Sindh Minister for Information, Local Government, Housing &Town Planning, Religious Affairs, Forest and Wildlife Syed Nasir Hussain Shah has said that political statements were being made by government circles on the sugar inquiry commission’s report.
The provincial Information Minister said that when the terms of reference of the sugar inquiry commission did not include the periods in which sugar was subsidized in Sindh, then why the Chief Minister Sindh should record his statement in front of the commission?
He said that it was quite surprising that Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Accountability Shehzad Akbar on the one hand did not even mention the name of Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar in his press conference about whose tenure this sugar inquiry commission was investigating, whereas, he mentioned the name of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah repeatedly in his press conferences, even when the commission’s terms of reference did not include the periods in which sugar was subsidized in Sindh.
He said this while addressing a press conference on Thursday. Barrister Murtaza Wahab, Law Adviser to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, was also present during the press conference. At the beginning of the press conference, prayers were offered for the victims of the Coronavirus and PIA plane crash and a minute of silence was observed.
Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said that the Prime Minister of Pakistan who gave permission to export sugar was not named in the report of the commission of inquiry. The provincial Information Minister said that the inquiry should be with the prime minister of Pakistan instead of the chief minister of Sindh as to how he allowed the export of sugar. He said that only 40.5% subsidy was given to Omni group.
Syed Nasir Hussain Shah questioned that why sugar was expensive today in the reign of these angels? The provincial Information Minister said that the commission in its report had clearly stated that the price of sugar increased due to export. He said that when the price of sugar in the local market was rising, its export should have been stopped. Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said that whenever sugar wash subsidized in Sindh, it was for benefitting the farmers and common landowners. The provincial Information Minister said that in the past in Sindh the sugar was subsidized because sugar mills had ample sugar, and it could not be exported due to the price, so the government decided to subsidize it. He said that, despite the fact that, the sugar probe commission summoned Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and recorded his statement, the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, Shahzad Akbar, instead of mentioning Usman Buzdar, talked about Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and the Sindh government in his daily press conferences.
The provincial Information Minister said that Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had been appearing before the National Accountability Bureau and other investigative agencies in the past, because he had never done anything wrong, but as his tenure as CM had not been mentioned in the term of references of sugar probe commission then why would he appear before it? He said that these people were implicating Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in the inquiry report of sugar probe commission to save their skin.
Speaking on the occasion, Barrister Murtaza Wahab said that according to the report of the Commission of Inquiry, the subsidy on sugar was given with the permission of the Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan. Adviser to Sindh Chief Minister said that despite this fact, the Commission of Inquiry never called the Prime Minister of Pakistan and its entire focus remained on Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah. He said that when the government saw that the opposition had not been blamed in the report of the commission, it decided that the subsidy given in the past should also be made a part of the report, adding that, the decision was based on ill-intention.
Barrister Murtaza Wahab said that the subsidy on sugar in Sindh was last given in December 2017. Sindh Chief Minister’s Legal Adviser said that the commission should have also inquired from the Prime Minister of Pakistan as to how he had allowed the export of sugar. He said the report appeared to be an attempt to protect the prime minister. Barrister Murtaza Wahab said that when sugar was subsidized in Sindh, its price did not increase.
Meanwhile, ,Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) Vice President Haleem Adil Sheikh has said the hands of Sindh chief minister Murad Ali Shah are stained with corruption and he cannot evade the inquiry into mega subsidy scam.
Talking to media on Thursday, Haleem Adil said the body language of Nasir Shah and Murtaza Wahab was that of loser gamblers, when they were talking about the JIT on sugar mills subsidy scam.
He said Murtaza Wahab claims that Murad Shah has always presented before inquiries whenever he is called. He said; however, Murtaza did not tell that Murad had not presented him before the NAB, when his warrants were issued. He said Bilawal Zardari had also not presented him before the NAB.
The PTI Vice President said the job of Murtaza Wahab is to spread disinformation. He said the nation knows why the PPP leaders are running away from probe bodies. He said these people are habitual thieves, and the hardened criminals should be caught at the earliest.
