Provincial Budget Reduced: Why Is Imran Khan Treating Sindh Like A Stepchild?

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah’s press conference yesterday reminded me of that lady in my neighborhood who was always very kind to her own children but behaved like an enemy to her husband’s children from the first wife. I felt that this son of Sindh, Murad Ali Shah, was being treated like a stepson by the federation. The federation has always dealt with Sindh like a stepmother. Just because Sindh isn’t being ruled by Imran Khan’s PTI, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t a part of Pakistan.

Even PPP’s opponents are admitting that its COVID-19 response has been far better than that of the other provinces. A reduction of Rs 229 billion in Sindh’s provincial budget, at a time when it has been playing the most active role in this war against Coronavirus, reflects the vindictiveness of the ‘selected’ prime minister.

Sindh’s chief minister was not even allowed to speak at the National Economic Council meeting. Is that justice? Will Imran Khan Niazi ever rise above petty politics and act as the chief executive of the entire country? He must act like Pakistan’s Prime Minister, not Pakistan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf’s. He is being unfair and vindictive towards Pakistan People’s Party and it is unacceptable to the people of Sindh who have voted in overwhelming numbers for the Shaheed Bhuttos’ party. The open-minded people of Sindh rejected Imran Khan and preferred PPP’s legacy over his bigoted politics. The people of Sindh can’t help but feel that this reduction in the provincial budget is an act of revenge.

The federal government has allocated not even a penny for federal projects in Sindh this year. Sindh government presented seven different projects but none of them was included in the federal budget. This attitude will only weaken the federation. The federal government must include development projects for Sindh in its budget for the coming financial year.