Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari warned on Wednesday that there would be a strong reaction if any attempt is made to undermine Sindh’s constitutional rights. He accused the federal government of trying to regain control over key subjects such as education and population welfare, which were handed over to provinces under the 18th Constitutional Amendment.
Bilawal made the remarks while inaugurating a new unit of the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) in Karachi. He said reports that Islamabad wants to reclaim provincial authority over education and population welfare are unacceptable. “It will be wrong,” he said, adding that Sindh will resist any such move.
He noted that Sindh’s healthcare system has improved significantly since the 18th Amendment, which redistributed powers from the Centre to the provinces. He said hospitals in Sindh today are very different from what they used to be before the amendment was passed by the PPP-led federal government in 2010.
Bilawal said that even during the previous PTI-led government, efforts were made to take the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) away from the Sindh government. He credited the provincial administration for building a strong network of SIUT units and other hospitals that provide free, high-quality treatment.
He shared that a PPP ticket holder from Punjab recently asked him and Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to extend Sindh’s free healthcare services to their region as well, which he said reflects the positive impact of Sindh’s public health model.
Bilawal also pointed out issues with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s health card scheme, saying that the provincial government has shifted much of its health budget into the programme. He questioned why government funds were moving toward private hospitals instead of strengthening public healthcare.
Challenging both the federal government and the KP administration, he urged them to share their 15-year record on population planning. He said he was ready to present Sindh’s record for the same period.
Bilawal has repeatedly defended the 18th Amendment in recent weeks. Last week, he warned that attempts to roll back the amendment or change the National Finance Commission Award were “playing with fire.” He said the amendment remains one of the most powerful changes made to the 1973 Constitution and must be protected.
