Opposition Leader Ali Khurshidi, on Sunday, raised concerns over alleged irregularities in the Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC), problems faced by KMC employees and private school practices during the Sindh Assembly budget session, while Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah defended the provincial budget and said Sindh was facing a shortfall in federal transfers.
Speaking during the budget debate, Khurshidi said the Sindh Public Service Commission could be improved and called for an inquiry into what he described as irregularities in its examination process.
He alleged that 11,000 candidates from Sindh had failed, while officers' children had passed, and urged the chief minister to take action.
Khurshidi also questioned the lack of progress on the MPA hostel building and said funds were allocated every year but work was not being completed.
He said KMC employees were facing serious financial difficulties and called for an increase in their salaries.
The opposition leader also raised concerns over private schools, saying June and July fees were being collected from parents. He said there was a court decision on uniforms, but some school administrations still forced students to buy uniforms and copies from schools.
Khurshidi also alleged irregularities in the Benazir Income Support Programme and said corruption was damaging the province’s reputation.
Referring to the political situation, he said both the PPP and MQM remained political realities and could not be eliminated. He said political parties should keep the 2029 elections in mind and improve their conduct toward each other.
“If Sindh is better, Pakistan will be better,” he said.
Responding to the budget debate, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said he had presented his 13th budget and thanked the people of Sindh and the PPP leadership.
Murad said 143 members of the 163-member Sindh Assembly spoke during the budget session, which he described as 88 percent of the House. He said this was higher than the participation recorded in other assemblies.
He said 39 percent of members spoke in the Balochistan Assembly, 44 percent in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 56 percent in Punjab and fewer than 65 members in the National Assembly.
The chief minister said members from different backgrounds and provinces were present in the Sindh Assembly, calling it the strength of Sindh’s political culture.
Murad said there were shortcomings and there was always room for improvement, but the provincial government had tried to accommodate debate and criticism during the budget session.
He said the federal government had promised Rs2.095 trillion to Sindh, but the province had so far received Rs1.750 trillion. He said Rs176 billion was still due from the federal government, while the province was facing a budget deficit of Rs344 billion.
The chief minister said problems arose when the Centre failed to release the promised funds.
He said the provincial government had provided additional funds to police, including more than Rs6 billion, due to the security situation and operations in riverine areas. He also referred to the martyrdom of Rangers personnel.
Murad said more than Rs43 billion was provided as a subsidy for wheat growers, which helped Sindh achieve self-sufficiency in wheat production. He said relief was also provided to motorcyclists, farmers and fishermen.
He said Rs5.51 billion was given for the purchase of EPI vaccines, more than Rs1 billion was provided for flood-related expenses and bridge financing was arranged for the Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway.
The chief minister said the report on the Gul Plaza tragedy would be made public soon, and responsibility would be fixed. He also said Rs8 billion was provided after the Gul Plaza tragedy.
Murad said total non-budgetary expenditure stood at Rs95.5 billion. Despite fiscal constraints, he said the provincial government completed around 100 development projects.
He defended the public-private partnership model used by the Sindh government and said projects such as Shahrah Bhutto were built under that model.
The chief minister said Sindh’s revenue expenditure had increased by 7 percent, compared with more than 9 percent in other provinces. He said Rs1.263 trillion was spent on salaries, which accounted for more than half of the provincial budget.
Reporter: Aajiz Jamali