LARKANA: Mentioning the Bhutto family’s courage and sacrifices by challenging authoritarianism from the native area, Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has declared Larkana city a ‘symbol of resistance’ in the country.
Bilawal was speaking as the chief guest at the seventh convocation of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University in Larkana on Monday, where he addressed graduating students and urged them to dedicate their professional lives to serving the country.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah was also present on the occasion.
Bilawal expressed hope that the youth would play a decisive role in shaping the future of Pakistan, saying they were the true hope of the nation.
Congratulating the graduates, Bilawal said they were now entering practical life and must contribute positively to society and the nation. He stressed that the medical profession holds special importance, particularly during times of crisis, and that doctors and healthcare workers play a critical role in saving lives.
He described Larkana as more than just a city, calling it a symbol of resistance against injustice, and linked its legacy to the struggle for democratic values and public service.
Highlighting achievements in Sindh’s health sector, Bilawal said that after the 18th Constitutional Amendment, significant measures had been taken to improve healthcare services in the province. He noted that free treatment was being provided to heart patients, reflecting the government’s commitment to public welfare.
Later, the PPP chairman distributed degrees among the graduating medical students, encouraging them to uphold professional ethics and serve humanity with dedication.
Reaching Larkana yesterday, Bilawal had a conversation with local journalists on different political issues and advised the PTI to shun the politics of confrontation.
Urging the PTI to leave extremism, he said that the party should not complain if action was taken against it because of its extremist politics. He further said that no single party could resolve the issues confronting the country. “For the resolution of the country’s issues, political stability is necessary.”
Bilawal said that if the government wanted to end the financial crisis, it should consider public-private partnerships. He thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the PML-N for sending a delegation on the death anniversary of the late Benazir Bhutto.
The PPP chairman said that the provision of quality treatment facilities to people was necessary. “The Sindh government is providing 100 percent free treatment to patients,” he added.
Bilawal claimed that the death ratio in children in Sindh was the lowest in the country. He said that President Asif Ali Zardari would have to play his role for reconciliation between the government and the opposition.
He stressed the need for lowering the political temperature in the country, saying if this was not done, it would do harm to the masses.
Bilawal noted with concern that terrorism had increased in the country and the situation was tense on both eastern and western borders. He asserted that all political parties must play their role to ensure that free and transparent elections are held in the country.
The PPP chairman called for restoring the trust of the masses in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). “If tomorrow, eyebrows are again raised over the fairness of polls, it will not be good,” he said, adding that question marks were raised over the fairness of elections held in Punjab recently.
Responding to a question, he said that in none of the constitutional amendments passed recently by the parliament was there any mention of the division of Sindh.
Bilawal said that there was a financial crisis in the country, as salaries were not sufficient for the common man to meet expenses.
He said that despite the government’s claim that the country was progressing, the common man was not satisfied with his condition.
Earlier, addressing the ceremony, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said that Shaheed Benazir Bhutto took significant steps to empower women.
“The Sindh government is taking strong measures in the fields of health and education,” he said and added that no society can progress without education. He said that Benazir Bhutto envisioned the university in 1989, and that her dream was realized in 2009.
“Reforms in the health sector are ongoing. Youth are the future of Pakistan. Development based on education and research is the only path to sustainable progress,” Murad Ali Shah stated.
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