Higher education: Bilawal doing Master’s, says CM’s adviser

Dr Arshad Mughal claims the PPP chairperson will re-enter politics after completing studies.

SUKKUR: Ruling out rumours of a rift between Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari, the provincial chief minister's special adviser, Dr Arshad Mughal claimed that Bilawal was undertaking a Master's degree and will join politics after completing his studies.

Speaking at a press conference at National Press Club in Sukkur on Saturday evening, he claimed that PPP owned Sindh and was doing its best to meet the expectations of the people.

Referring to Zardari's address at Naudero House on the eve of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's 36th death anniversary, in which he had criticised the party's MPAs and ministers, Dr Mughal said that the party leadership wanted its elected representatives to keep in touch with the people and resolve their problems.

When asked about PPP not fielding a candidate for the NA-246 by-elections in Karachi, he asserted that the party was not afraid of anyone. "We did not field a candidate because of our policy of reconciliation but our voters are free to vote for any candidate they want," he explained.

The condition of Sukkur

"Sukkur is the third-largest city of Sindh and therefore [former prime minister] Benazir Bhutto approved a special development package worth Rs1.5 billion after coming into power in 1988," said Dr Mughal, adding that some of the development work was left incomplete due to mismanagement. He claimed that the drainage project would be completed in the next six months.

He also expressed his concern over the mushrooming of high-rise buildings in the city. "Unfortunately Sukkur is growing vertically instead of horizontally, overburdening the civic resources," he said, admitting that most of these buildings had been constructed without proper approval or facilities such as drainage, water supply and parking areas. "The builders may be enjoying the support of politicians, but the officers of the Sindh Building Control Authority, who approved the plans, are responsible," he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 13^th, 2015.