Daily Times

Adviser to Chief Minister Sindh on Information & Archives, Law, and Anti-Corruption Establishment Barrister Murtaza Wahab told that Sindh Government has decided to file a review petition in the Supreme Court against handing over of three health units of Karachi – Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, National Institute of Child Health Diseases – to the Federal Government. The Adviser, while addressing a press conference at Sindh Assembly building on Saturday, recalled that all these health units were devolved to the provincial government in accordance with the 18th amendment. He said that the devolution of health sector to the provincial government was done in the best interest of the masses. The Adviser said that the Sindh government has been providing exemplary services to the masses through these three health units. Not only the people of the province but the people from all over the county benefited through the services of these health units working under Sindh government. He mentioned that the total budget of the NICVD was mere Rs.400 million at the time of devolution and now through the sincere and devoted efforts of the Sindh government, the targeted budget of the NICVD is Rs.12 billion. At the time of devolution, the NICVD only existed in Karachi and now after its up-gradation in Karachi, it has been expanded in other districts of the province i.e. Hyderabad, Tando Muhammad Khan, Mithi, Larkana, Khairpur, Nawabshah, Sehwan and Sukkur.

Besides, Murtaza Wahab added that currently, eight Chest Pain Units in different vicinities of Karachi are providing free of cost services to the people of Karachi. He said that basic function of these Chest Pain Units is to provide timely emergency service to the heat patients before they could be shifted to the hospitals safely. He stated that so far 150,000 heart patients have been timely attended by these Chest Pain Units. The Adviser told that he can say this proudly that at least 5,000 precious lives were saved by the timely services of the dedicated staff of these CPUs. All of these centers are providing free of cost services to the people from all over the country, he said. Sindh government, in line with the vision of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, believes in quality healthcare services.

The Adviser said that Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre has also been revolutionized. Both its working capacity as well as working condition has improved to a great extent. He specifically mentioned the Cyber Knife treatment and Cancer research being conducted at the JPMC. He said that patients from all over the country are being attended free of cost at the JPMC also. Sindh government considers the provision of basic health services as its premier responsibility adding, it was quite surprising that those who had been claiming for the ownership of Karachi in the past are now silent on the recent decision of the apex court. The Adviser vowed that any effort of the failed and inefficient government of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf to roll back the 18th amendment in the guise of this recent decision of the apex court would be strongly resisted by the people and the Sindh government. The only purpose of the 18th amendment was to strengthen the federation by strengthening the provinces, he mentioned. While referring to the recent JIT report putting the names of 172 persons on exit control list and the observation of the Supreme Court over it, read out paragraph 35 of the 7th January 2018 decision of the Supreme Court which stated that, “As far as the recommendations relating to Mr. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Co-Chairman PPP and Mr. Murad Ali Shah, Chief Minister Sindh are concerned the learned counsel for the JIT has frankly conceded that the material against the said persons may need reexamination to arrive at the correct conclusion.” The Adviser said that the decision of the Supreme Court as well as the Counsel of the JIT endorsed the Sindh government’s point of view. The Adviser said that albeit those nominated in the JIT belonged to Sindh province but astonishingly the case is being heard in Islamabad. He called his unprecedented that even when NAB is functioning in Sindh, the case is being followed in Islamabad. This shows the distrust in the institutions, he lamented.

He said that since the ineffective government of the PTI has nothing productive to perform for the masses, it keeps on indulging in political tactics most suited to them. He claimed that the ineffective government of the PTI has no policy and no vision. “They don’t have any solution to their own created crises included inflation, load shedding of gas and electricity, water crises, health issues and economic crises”, he said. He hoped National Accountability Bureau will deliver an impartial decision over the report of the JIT. Pakistan Peoples Party always believed in the independence of the institutions rather than in point scoring as being done by the leaders of the PTI, The advisor concluded.

Published in Daily Times, January 20^th 2019.