KARACHI: Amid growing criticism over National Census 2017 mainly by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Tuesday asked the party to review its strategy of supporting the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government in the centre and think more about its voters in Karachi, which were “deprived of their rights by the federal government.”

He also publicly rejected the headcount of Sindh and vowed to join hands with every political party in the province to take up the matter at every forum.

“The strategy of MQM is beyond my understanding,” he said while addressing a ceremony held in connection with completion of Karachi Neighbourhood Improvement Project (KNIP) in Korangi. “I don’t know what compels them to stand with the federal government which [is] snatching [the] rights of their voters. It’s the votes of MQM which keep this government [alive]. It’s because of their votes that this government has approved this census. It’s time for MQM to think about its voters and people of Karachi. This government has in fact deprived Karachi of its due rights in every sense.”

He vowed to reach out to every political party in the province to design joint strategy over the census.

Repeats criticism of 2017 census

“It’s not a fair census,” he said. “The way rigging was held in this census, it cannot be called a fair headcount. It would ultimately affect the share of resources development and representation of the people at key forums. This is purely a human issue and we have decided to raise this at every forum.”

He lauded the Sindh government for performing “much better” than administrations in other provinces. The revenue generation, infrastructure development projects and social reforms indicators in Sindh, he claimed, had outnumbered all other provinces.

“Even this project [KNIP] is the best example of governance in Sindh,” he said. “It aims to enhance public spaces and roads’ infrastructure, as well as facilitate the public’s access to markets in targeted areas such as Saddar, Malir and Korangi. And it’s just a beginning as many more such projects are in the pipeline to improve quality of life of people of Sindh.”

In his address, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah highlighted the key features of the KNIP and called it “a revolutionary change in urban living.”

He recalled the challenges being faced during execution of the project and at the same time criticised PTI government in the centre for “defaming” the Sindh government.

“They [PTI government] can’t see [Sindh] prospering,” he said.

Discussing KNIP he said that “An educational and cultural zone is also a part of the project in Saddar. Under the same project, the area falling under the triangular boundary formed by Din Muhammad Wafai Road and Strachan Road, Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road and MR Kayani Road was selected as the sub-project area in phase-I of the project. A parking plaza near the National Museum has also been built to tackle the challenges of parking in one of the most crowded areas of the city.”

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2021