An argument between Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah and Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi has increased the tensions between Sindh and Federal governments.
In a recent development, the CM has said that he is not answerable to the Prime Minister or any federal minister. “My answer may not be taken as negative but as a matter of fact that the chief minister is only answerable to the provincial assembly,” he said while speaking to the media after an inauguration ceremony in Karachi.
It was reported that on January 16 the two officials engaged in a verbal spat during a meeting of the Karachi Coordination Committee, after which both wrote a complaint letter to the PM against each other.
Shah, in his letter to the prime minister accused Zaidi of displaying “unruly behaviour” while acting in a “hostile and belligerent manner”.
Later on Zaidi took to twitter in response and claimed that he had requested CM Sindh ‘to include the devolution of organizations like SBCA & SWWMB to divisional levels as committed by him months ago’.
“In the minutes he (the CM) replied by saying ‘I’m not answerable to you (thrice)’,” Zaidi wrote on Twitter.
However. notably there are cases against the Sindh CM which are being investigated by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
Sindh Education and Labour Minister Saeed Ghani has also come out in the support of the CM, claiming that NAB is a Niazi nexus and it has become an instrument of the government.
While responding to a question about the replacement of Murad Ali Shah as the CM in case of his arrest by the NAB, Ghani has said that the he (Murad Ali Shah) will remain the the provincial chief executive.
“NAB would make a reference against whoever gives a tough time to the federal government.” the provincial minister as quoted by DAWN‘s report.
Pakistan Peoples Party, which has been in power in Sindh for last 13 years, is also a part of 11-party opposition alliance (Pakistan Democratic Movement) against the government led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
