DADU/KARACHI - Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said the provincial government is taking measures to improve the state of education in the province, and educational emergency has been imposed keeping in view poor state of the sector.

“The education department has been bifurcated into two separate departments: primary and college education, in order to deal with the administrative issues efficiently,” he said.

Talking to media persons here at village Phuka of Dadu district on Tuesday after offering condolences to Dr Syed Imdad Ali Shah over the sad demise of his son Syed Ali Mardan Shah, Murad disclosed that new secretary would be appointed in the education department soon.

He added that the bio-metric system introduced in the schools to note down attendance of teachers had forced many teachers to be on duty, while other measures in this regard had started producing positive results as well.

Replying to a query about Muttehida Qaumi Movement (MQM), he said that MQM had now been divided into different factions, each of which being led by a separate group of people while differences among these factions kept surfacing from time to time.

Regarding latest accusations hurled at the Sindh governor, the CM said that Dr Ishratul Ibad had been serving as Sindh governor since 2002, and had political affiliation with MQM.

“The governor is representative of the federation and the federal government has the authority to take any decision about his office,” he opined.

Murad termed October 18, 2007 as a tragic day in the history of Pakistan when the caravan of Benazir Bhutto had come under attack at Karsaz and over 150 PPP workers had died while 600 others sustained injuries.

“PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has planned a series of rallies to pay tributes to those killed in Karsaz incident,” he said, adding that thousands of such rallies would be held throughout the country. He termed the Karachi rally as beginning of electioneering by PPP for the general elections to be held in 2018, and said that Bilawal would visit every nook and corner of the country to reorganise the party.

Responding to another query, the CM said that all matters, which are sub judice, would be sorted out as per directives of the courts.

“The vacant positions in government departments would be advertised through print media and the applications would be invited in a transparent manner,” he said, and hoped, “The issue pertaining to Sindh Public Service Commission will also be settled during the course of time.”

Earlier, the CM condoled with Dr Syed Imdad Ali Shah the death of his son and prayed to Almighty Allah to rest the departed soul in eternal peace.

Murad forms new team

to investigate Karsaz

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that he has constituted a special team to reinvestigate the Karsaz tragedy which had claimed more than 180 lives on Oct 18, 2007.

Talking to media at Memorial of Martyrs’ here at Karsaz on Tuesday where he went to offer Fateh and lay floral wreath, the CM said that unfortunately the incident could not be investigated properly.

“This delay is because of the conspiracy under which evidences of the incident were removed instantly. But this doesn’t mean that investigation cannot be made,” he said, and added, “I would do this again as PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto has given me instructions for the purpose.”

The chief minister boasted that his party was the party of martyrs. “We [PPP leaders} are the custodian of the martyrs,” he said, and added that the party had given compensation to the families of those who had perished, while those who had survived would also be compensated. “We will not leave them alone,” he vowed.

He said that Bilawal Bhutto had launched his political struggle from Oct 16 rally. “The response by people of Karachi was unprecedented. I am thankful to the people of Karachi who welcomed the PPP chairman and the party,” he said and assured the Karachiites that he would serve them with his heart and soul. Replying to a question he complained that the cabinet committee on energy, constituted by the federal government, had only one chief minister [Shahbaz Sharif] in it.

“He is always invited and the others are ignored. This is not a fair policy,” he protested, and stressed that all provinces must be treated equally.

The CM warned the federal government against developing a single province at the cost of others.

He clarified that he was not against the development of Punjab or any other province. “I am a citizen of Pakistan and all cities and provinces are my cities and provinces, I am not against the development of any city [Lahore},” he said, and added, “Some people have told me that the developmental budget of other cities of Punjab is spent only on one city, Lahore. There must be equal treatment.”

Talking about Bilawal’s meeting with Sindh governor, Murad said it was a routine meeting. “The chairman has not invited him to join the party,” he added.

He said that some politicians were using cricket terminology. “This is not sports, but a serious business whose only objective is to serve people,” he said, and added that he was planning to form Sindh Cricket Association and could offer Imran to head this organisation.