THAR (The COW News Digital): Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has questioned the rationale behind proposals for creating new provinces, arguing that improving governance and strengthening existing systems should be prioritized instead.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the Thar Coal Phase III project, Bilawal said he did not understand the logic behind creating new provinces when the focus should instead be on improving the performance of existing institutions.
He said Islamabad’s administrative system had failed to deliver effectively and suggested that if the federal government was unable to manage the capital successfully, the Thar development model should be considered as an alternative approach.
Bilawal highlighted the progress made in Thar, saying that experts in Islamabad had previously considered the region’s coal resources unusable. He said the same coal was now being utilized to generate around 2,000 megawatts of electricity, describing the development as an important achievement for Thar and the national economy.
The PPP chairman also pointed to improvements in education and other sectors in the region. He said children from Thar were now achieving top positions in educational institutions, presenting the development as an example of what could be achieved through effective provincial governance.
According to Bilawal, the transformation taking place in Thar represents an implementation of the principles of Pakistan’s Constitution and the 18th Amendment. He said Thar coal projects were also helping save approximately $1.6 billion in foreign exchange by reducing the country’s dependence on imported fuel.
Bilawal also criticized political opponents, alleging that some elements were unable to accept the development taking place in Thar and were promoting what he described as politics of hatred in Karachi.
He said attempts to create divisions through what he referred to as a “Zionist-style” political approach would not succeed in Sindh, adding that the people of Thar wanted to remain focused on development and economic progress.
The PPP chairman argued that the solution to Pakistan’s governance challenges was not necessarily the creation of additional provinces but improvements in the existing administrative and political system.
He said the federal government should examine the experience of Thar and consider adopting similar development practices in Islamabad. Bilawal added that if the federal government was struggling to manage the capital, his party should be given responsibility for improving public services there.
He specifically referred to schools and hospitals in Islamabad, saying that his administration could improve these facilities by applying the development model that he attributed to Thar.
Bilawal’s remarks come amid an ongoing political debate over administrative reforms, provincial structures and the distribution of authority between the federal and provincial governments. His comments emphasize the PPP’s position that strengthening governance within the existing constitutional framework should remain a central priority.
The Thar Coal Phase III project has also become a key part of discussions surrounding energy production, domestic resources and reducing the country’s reliance on imported energy.
