HYDERABAD: Sindh Senior Minister for Education Nisar Ahmed Khuhro has said that the Sindh government has nothing to do with the resignation of Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad.

To resign or otherwise was up to the governor, and if he tendered his resignation, it was up to the federal government to accept it or not, he told a questioner at a press conference held at the former nazim secretariat here on Thursday.

About local government elections in Sindh, he said the polls would be held in September and the provincial government would do its utmost to hold them in a fair, transparent and peaceful way.

Dubbing LG elections of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as unsuccessful polls of the country`s history, he said many people lost lives, some took away ballot boxes and papers while women were tortured during the process.

CriticisingPakistanTehreeki-Insaaf chief Imran Khan, he said tall claims of Mr Khan to hold elections transparently turned into a fiasco.

The masses had not seen such poor arrangements of polls in the past, he said.

He said in the past, general elections of provincial and national assemblies were conducted on separatedays and one election impacted the other. Therefore, the PPP made efforts and ensured the general elections were held the same day, he said. He said the Sindh government was determined to root out corruption, especially in the education department, adding that inspection teams were working on it and many education officials and teachers were suspendedinthisregard.

He said the teachers who did not get permission for one-day leave in advance were suspended.He said it was PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who nationalised schools to eradicate class-based system so that all children could get equal education.

PPP leaders Amanullah Siyal, Aftab Khanzada and others were present on the occasion.

Tribute to poet Abbasi Addressing a programme held in the memory of noted poet Tanveer Abbasi at the Sindhi Language Authority (SLA) Hyderabad, the seniorminister announced the establishment of a college to be named after him at Sobhodero.

According to a handout issued on Thursday, he said Abbasi was one of the best poets of Sindhi and a good critic. Poetic works of Abbasi taught patriotism, aesthetics and social development, headded.

SLA chairman Sarfaraz Rajar also paid tribute to Abbasi. Sindhi writers and researchers who attended the programme included Taj Joyo and Nawaz Ali Shaug.