KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party leaders have fervently restricted the choice of exchange of five departments of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) from Karachi to Lahore.
Provincial ruling party PPP ministers have termed the decision a conspiracy against the federation. Provincial Advisor Moula Bux Chandio in a scathing statement said the prime minister says, “Mian Sahib deems a specific region of the country as Pakistan. “He takes all things to Lahore, if he could,” Chandio said.
Sindh’s minister of industries and trade Manzoor Wassan while opposing the shifting of central bank’s departments to Lahore said he would oppose transfer of State Bank to Lahore with tooth and nail.
Wassan called the federal government decision against the federation and alleged that a conspiracy being hatched to make Punjab a separate country. He vowed to join hands with businessmen in protest against the decision.
He further said that efforts are being made to convert small provinces into the colonies of Punjab. He said the transfer of the central bank departments to Lahore will devastate industries in Karachi.
The central bank in a statement on October 4, had announced ‘re-location’ of five out of 11 departments of the bank. The departments dealing with currency management, government banking, internal audit, foreign exchange operations and implementation of Development Finance Group (DFG)-related policies to be relocated, the SBP press release said.
