• Says he will personally review their performance in service delivery
• Warns PPP leaders to set aside ‘infighting’, politics of transfer-postings

KARACHI: Telling his party members and legislators to stay away from the “politics of hatred in Islamabad”, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday asked them to focus on improving their performance and serving the people, for which they had been elected, and warned them that from now on he would personally review their performance after every six months.

He said he had shared his ‘ambitious’ five-year plan with the Sindh government and its implementation was his top priority.

The PPP chairman sounded least bothered about the national politics and asked his ministers and legislators to avoid engaging into these matters.

Addressing the provincial parliamentary party meeting of the PPP at CM House, Mr Bhutto-Zardari outlined key objectives for the Sindh government.

He said implementation of solar energy initiatives, welfare of labourers, improvements in education, promotion of public-private partnerships in mines and minerals sector, provision of modern and affordable transport facilities, improving law and order, rehabilitation of flood victims, and immediate allocation of residential plot ownership rights to women from flood-affected families were his main priorities.

He asked the provincial ministers and legislators to focus on solving the province’s issues and accelerate development efforts.

He asked MPAs they should ensure their attendance in House and maintain constant contact with the people of their constituencies.

“I want you to stop the politics of transfer-postings,” he said. “Let’s improve the government performance. The appointments and transfers of officers should be based on merit. Ministers and legislators should monitor the performance of officers. If we want better government service delivery, we must give opportunities to capable officers.”

The PPP chairman was of the view that the infighting within the party would adversely affect the government’s performance and said that from now on he would personally review the performance of ministers after every six months.

“I don’t want the delivery of services by the party and its government to suffer at all,” he warned.

“I have always encouraged teamwork. We are in politics solely to serve the poor people of the country. I have shared the five-year plan with the chief minister and its implementation is my top priority.”

He said that the aim was to provide free electricity through solar power to the poor people of Sindh and develop green solar parks under public-private partnerships.

Discussing the education sector, he mentioned that 50 per cent of schools in Sindh were damaged by floods. The provincial government has allocated funds for their reconstruction, and it is hoped that the federal government will also fulfil its promise in this regard, he added.

He said development schemes or big projects alone couldn’t bring any success for the party as it’s always the contact of the elected representatives with the people of their constituencies which helped build strong public support.

“The people are growing increasingly disillusioned with the politics of hatred and division prevailing in Islamabad,” said the PPP chairman.

“Why should we concern ourselves with what Imran Khan is doing? Who cares? He has his own legal matters to address. We have a mandate to serve the people. We have to meet the people’s expectations which are quite high after they gave us mandate. Now we need to work tirelessly to meet the expectations of the people.”

Published in Dawn, June 6th, 2024