RAWALPINDI: Construction work on the 200-bed Mother and Child Hospital in Asghar Mall worth Rs9 billion was stopped by the federal government while PTI leaders termed it “political victimisation”.

A senior official of the district administration told Dawn that work on the hospital was carried out by the federal government but it was stopped due to non-release of funds.

He said as of now, the construction work had been completed but installation of elevators and machinery as well as recruitment of staff to make the hospital functional was still pending.

He said that Rs6 billion had been spent so far and the installation of machinery and recruitment of staff was required. However, he said that work was stopped and further delay in the project would escalate the project cost.

Two projects, Leh Expressway and Flood Channel, and Mother and Child Hospital were launched in 2006 during the tenure of former president Pervez Musharraf. These projects were known as the “brain child” of Sheikh Rashid Ahmed.

PTI leaders say this is because of ‘political victimisation’

The work on these projects was stopped during the tenure of PML-N government in Punjab from 2008 till 2018.

However, Mr Ahmed, who formed his own party Awami Muslim League and became a close aid to Imran Khan’s PTI had promised that he would get them completed.

During the 2018 election campaign, former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar also took notice of the incomplete Mother and Child hospital and visited the site. He gave directions to health authorities of the centre and Punjab to complete it within six months.

Ironically, work started during the tenure of the PTI-led Punjab government in 2018 but it is still not completed yet.

Earlier, the project cost was Rs2.5 billion and a 400-bed hospital equipped with modern facilities was to be constructed. A nursing school was also to be established at the hospital. There was a plan to establish a chest diseases centre to deal with cases of tuberculosis and breast cancer.

But, during the tenure of the PTI government, the plan changed as the cost of construction escalated too much. Now, a 200-bed hospital is being constructed with a nursing school along with a chest diseases centre.

When contacted, former member of National Assembly (MNA) of PTI Sheikh Rashid Shafique said that it was political victimisation that two main projects of the garrison city launched by former interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed were stopped.

He said that the Punjab government released funds for Kutchery Chowk Remodelling project and Rawalpindi Ring Road but failed to release funds for the Leh Expressway and Flood Channel. “Federal government is responsible for stopping the work. A PPP minister is heading the health ministry and they did not want to complete the projects started by former interior minister,” he said.

He said that the hospital was necessary for the health of mothers and children as three other government-run hospitals of the city were overloaded and they had capacity to accommodate only 200 mothers while this hospital will decrease the burden on these hospitals.

On the other hand, former MNA of PML-N Malik Shakil Awan said that it was the inability of PTI-led federal and provincial government to complete its own projects in the last four years despite having enough funds.

He said that PTI and its allies had failed to provide any relief to residents of the garrison city during its tenure. He said that despite having full authority and enough money, PTI remained busy in political victimisation and to arrest opposition leaders in false and fabricated cases.

“But, time is over. We will come to power in the next general election in Punjab and will serve the people without any discrimination. We will complete all projects that are pending in the garrison city and provide more facilities,” he said.

Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2023