PPP and MQM both acting irresponsibly
Those supposed to look after Sindh are unravelling the province through acts of commission and omission. The MQM announced a day long strike on Sunday and when the CM failed to come out to personally provide assurances demanded by them, they extended the strike in a cavalier fashion to Monday, caring little about its impact on the life of the citizens of Karachi and the economy of the country. The call was withdrawn only after Altaf Hussain’s intervention.
The MQM’s complaints about the alleged custodial killings of its workers needs to be thoroughly looked into during the judicial enquiry ordered by the Sindh government. Any police officer found to be responsible for the act should be administered exemplary punishment. The MQM has to realise that closing down the entire province including Karachi virtually amounts to economic sabotage which cannot be justified on any ground.
The way the PPP is running the province is an example of bad governance. It was sheer unresponsiveness on its part to let scores of children die in Thar during the drought and after it. Allowing the educational system to deteriorate by countenancing 40,000 ghost teachers and 5,000 closed schools is another indicator of the malaise. The overall state of neglect has taken toll of the transport system in the province. The roads are in shambles leading in November last year to the tragic accident involving a passenger bus and a truck near Khairpur, killing about 60 people. There is no check on the road worthiness of the vehicles or their speed. In April, a bus smashed into a tractor-trailer in a high-speed collision killing 42 people, while in March a horrific crash between two buses and a petrol tanker left 35 dead with many burnt alive when the fuel ignited. Another road accident on Saturday took the toll of over 60 people. The MQM and PPP Sindh need to realise that it is a suicidal policy to saw off the branch one is sitting on.