Karachi [Pakistan], January 12 : Pakistan People's Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari accused the federal government of treating Sindh unfairly, saying that the region was given "stepchild treatment," The Express Tribune reported.
In his remarks at the inauguration of Phase I of the Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Expressway, formerly the Qayyumabad to Shah Faisal Malir Expressway, on Saturday, Bilawal said, "Federal government is treating Sindh like a stepchild. The federal government makes excuses and withholds resources of the province."
He said, "When rights are not granted properly it becomes extremely difficult to provide essential facilities." Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said his family has been contributing to Karachi's development for three generations.
Praising his grandfather and PPP founder Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Bilawal said that he revolutionised Karachi's infrastructure and laid the foundation for major projects, including the Pakistan Steel Mill (PSM) and Shahrah-e-Faisal, according to The Express Tribune report.
He also praised his mother and former Pakistan PM Benazir Bhutto for paying special attention to the region and working tirelessly to maintain peace and provide employment opportunities to people. He said that Benazir Bhutto fought against two military regimes.
He stated that the Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Expressway project will not only link Karachi but the entire Sindh to the rest of Pakistan and provide employment opportunities to the residents of the metropolis.
He said, "My favourite project 'Shahrah-e-Bhutto' is being constructed under a public-private partnership. Numerous projects have been completed successfully through public-private partnerships," according to the report.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that PPP always wants to provide facilities to the people either free of cost or at the lowest possible price. He further said, "Thanks to the Sindh government, the toll tax has been set at Rs100 and it is hoped that it will remain the same."
He stressed that Pakistan's development is closely related to progress of Karachi. He underlined that his father and PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari allocated the highest funds for development of Karachi, according to The Express Tribune report.
He underscored that the public-private partnership has been introduced to address the shortage of resources. He urged Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to engage with business community of Karachi. "The business sector will not operate on goodwill alone. If they (business community) and the city's residents' benefit, only then will we achieve success," he added.
PPP chairperson called for the need to promote public-private partnerships to resolve the issues of the province, especially those of Karachi. He said that Karachi was facing water issue for a long time and called on his government to give the highest priority to resolve the problem.
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