Pak govt - Sindh tussle: Federal Minister accuses PPP leaders of laundering money, stealing water

The tussle between the Pakistan government and Sindh has intensified with the federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry accusing the provincial rulers and top PPP leadership of misusing public funds to launder money abroad and stealing water of the poor farmers while blaming the federal government for the water crisis, reported Dawn.

Chaudhry also advocated monitoring the use of public funds in Sindh given by the federal government through a 'third party.'

The News International reported that while stressing on monitoring of the development budget for Sindh, he appealed to the Supreme Court of Pakistan to ensure the implementation of Article 140-A in the province.

Addressing a press conference here at Karachi Press Club, Chaudhry said that Prime Minister Imran Khan floated the idea of neutral umpires in cricket and now he was advocating for a neutral Election Commission and such a system that would be acceptable for all.

He also said the opposition had no agenda for the progress of the country nor they had any foreign policy or economic agenda.

"The unnatural alliance of opposition parties would not succeed in its agenda of protection of vested interests as they lack vision and public support," he remarked.

Chaudhry also said, reported Dawn, that Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and the PPP were against 'democratic thinking' and had imposed dictatorship in Sindh, therefore, the people were not getting their rights.

He said billions of rupees had been given for Karachi, Badin and Larkana and asked where those funds had gone. "Money belonging to the Sindh government is being retrieved from Dubai, Canada or Europe," claimed the Minister.

He said the federal government would give Rs 700-750 billion to Sindh under budget 2021-2022, apart from grants or special funds.

He accused the PPP leaders, particularly Asif Ali Zardari, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Faryal Talpur, of stealing water and diverting water (share of other farmers) to their own lands.

( With inputs from ANI )