KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Thursday expressed his concern over what he observed was the federal government’s opposition to every effort of the Sindh government towards controlling coronavirus spread. “The federal government is out to sabotage Sindh’s preventive and welfare measures, instead of helping the poor,” he remarked.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari was presiding over a consultative meeting of senior party leaders on video link. The participants included Sherry Rehman, Syed Naveed Qamar, Shazia Marri, Dr Nafisa Shah, Qamaruz Zaman Kaira, Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed, Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, Faisal Karim Kundi, Palwasha Khan, besides Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho, and Information Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah.

The meeting took stock of the situation arising out of the coronavirus outbreak and the economic issues being faced by the country in the context of its global implications.

The PPP chairman stressed that the relief received from World Bank, international financial institutions and G-20 states as well as the benefits from the plunge in oil prices in the international markets should also trickle down to provinces.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2020