Centre's failure to achieve revenue targets upsets Sindh's development plans, says Ghani.

HYDERABAD -- Sindh Minister for Education Saeed Ghani has said that provincial government's development portfolio has been seriously disturbed because of unrealistic revenue collection targets of federal government as even latest tax collection figures show a shortfall of Rs484 billion.

The minister told journalists on the premises of Sindh High Court Hyderabad circuit bench on Thursday that Sindh government prepared its budgetary estimates on the basis of its share indicated by the federal government. He said that since the federal government failed to meet its revenue collection targets, it had upset the entire development portfolio of Sindh government. Salaries and pensions could not be withheld and when Sindh government was informed it would face deficit of Rs250bn it disturbed the entire planning, he said.

He defended the government decision to close down schools in view of coronavirus threat to help avoid spread of the virus. The government extended deadline for reopening of schools to March 13 after task force's meeting, he said.

He said the government had closed schools following reports of arrival of 13,000 pilgrims from Iran through Taftan border as any symptoms of the virus...