ISLAMABAD        -            Sindh Information Minister Nasir Hussain Shah said on Saturday the provincial government had issued directives to administrations of all districts of the province to facilitate the Tiger Force.

Speaking in the fourth information ministers meeting chaired by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan through video link, he said his government only had objection over the name of the force, not on it’s working.

He said ensuring the protection of media rights was a priority of all the governments.

Nasir Shah said the Sindh Government had so far distributed ration worth 1.8 billion rupees among the needy people.

Balochistan government’s spokesman Liaquat Shahwani said safety equipment for media workers in Balochistan should be delivered as soon as possible.

He informed the meeting that press clubs in the province were taking steps to prevent coronavirus spread.

He appreciated the decision to provide advertisements for digital media and said the provincial government had allocated Rs 320 million for the welfare of journalists.

Khyber Pakhtunkhaw Chief Minister’s Adviser on Information Ajmal Wazir said resolution of the problems of journalists was the top priority of his government. He said doctors and paramedics were national heroes, and they should be supported using all resources.

Punjab information minister Fayyaz-ul-Hassan Chohan also attended the meeting.

Ready to mediate

between CM Murad, PM Imran: Altaf Shakoor

Growing differences between Prime Minister Imran Khan and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah are detrimental for the economy of the megacity Karachi and their urgent reconciliation is a must.

“Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) is ready to play the role of a mediator in this regard in the larger interest of the nation and country,” said PDP Chairman Altaf Shakoor in a statement Saturday.

He said the PDP has closer contacts with both the PTI and PPP leaders and it is in a better position to play this role of bridge so that the people of Pakistan incuding Sindh province, particularly, the people of the megacity Karachi may live in peace and the engines of national economy and trade are kept moving.

He said the megacity Karachi was the hub of the national economy and the nation could not afford differences between the central and provincial governments at these crucial times when coronavirus has hit Pakistan and Pakistanis badly.

He said for the betterment of the national economy and revival of trade and industry it was necessary that both these governments should be on the same page as early as possible. He said the PDP was comparatively a new political party but it had a full grip over the pressing national issues. It was working for the larger interests of the poor masses, with a special focus on revival of civic infrastructure and industrial development of Karachi.

Altaf Shakoor said his party was working hard to provide relief to the poor masses. He regretted that the governmental relief efforts were not seen anywhere in the megacity. He said revival of economy in Karachi and urgent relief to Karachiites was linked to the survival of three crore people and for this purpose it was necessary that the Prime Minister and Sindh Chief Minister join hands.

He said tension and non-cooperation between the centre and the provinces was not tolerable and it would seriously harm the nation and country. He regretted that in Sindh the police and administration seemed failure in running the economy and serving the poor masses. He said if things continued to go on this trajectory there might be no option but a Governor Rule.

However, a PDP release said that their chairman Altaf Shakoor had already helped Imran Khan in funding campaign for the Shaukat Khanum Hospital in 1993. He also managed in this regard to hold a huge public gathering program in the National Coaching Center Karachi. On winning of the World Cup, the Pasban under the leadership of Altaf Shakoor had arranged a huge reception rally at the airport.