Murad deplores centre's 'non-serious attitude' to locusts' attack on Sindh.

Byline: Tahir Siddiqui

KARACHI -- Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said on Monday that the federal government was not showing any seriousness towards swarms of locusts, which was not a problem for growers and farmers only but was a matter of national food security.

He was giving a policy statement on an adjournment motion moved by Pakistan Peoples Party member Zulfiqar Ali Shah on the lot of people due to the worst locusts attack on the province. He deplored that the federal government did not appear concerned over the issue.

Taking exception to the 'lethargic and non-serious attitude of the federal government', he announced that the provincial government would not collect taxes for the centre. 'I have asked the provincial excise and taxation minister to inform the federal government accordingly,' he added.

Mr Shah said that the locusts were a global issue and its second attack came from Iran.

He said the federal government had failed to fulfil its responsibility and now it was suggesting to the provincial government to use tractors for spraying pesticides in the affected areas of Thar desert. 'How can tractors move on sand dunes in the desert?' he said and added that the plant protection department under the federal government was doing nothing.

Asks officials not to collect taxes for the federal government

He said the people had become fed up with the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-led government and they would not tolerate it any further.

The chief minister said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had announced that the federal government would give six planes for spraying the affected parts of the desert. However, he said, only one plane was sent to the province and that too was not airworthy.

The chief minister said that the provincial government had addressed over 1,100 complaints of locusts attacks on different parts of the province. 'We are monitoring the breeding ground of the locusts at taluka level,' he added. He urged the federal government to show seriousness over the locusts issue and fulfil its responsibility.

PPP MPA Zulfiqar Shah, who moved the adjournment motion, said that several districts of the province were badly affected by the locusts, but the federal government did not take any effective measures.

Agriculture Minister Ismail Rahu said the subject of locusts was still under the domain of the federal government even after the devolution of powers to the provinces under the 18th Amendment.

He said the federal government sprayed...

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