Sindh ready to take control of power distribution companies.

KARACHI -- Sindh Energy Minister Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh on Thursday said that the provincial government was ready to take control of power distribution companies--Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) and Sukkur Electric Power Company-on its own terms and condition for betterment of the people of Sindh.

While responding to a calling attention notice of Grand Democratic Alliance's Arif Mustafa Jatoi, the energy minister said that injustice was being done with the people of Sindh as 18-hour electricity was carried out in the province. Contrary to Jatoi's notice, Shaikh said that the provincial government was involved only in coal mining under public private partnership and had nothing to with electricity production and its transmission. 'They (opposition members) don't know about the procedures and come up with unnecessary question,' he added. The GDA lawmaker said that Sindh government was already engaged in coal mining, electricity production and its transmission, asking that would it not be convenient for it to take over distribution too.

Jatoi added that the federation was ready if the provincial government wanted to carry out the electricity's distribution.

Judicial and legal

reforms

Separately, Shaikh said that Sindh government was bringing judicial and legal reforms to take the criminals and terrorists to task.

Responding to a calling attention notice moved by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's Arsalan Taj, Shaikh on behalf of the law department said that verdicts of the cases depend upon statement of witnesses and FIRs. 'What would the judges do, if a witness does not turn up to record his statement,' the minister asked.

Shaikh also turned down the PTI lawmaker's stance that many culprits were acquitted due to faulty prosecution and said that it might happened in few cases. 'The criminals especially terrorists find a safe haven in cases when the prosecution presents weak argument against those involved in destabilizing the law and order situation across the province,' PTI Arsalan Taj said. He said that criminals and terrorists were acquitted due faulty prosecution, adding that notorious Lyari gangster Uzair Baloch was acquitted in four terrorism cases during last week. 'The joint investigation team had found Uzair Baloch guilty of many heinous crimes. Are there some people who are providing shelter to him (Uzair Baloch),' he asked.

Taj said that prosecution's witnesses against Rao...