KHAIRPUR: Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah on Saturday observed that Khaipur has special economic, social, political and religious bonds with Iran, which has centuries-old relations with the region in which Pakistan is situated.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the Iran-funded Mother & Child Care Hospital near Khairpur, Mr Shah said that it was one of the many such hospitals being established in different districts of the province including Larkana, Thatta, Shaheed Benazirabad and Badin.

The chief minister hoped that the 40-bed healthcare facility would provide quality service to women from across Sukkur and Khairpur districts, as well as the surrounding areas.

He noted that the Iranian government had also pledged provision of free-of-cost medicines for two years to the patients visiting the hospital.

He also laid the foundation of a girls primary school to be established near Khairpur with Iranian funding.

Speaking at the ceremony, Iranian Consul General Mehdi Subhani said the health and education projects were a gift for the people of Khairpur from his country. He said Iran and Pakistan were long-time friends and such projects would further strengthen the relationship. He said that the education and health projects being executed in Sindh with his country’s assistance were a gift from the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The envoy also expressed the hope that the Pak-Iran gas pipeline project would open new avenues for people’s welfare in the region. He said the project would also help run power generation projects to end Pakistan’s energy woes.

Mr Subjani said that his country was providing a 74-megawatt power project to Pakistan, and work on the provision of another 3,000-megawatt project was under way.

Earlier, Sukkur Commission Mohammed Abbas Baloch welcomed the distinguished guests at the ceremony.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play