THARPARKAR: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Wednesday that the federal government has usurped the rights of smaller provinces, particularly Sindh, and is denying the other federating units their due share in the National Finance Commission (NFC) award and other resources.
He said this while presiding over a programme organised to launch a housing scheme at Sehro for the affected people of Thar Coalfield Block-II. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah was the chief guest on the occasion.
The programme was hosted by SECMC Chief Executive Officer Shamsuddin Shaikh. Renowned cricketer Shahid Afridi also addressed the ceremony.
On the occasion, keys to newly-built houses were handed over to the affected villagers of Thar Coalfield Block-II.
Addressing the participants, the PPP chairman said that his late mother and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto had a dream to develop Thar through its black gold (coal). He added that the Sindh government had inherited the concept of public-private partnership from Benazir Bhutto, which had been the party’s manifesto throughout the 90s.
He further said that Thar had changed due to the development and now it was going to change entire Pakistan by meeting all its energy needs. Surplus energy produced from coal-based power projects would be exported, he added.
Bilawal said that coal mining and coal-based power generation was a revolutionary step towards prosperity and development.
He said it was the responsibility of the federal government to ensure that the benefits of Pakistan-China Economic Corridor (CPEC) trickled down to the grassroots level. He also said that Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) had made a successful bio-saline agricultural model under which vegetables were being grown to meet local needs.
Addressing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, the PPP scion said, “I have invited Imran Khan to contest election from Karachi and see how our party would defeat him.”
Replying to a question, he said that in the upcoming general elections, his party would return to power with a majority margin. He said that Karachi was still being ruled by a local party through Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) but the same party was only busy fighting amongst itself rather than working towards the betterment of the port city.
Replying to another query, he assured the people of Thar that the royalty of Thar coal power plant and its natural resources would be spent on the development of the area. He said that the Sindh government had started generating more gas-based 100 megawatts (MW) of electricity.
Further, Bilawal said that Makhdoom Amin Fahim was the senior most and respected leader in the party. He also said that Makhdoom Saeed-uz-Zaman was misquoted as he had no complaint against the party, adding that his complaints were directed towards some members of the provincial assembly (MPAs).
To another question, he said that the federal government was not giving due rights to Sindh government. “They are not fixing tariff for power projects, they are not giving our legal share in NFC and they are denying us our share in water,” he added.
Commenting on the national relevance of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo, Bilawal said, “Nawaz Sharif has always been the prime minister of Lahore and not of Pakistan.”
