By Shaheen Hashim
KARACHI: Murad Ali Shah said the scale of Sindh’s post-flood housing drive had been made possible by the vision of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, insisting that the program was rooted in a political commitment to rebuild lives rather than merely restore damaged structures.
Speaking at the three-day Asia-Pacific Shelter and Settlements Forum 2026, which brought together regional and international leaders, policymakers and humanitarian experts, the chief minister said the Pakistan Peoples Party chairman had been unable to attend as he was in Munich on an international engagement. Even so, Shah credited him with setting the direction at a time when the province faced immense financial and logistical constraints.
He recalled that when the reconstruction plan was first conceived in the aftermath of devastating floods, the promise to provide homes to affected families appeared almost unattainable. “When we began working on the plan, it seemed impossible,” he said, describing the early days of uncertainty when resources were scarce and the scale of destruction overwhelming.
According to Shah, it was Bhutto Zardari’s unequivocal stance that people must be given houses — not temporary shelters — that shaped the government’s approach. That insistence, he suggested, transformed a daunting aspiration into a policy priority.
He added that within a week of presenting the framework, the World Bank had become the first international institution to pledge support. A subsequent global donors’ conference, convened under Bhutto Zardari’s leadership, secured commitments from multiple international partners.
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