KARACHI: A senior Sindh provincial minister said that the Pakistan Peoples Party would have no objection if the founder of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party obtains relief through the courts, but warned that the provincial government would not leave residents "helpless" if a planned long march turns violent.
Sharjeel Inam Memon, the senior minister for Sindh province, said the purpose of the PTI's long march is the release of the party's founder. He urged the party to pursue the matter in court rather than through "deals or backdoor contacts."
"The decision is PTI's," Memon said, whether to remain political workers or to proceed "by force of sticks."
He said marchers in Pakistan often arrive carrying weapons, sticks and stones, and he recalled that PTI supporters had burned buses in Karachi. He said the leadership of his party and the Pakistan Muslim League-N had also been arrested in the past but never staged sit-ins or riots. Memon said his party is not part of the federal government but called on it to resolve the dispute through dialogue.
Asked about proposals to create new provinces, Memon said the Sindh Assembly's position is clear and that any decision rests with the assembly. "We should not get emotional or worried," he said, adding that those talking about new provinces should be allowed to do so because it makes no difference. He said party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has already made the PPP's position plain.
Memon also said a Sindh delegation led by the chief minister will travel to China on Oct. 10 for an international conference in Shanghai on Oct. 15. He said more than 400 Chinese companies have been invited and will be briefed on investment opportunities. "The more foreign investment comes in, the more Pakistan will progress," he said.
He also said the provincial government is building what he described as the largest housing project in the world's history, and he highlighted work in the health and transport sectors, including bus rapid transit lines, electric buses and 50 double-decker buses he said are on the way. He said 64 women journalists have completed training for the provincial government's pink scooter program, and he promised to hand over scooters once their licenses are issued.
Separately, Memon described recent terrorist attacks as a major challenge given regional conditions. He said the armed forces are continuing operations and called on the public and state institutions to unite against terrorism. He described the 2014 Army Public School attack in Peshawar as an unforgettable tragedy for the nation.
