In a bid to discredit Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani by allegedly exposing the sorry state of public educational institutions in the province, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Haleem Adil Sheikh on Saturday visited several schools and colleges in District Malir whose buildings were constructed several years ago but the institutes were yet to start functioning.
Sheikh, who is the PTI’s parliamentary party leader in the provincial assembly, also visited a degree college named after Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s youngest sister Aseefa that was built several years ago in the Muzaffarabad union committee area but academic activities never started there.
Sheikh, who is also the PTI’s central vice president, claimed that on the request of the residents, he had visited different areas of District Malir where most of the MNAs, MPAs and district chairmen are from the province’s ruling PPP.
“I inspected the Aseefa Bhutto Degree College & Secondary Girls School, the Goth Saleh Mohammad Degree College and other schools,” he told the media outside the Aseefa Bhutto Degree College.
“The buildings of these schools and colleges managed by the provincial education department were constructed several years ago but academic activities have not yet started there. It is a type of corruption to earn money in the name of constructing buildings.”
He claimed that these Saturday visits are part of his campaign to expose the sorry state of education in the province where animals have been stocked in schools and colleges.
“The PTI is not against the 18th amendment. The money sent to the Sindh government from the federation in the name of the 18th amendment has been sent to fake accounts.”
He said the PPP leaders have ruined the entire province in the name of the 18th amendment. “There are different stories of theft available in Sindh in which the provincial government of the PPP built the graveyard of the 18th amendment.”
Sheikh said that buildings of many high schools and primary schools, including a college named after Aseefa, have been constructed in different areas of the city.
“But these huge buildings were constructed only for corruption, not for providing education to children of the poor working-class neighbourhoods.”
He said the PPP has no interest in education in Sindh and has not provided any facilities to its voters. “Many schools in Malir are deserted even after they were built several years ago. It has affected female education particularly.”
Citing his recent visit to the Government High School Gharibabad in District Dadu, the PTI leader said that over 200 buffaloes were kept in schools.
“In the last few days, there has been a lot of emphasis on if there is any unintentional violation of the 18th amendment. And we believe that the amendment would have benefited the people greatly.“
He reiterated that the PTI is not against the amendment. “We are against misusing it and money laundering into fake accounts of the funds received through the amendment from the Centre.”
Sheikh said PTI leaders will make visits at grassroots level from Karachi to Larkana and show the cemeteries the PPP leadership has built on the 18th amendment.
Despite receiving a budget of billions for 12 years, there has been no improvement in the education sector, he said. He added that the PPP has always won from District Malir but no facilities have been provided to its residents.
Corona deaths
Expressing concerns over the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus among doctors, nurses, and paramedical and other support staff in Sindh, PTI Karachi President MPA Khurrum Sher Zaman said the provincial government does not care about the health professionals saving the lives of people.
“The provision of protective kits and other safety items to doctors and staff in hospitals has not been ensured,” he lamented. He demanded that the provincial government explain where the budget allocated for the health sector has gone.
“The Sindh government is not only playing with the lives and properties of the people but also with the lives of doctors and other staff.”
He said that there is not enough space for patients in hospitals, while the provincial government is yet to set up new isolation centres.
“It seems that the entire health department has gone into isolation. The story of the PPP’s 12-year-long corruption is not hidden from anyone.” Large gatherings
After reports about the PTI’s parliamentarians not observing social distancing during Eidul Fitr gatherings, the party’s Karachi leadership again announced suspending all large gatherings in the city.
In a statement issued from the PTI South Sindh region, the party’s General Secretary MPA Saeed Afridi said they have suspended their large political gatherings, including rallies and processions.
“District organisations, MNAs, MPAs and committee members must follow these instructions with immediate effect. If anyone is found violating these instructions, they will be dealt with in accordance with the party’s constitution.”