By Our Correspondent
KARACHI: Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has lauded senior party leader Mian Raza Rabbani for his contributions to literature, democracy, and the Constitution, and commended his noble gesture of dedicating his novel “The Smile Snatchers” to the children of Gaza.
Chairman Bilawal also expressed concern over the prevailing apprehensions within the Muslim Ummah regarding the situation following the Gaza ceasefire. He said he hopes that, unlike in the past, Israel will respect the truce this time to allow lasting peace to take root in the region.
According to a press release issued by the Media Cell Bilawal House, Chairman PPP attended the dedication ceremony of Senator Mian Raza Rabbani’s award-winning short novel — honored by the Pakistan Academy of Letters — which highlights the suffering of children in war-torn regions. The event, held at the Arts Council of Karachi, was attended by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, provincial ministers, members of the assembly, party leaders, and other prominent social figures.
Addressing the ceremony, Chairman Bilawal welcomed the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, saying that, like the majority of the world, the people of Pakistan stand shoulder to shoulder with the Palestinians. He said that over the past two years, the world has, for the first time in history, witnessed genocide being live-streamed before its eyes. He added that the Gaza war was not only the largest genocide of children in modern history but also a genocide of doctors, nurses, and journalists.
Chairman Bilawal pointed out that Israel has been the most frequent violator of ceasefire agreements globally. Reiterating his welcome of the Gaza ceasefire, he expressed hope that the famine imposed upon the people of Gaza would also be addressed.
Highlighting his party’s achievements, the PPP Chairman said that Sindh’s development model is not in competition with any other city or province but with developed countries of the world. He mentioned that during the tenure of former Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, the Special Economic Zone in Khairpur District was recognized by the Financial Times as one of the world’s best economic zones for foreign investment, ranking second in the Asia-Pacific category.
He added that it was Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto who first introduced the concept of Public-Private Partnership (PPP-mode) in Pakistan through her 1993 election manifesto. The Sindh government, he said, was the first to implement this model, which has since been recognized globally. “A few years ago,” he said, “an international economic magazine ranked Sindh’s Public-Private Partnership initiative as the sixth-best in the world. Even in that case, our competition was not with any Pakistani city or province, but with the Indian state of Gujarat.”
“This is your success — this is Pakistan’s success,” he emphasized. “We believe that the entire nation should stand united to compete with the world, not divided among ourselves. Wherever good work is being done in the country, we should take pride in it.”
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also highlighted the Sindh government’s achievements in public health, saying that the Sindh Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (SICVD) is the only public hospital in the world offering completely free treatment, performing the highest number of heart surgeries annually. Referring to the CyberKnife technology for cancer treatment at Karachi’s Jinnah Hospital, he said the PPP’s Sindh government was the first to introduce this advanced facility in Pakistan — and that Karachi remains the only place in the world where such treatment is provided entirely free of cost.
The PPP Chairman further stated that during his tenure as Foreign Minister, representatives of various countries praised Pakistan’s Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). “Foreign ministers from countries like Egypt and others told me that they are replicating our BISP model to support their underprivileged populations,” he said.
He noted that although the previous government changed the programme’s name, it was the same BISP that delivered assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the devastating floods of 2022, the Sindh government also utilized the BISP to provide financial assistance to flood-affected families.
Bilawal said that over two million houses were destroyed in Sindh during the unprecedented floods, and the provincial government is implementing the world’s largest housing initiative under the Sindh People’s Housing for Flood Affectees (SPHF). Ownership rights of these houses will be transferred to women members of the affected families — a historic step in asset transfer, following in the footsteps of Quaid-e-Awam Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who had made the poor owners of land through landmark land reforms.
He also appreciated the efforts of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres for his strong support to Pakistan during the 2022 floods.
