KARACHI: Declaring that the roads managed by the provincial government are among the best, Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon has said that the federal government should focus on maintaining the National Highway since all goods to upcountry pass through the Sindh section of the highway.

The minister, who holds many portfolios including information, said this while talking to a delegation of journalists from Islamabad who met him at the Directorate of Electronic and Print Media in Clifton.

According to a press release, he warmly welcomed the visiting journalists, who reached Karachi after touring various districts in Sindh on the invitation of the provincial government.

He said that it was the responsibility of the federal government to make airports in Sindh functional. He said that the Sindh government had only built its own airport in Thar.

He added that boats operate on rivers all over the world, but the subject of ports and shipping fell within the jurisdiction of the federal government, which has the authority to address these issues.

“Problems exist all over Pakistan, but a propaganda campaign is specifically launched against the Peoples Party and the Sindh government,” he said.

“An impression was created that the law and order situation in Sindh is poor, but in reality, the situation is very good,” he claimed and pointed out that the visiting journalists travelled by road from Sukkur to Thar at night which demonstrated the safety and security in the region.

The minister emphasised that there are many areas where the Sindh government excelled.

“The healthcare facilities introduced by the Sindh government serve not only the people of Sindh but also citizens from across the country and neighbouring countries, who are benefiting from these services,” he said, adding that people previously had to travel to India for lung transplants but now thanks to the efforts of the PPP government, this facility was now available in the country.

Mr Memon stated that the lives and health of the people are the top priorities of the PPP government, which is investing billions of rupees in various sectors.

He said that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto and President Asif Ali Zardari are eager to establish the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases in Balochistan and the Sindh government is ready to assist wherever Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab require help for similar projects.

He said that the Thar coal project was initially launched by former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, but it was stopped after the dismissal of her government. “When President Asif Ali Zardari came into power, he revived the project. Today, thousands of megawatts of electricity is being supplied to the national grid from Thar coal, benefiting the entire country.”

Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2024