UMERKOT: Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly, Firdous Shamim Naqvi of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), on Monday observed that corruption had plagued education, health and all other departments in the province and claimed that until the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was ruling over it, the menace could not be eradicated.

He was speaking to ordinary people during his visit to the civil hospital and some schools in Umerkot and at the residence of a PTI leader in Mirpurkhas during his visit to different areas of Sindh.

At the civil hospital, he inspected health care facilities and expressed his dissatisfaction over the standards maintained by the administration. He said that unhygienic conditions prevailing everywhere in the health facility exposed the 12-year performance of PPP government, which never paid due attention to any government health facility in the province.

He noted that people were not getting essentially needed medicines at the Umerkot Civil Hospital nor were they receiving proper treatment.

Claims health, education and all other departments plagued by corruption

Hearing criticism of healthcare providers from the opposition leader, the hospital’s medical superintendent Dr Azam Khoso got emotional and defended himself by saying that he was known among all his colleagues and visiting patients for his dedication to the profession and honesty. Mr Naqvi consoled him by saying that he was not criticising him but speaking about those who were supposed to provide proper medical facilities and medicines to hospitals. They were not making any effort to maintain even the minimum acceptable standards at these health facilities, he said.

Referring to his visits to some model schools in the district, Mr Naqvi pointed out that Umerkot happened to be the native constituency of former provincial minister for education Syed Sardar Shah but the sorry state of these schools and education department spoke volume about their neglect. He said the condition of other such schools in the province was no different from them.

He pointed out that 62 million children were out of school in Sindh and the situation was getting worse instead of showing any improvement. The literacy rate in the province had already dropped drastically, he added. He said it was time the people of Sindh should elect sincere and good people to lead them and go for a good change.Speaking to local reporters at the residence of PTI leader Malik Raja Abdul Haq, Mr Naqvi said inefficient elements were ruling over Sindh to destroy its departments and devastate people’s life.

He said Pakistan had promised to the international community to bring the literacy rate up to 100pc by 2030 but no efforts towards it was being witnessed here in Sindh.

Referring to the IG controversy, Mr Naqvi said the PPP government wanted to replace Dr Kaleem Imam with another police officer but there must be some solid reason for making such a demand. He said 14 IGs for Sindh had already been been changed over the last 12 years but Sindh was still pursuing traditional policing and treating senior police officers like ruling politicians’ servants.

If they were incapable to run government’s affairs, they should better leave, he added.

They are even unable to ensure availability of anti-rabies vaccines at government health facilities, he said.

Abdul Sattar Malik, Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah, Malik Abdul Ghaffar and other PTI leaders and activists were also present.

Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2020