Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday admitted that Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was “displeased” with the government’s rehabilitative efforts after the devastating floods of 2022.
Speaking on the floor of the Sindh Assembly, the CM said that “Bilawal Bhutto and the Sindh government are still dissatisfied,” as he urged the federal government to extend further support to the flood-affected areas.
The statement has renewed speculation of “political differences” between the coalition partners, the PPP and the PML-N — something Bilawal had himself denied a day earlier.
It may be noted that the differences between the two parties emerged after the scion of the Bhutto dynasty in a public gathering in Swat on Saturday accused the ruling coalition government of ignoring the provinces that bore the brunt of last year’s devastating floods in the proposed budget.
Reiterating the same stance, Shah said, “we want the government to compensate for the deprivation of the province that had ensued for the past three years [of the former PTI government.”
“The federal government must prioritise developmental projects in Sindh,” he added.
Shah also said that “Rs30 billion would be attained from the federal government only after protest”.
He maintained that the government had set aside Rs25 billion in the budget for Sindh and provided assurances for an additional Rs2 billion for the restoration of schools destroyed by the floods.
Subsequently, the Sindh Assembly approved the budget for the upcoming fiscal year before adjourning the session indefinitely.
