Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has declared that there was a ‘government crisis’ in the country and not a gas crisis, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Talking to the media men outside an accountability court in Islamabad where he came to attend the hearing of Nooriabad power plant reference, Murad Ali Shah maintained the gas crisis would be over as soon as the rulers were ousted from power.

Murad blamed the federal government for not importing gas on time. “The industrialists staged a demonstration in Karachi yesterday to protest the gas shortage,” he added.

Replying to a question about the passage of the State Bank Amendment Bill from the Senate, the Sindh chief minister said the PML-N senators were also absent during the voting. “The government get the legislation passed with the help of the Senate chairman, who exercised his right of vote for the first time in history,” he added.

Reacting to the Supreme Court’s verdict wherein it rejected an MQM-P petition seeking more empowerment of local governments in Sindh, Murad said “We think we have followed Article 140A in letter and spirit. If we delegate all powers to the local governments then all others will sit at home,” he added.

He said Thar has vast deposits of coal, adding the electricity generated by coal will be cheaper and it will illuminate the whole of Pakistan, he said.

Earlier, in the hearing of Nooriabad power plant case, co-accused have challenged the reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Abdul Ghani Memon, Agha Wasif, Najmul Hasnain and other co-accused of the case have filed petitions for their acquittal from the case.

The accountability court issued notice to the NAB over petitions and adjourned further hearing of the case until February 28.