Bilawal calls for an end to debate on administrative units in Sindh

KARACHI:

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Tuesday said the Sindh Assembly had already made its decision on the issue of further administrative units in the province and the debate should now be put to rest.

Speaking to reporters after inaugurating the expansion of the public-private project to uplift the Dr Kaikhusrow Nanabhoy Spencer’s Eye Hospital, established in 1938, in Karachi, Bilawal reiterated the PPP’s stance against division of Sindh.

“The party and the Sindh Assembly have repeatedly made their position clear [against division of Sindh],” Bilawal said, adding that the province’s elected representatives had reflected the will of its people.

He maintained that only the people of Sindh could decide the province’s future and that no one else had the right to determine the fate of its cities. The PPP scion also called for an end to the debate, saying the people had already settled the matter.

During the media briefing, the Bhutto scion reponded in negative, when asked whether the federal government or its coalition partners had discussed proposals to amend the 18th Amendment through a proposed 28th Constitutional Amendment.

The PPP chairman lambasted “certain” political representatives for promoting division and hatred among people instead of addressing the people’s issues.

He also took to task the federal government for stifling Karachi’s rightful share.

“Karachi is Pakistan’s economic hub and requires strong cooperation among federal, provincial and local authorities,” he stated, stressing, “Its administrative structure is such that public services could be improved only if all institutions worked together.”

Read: MQM-P calls for new administrative units to address urban Sindh’s woes

He then asserted that the federal government and other institutions needed to pay attention to the provincial capital’s development.

Turning to the issues hampering the city’s progress, Bilawal expressed concern over the worsening electricity crisis and said electricity was either unavailable or too expensive for consumers. He said the electricity crisis was affecting people across Sindh and the country, while the prevailing economic circumstances had made the situation even more difficult for people.

Therefore, he said Spencer Eye Hospital had been upgraded to use solar power to avoid grid electricity woes. Bilawal also expressed a desire to extend similar arrangements across Lyari to provide residents with electricity at affordable rates.

The PPP chairman said he was pleased to see Spencer Eye Hospital operational and providing free treatment to the public.

“Healthcare was a sector in which people constantly needed assistance,” he said, while acknowledging that treatment at private hospitals remained prohibitively expensive.

Read more: Mpox claims another child’s life in Sindh, this year’s death toll rises to 12

“With people facing mounting economic difficulties, the Sindh government and Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) are making efforts to ease the financial burden on citizens,” he stated during the media briefing. He also appreciated Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab for undertaking development projects for the betterment of the city.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the Karachi mayor said the foundation stone of Spencer Eye Hospital was laid in 1938, and the facility became operational in 1940. Describing it as part of Karachi’s historic heritage, he said the hospital had remained closed for a period before the authorities began work on its restoration.

“Under a public-private partnership, the facility had been equipped with modern amenities and is now providing free medical examinations and outpatient department services,” he outlined.

The hospital’s operation theatre had also been made functional, while medicines and spectacles were being provided at discounted rates, Mayor Wahab added.

The mayor concluded his speech saying that further steps would be taken to improve the hospital’s facilities under Bilawal’s guidance.