Centre always treats Sindh like stepchild, complains Bilawal

KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari complained on Saturday that the federal government had always meted out step-motherly treatment to Sindh.

He was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of first section of highly-anticipated Malir Expressway here. The PPP chairman said the federal government was not providing due share to Sindh and, therefore, the provincial government had to opt for public-private partnerships for the crucial project. He claimed that “Sindh’s resources are withheld under various pretexts”.

Bilawal said development of Karachi was mandatory for the country’s progress. About the current issues facing Karachi, the PPP chairman noted that solutions could only be found through public-private partnerships. “If the business community doesn’t make a profit, why would they work with you? We need to address all of Karachi’s problems through collaboration with the private sector.”

He said three generations of the Bhutto family had been playing their role in developing the metropolis and his grandfather took revolutionary steps to improve Karachi’s infrastructure and employment.

He added that his mother and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto had also paid special attention to Karachi’s development and peace whenever the PPP came to power.

Bilawal said former Karachi mayor Mustafa Kamal could testify that his father Asif Ali Zardari granted resources to the port city more than any other personality in the country. He urged the government for making development projects beneficial for the business community, saying that investors would find no attraction in such projects which are not profitable to them. The PPP chief admitted that water scarcity was one of the major issues in Karachi, urging the provincial government to pay attention to resolve water-related issues in the metropolis. Bilawal also said that his party would not pursue politics of extremism and revenge. “Green energy parks should also be built under the public-private partnership,” Bilawal suggested and invited all segments and stakeholders to make joint efforts to develop the country’s financial hub.

The high-speed road, which has been renamed as Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Expressway, is the largest Public Private Partnership (PPP) project in Sindh. It features a three-lane dual carriageway with modern access-controlled infrastructure. Spanning approximately 40-kms, the expressway connects Korangi Creek Avenue (DHA) to the M-9 Motorway (Super Highway) near Kathore, offering a critical link for commuters and significantly reducing travel time. Bilawal drove his vehicle himself with Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on the state-of-the-art corridor, featuring a three-lane dual-carriageway with modern and access-controlled infrastructure, and also paid a toll tax of Rs100. The inaugural ceremony was organised at the Qayyumabad Interchange of the expressway.