Mar 1, 2005

Ebad rules out governor's rule in Sindh

SUKKUR, Feb 28: Sindh Governor Dr Ishrat Ul Ebad Khan has said no proposal to impose governor's rule in Sindh is under consideration because the provincial government is running smoothly.

He was talking to journalists after being briefed on rehabilitation work of the Sukkur Barrage on Monday. The issue was raised by a journalist who quoted some press reports about the governor's rule in the province.

The governor observed that the government and the opposition were the two wheels of democracy and they had their prescribed roles. The opposition should extend support to the government in the larger interest of the people, he said.

When asked about the possibility of launching a ferry service between Karachi and Mumbai, he said the issue related to the governments of Pakistan and India and they could take it up at some appropriate time.

The governor during his one-day Sukkur visit also held a meeting with dignitaries of the city at the local circuit house where he announced a grant of Rs1 million for the Saint Mary's High School. He praised the school for imparting quality education to students.

Dr Ebad said the government had taken steps to improve the standard of education and literacy rate and referred to the Education for All (EFA) project in this regard. Under the project, education up to matriculation level had been made free, he informed the meeting.

Earlier, briefing the governor on performance of the Saint Mary's High School, Sindh Chief Secretary Mohammad Aslam Sanjrani said the school had been producing talented students for the last 58 years.

He further said being an old student of the school, he had assured the management of the school of help in completion of its education projects. District Nazim Syed Nasir Hussain Shah thanked the governor for the grant for the School.

The governor also visited the Institute of Business Administration, Sukkur, and announced increasing Sindh government's scholarship seats from 14 to 25. Sukkur IBA director Nisar Ahmad Siddiqui called upon the governor to resolve financial problems of the institute.

Dr Ebad assured the institute management that he would take up the issue with quarters concerned, including the Higher Education Commission, so that it could complete ongoing projects.

He said he would also take up the Sukkur IBA's affiliation case with the IBA, Karachi. Talking to officials of different departments, traders, nazims and naib nazims at a luncheon hosted by the district nazim at the circuit house, the governor said the government was giving priority to development of neglected areas.