) were also absent on the occasion of the passage of the SBP bill.

“It was the responsibility of all the members of the opposition parties to ensure their presence in senate during the passage of the SBP bill,” he said, adding that Gilani has explained the reasons behind his absence in the senate on the occasion of the passage of the SBP bill.

He further said that the government took support of Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani to get the SBP amendment bill approved from the house.

Responding to a question about a petition filed by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) seeking empowerment and autonomy for local government institutions in Sindh, he said that he has so far not seen the judgement but the provincial government will accept the ruling of the SC regarding authority of local bodies departments.

He said that they have the right to appeal, if they find anything inappropriate, informing that the provincial authorities fully adhered to Article 140A.

He asked whether all the representatives should sit at their homes, if local councillors are to be granted the authorities of Prime Minister (PM), Chief Minister and the Cabinet.

To a question about gas crises in the country in general and especially in Sindh province, he said that this is not gas crisis but this is a “government crisis”. The is the crisis of the incompetent and failed federal government, which failed to timely import LNG, he said, adding that the Karachi Chambers of Commerce during a meeting with him expressed concern over non-provision of gas to them.

He said that like industry, the domestic consumers of Sindh were also not providing gas. “The gas crisis will end in the country when this incompetent government will be gone,” he said.

About the arrest of the opposition leader before the PPP long march, he said that no one is afraid of arrests.

Earlier, he and other accused appeared before Accountability Court-III judge Syed Asghar Ali in Sindh Nooriabad Power Companies (SPNC-I and SPNC-II) case.

The court directed all the accused to ensure their presence during the hearing for framing of charges against them. During the hearing, the NAB prosecutor informed the court that the bureau is collecting details of assets of the co-accused, Muhammad Ali.

So far, the bureau has received detail of only the bank account of Ali, he said.

The co-accused, Abdul Ghani Majid, Agha Wasif, Najam Hussain, and others have challenged the reference under the National Accountability (Second Amendment) Ordinance, 2021.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022