KARACHI - The incumbent and former leaders of the Pakistan People’s Party gave contradicting statements regarding the PPP’s association with Lyari gangster Uzair Baloch.
Sindh Senior Education and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said the party had nothing to do with the arrested gangster whereas former PPP leader Zulfiqar Mirza termed him as his brother. Khuhro denied having knowledge of any person with a name Uzair Baloch who is affiliated with the PPP.
“I do not know who is Uzair Baloch and PPP has nothing to worry about over the arrest of Uzair Baloch,” he said. It is the responsibility of the law enforcing authorities to arrest any person who is wanted in several cases.
He said Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan wants to create a problem every time. Opposition leader in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah had only asked the government to form a judicial commission and there is nothing problem in it. “We do not hesitate in forming judicial commissions over any incident in our province then why the federal minister is reluctant to do so,” he said.
Speaking over transfer of powers to the elected representatives of local government, he said the powers would be given after the election of the mayor but some people want to take it in haste.
He said the mayor would only get the powers that were being given by the provincial assembly. “The suburbs of the city were neglected even when the mayors were fully empowered,” he added.
He said the newly-inaugurated college would be constructed with an amount of Rs60 million and recruitment in it would take place after the ban on recruitments would be lifted after completion of the local government elections.
In another statement issued on Saturday, Advisor to CM Sindh on Information Maula Bux Chandio said Uzair Baloch was a PPP loyalist in past but they could not do anything if anyone get derailed from his path. “We have disassociated Uzair Baloch from our party long time ago and were not responsible for his individual acts,” he said.
On the contrary, former PPP leader and home minister of the province, Zulfiqar Mirza said he still considers Lyari gangster Uzair Baloch as his brother and was happy to see him alive. Mirza said that he did not form the Lyari Aman Committee instead it was present when he took charge as the home minister.
“If I had formed the Aman Committee then I have the courage to accept it,” he said. It is good that Uzair Baloch is presented alive and did not meet the fate like of Baba Ladla who was killed in an encounter.
He said Uzair would now give his statements and it would be helpful in bringing back several people who had escaped abroad. Mirza also appreciated Chaudhry Nisar, saying he is loyal to the country and is doing a good job but the Zardari league was creating hindrances in his way.
Qaim says he was taken into confidence: Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah said Rangers Director General has taken him into confidence regarding the arrest of Uzair Jan Baloch on Saturday. Speaking to media, he said he was informed by Major General Bilal Akbar that the suspect was facing the charges of murder, robbery and other crimes, a private news channel reported.
“People say he was taken into custody previously but his arrest has been made public today,” he said, adding Pakistan People’s Party has neither protected terrorists nor would it do so in future. “Now Uzair Baloch will be interrogated, and I hope investigation would be conducted in a transparent manner,” the chief minister said. Qaim, whose government has recently been at loggerheads with the central government over Rangers’ policing powers, said he had been of the view that provincial government should be taken into confidence prior to arrest of any politician.