Bilawal Bhutto Engineering College in Lyari to finally see the light of day

After a lapse of six years, the Sindh government has finally approved the construction of the Bilawal Bhutto Engineering College in Lyari on a proposed land of 7.5 acres located on Mirza Adam Khan Road near Dhobi Ghat.

The construction of the engineering college in Lyari was announced in 2015 by former Pakistan president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari while addressing a ceremony in the Kakri Ground, where a development package was announced for the people of Lyari.

On September 10 that year, the provincial government formed a five-member committee to execute the project. The body was constituted to conduct the site inspection to finalise the location for the establishment of the engineering college.

The capital cost reflected in ADP (Annual Development Programme) No. 499 was around Rs1.302 billion. However, the committee could not find any appropriate space for the institute’s construction.

In 2016 the provincial government formed a six-member committee and tasked it with selecting a site for establishing the college. The body proposed a family park located in front of the Lyari General Hospital, but some of the community members opposed the proposal and took the matter to court.

The government, however, has been allocating funds for the project since the 2016-17 budget. According to the approved project profile, the revenue cost has now increased to Rs541.98 million, while the total cost stands at around 1.844 billion.

Capacity of college

According to the establishment plan of the Bilawal Bhutto Engineering College Lyari, the institute is initially assumed to be able to accommodate 60 students in each of the four departments: civil, mechanical, electrical and software engineering.

The college will gradually expand to reach its full capacity of 960 students. Initially, the administration and academic blocks, a gymnasium, an auditorium and a playground will be constructed.

After 2018 elections

In the general elections 2018, the ruling PPP suffered a major setback by losing three important seats in Lyari, a long-time stronghold of the party. The Jamaat-e-Islami’s Syed Abdul Rasheed won the PS-108 (South-II) constituency, while Mohammad Younus Soomro secured the PS-107 (South-I) seat.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who had also contested the election, barely managed to bag the third-highest votes in NA-246. This constituency was the most favoured by his party because they had been winning this seat since the 1970s.

After losing the elections, however, the PPP-led provincial government continued to complete the announced projects, including the Bilawal Bhutto Engineering College Lyari. “The provincial government has been quite intent on developing Lyari, but the local PPP leaders have been creating hurdles in the completion of projects,” claimed Rasheed.

Local politics

The JI lawmaker said that Lyari’s people have been in desperate need of an engineering college. “Rather than working at mechanic shops, it will be the best option for our children to study engineering.”

He said that it was his team that identified an empty piece of land where the college is supposed to be constructed. The chief minister has approved the proposed land, but some local PPP leaders have been creating hurdles to regain their political influence in Lyari, he added.

Earlier this year, Rasheed had raised a calling-attention notice in the Sindh Assembly for the construction of the engineering college. “Finally, our voice was heard, and this year it is expected that the government will start the construction of the college.”