By Imtiaz Hussain
THARPARKAR: Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Wednesday that certain forces were trying to undermine Sindh’s rights and seize its resources under the pretext of poor governance.
Speaking at the inauguration of a new NED University campus in Tharparkar, Bilawal claimed a campaign was underway to portray the provincial government as inactive. “It is being said that the PPP has done nothing and that powers should be handed over to Islamabad,” he said.
Referring to the new campus, Bilawal said his party cared deeply for the people of Sindh and had brought significant change to the district. “Tharparkar has as much coal as Saudi Arabia has oil,” he said, highlighting the region’s potential. He added that the people of Sindh had long been prevented from using their own resources.
“When Benazir Bhutto started the work, she was stopped under a conspiracy,” Bilawal said. He described the Thar coal project as transformative, saying it had not only sparked an economic revolution locally but also helped supply electricity to Islamabad. “Government investment has created a network of health institutions throughout Tharparkar,” he added.
Bilawal noted that a portion of the coal profits is channelled to the Thar Foundation. He said the provincial government plans to upgrade the NED University campus into a full-fledged university before the end of its term. He also highlighted the Sindh government’s record in higher education, noting that the number of universities in the province had doubled since 2008.
