Bilawal Bhutto highlights Sindh’s progress in major sectors, calls for devolution of sales tax collection
Islamabad: Under the auspices of the Information Department, Government of Sindh, a detailed briefing was held at the President House on Thursday, 15 January 2026.
The briefing was conducted by Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. Ambassadors and diplomatic staff of several countries, members of the business community from across Pakistan, and renowned journalists from Islamabad’s electronic and print media were in attendance.
Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari briefed the gathering on the “Story of the Transformation of Sindh.” Achievements across various sectors were presented in detail, including health, education, climate and water, law and order, social protection, economy, energy, and mobility. The briefing covered the period from 2008, when the PPP formed the government in Sindh until 2025, outlining the initial conditions of these sectors, the progress achieved during this period, and the future direction moving forward.
The Chairman PPP stated that the health budget was increased from 2.9% to 10%, as the PPP believes that healthcare is not a privilege but a basic right. When the PPP took office in 2008, JPMC had a capacity of 1,100 beds, which has gradually increased to 2,028 beds under the PPP government. JPMC now has three CyberKnife facilities providing free medical treatment. Patients from 178 cities and 24 countries have been treated, with less than 50% from Sindh as 31% were from Punjab, 11% from KPK, 7% from Balochistan, and 5% from other countries. A new 12-storey building with 600 beds is in the pipeline, and by 2028 JPMC will have a total capacity of 3,200 beds.
NICVD and SICVD have treated 2.9 million patients since their establishment, making this the world’s largest primary cardiology programme. Currently, there are 11 hospitals and 30 chest pain units across Sindh. The National Institute of Child Health (NICH) increased its capacity from 3,400 beds to 5,750 beds, the largest number of beds in a single hospital in the world. SIUT has performed 7,700 kidney transplants and treated 4.5 million patients, benefiting a total of 35 million patients free of cost. GIMS has been performing liver transplants since 2016, with 1,362 transplants conducted so far. Of these patients, only 47% were from Sindh, while 35% were from Punjab, 15% from Balochistan, and 4% from KPK.
In primary healthcare, 175,000 patients have been treated in collaboration with the ChildLife Foundation. Due to these initiatives, the mortality rate in Sindh stands at 2.9%, the lowest in Pakistan and below the national average, with an overall decline of 16%.
Briefing on the education sector, Chairman PPP stated that from 1947 to 2008 there were only ten universities and two campuses in Sindh, whereas by 2025 the number has increased to 30 universities and 18 campuses. He informed that the student-teacher ratio, which was 50:1 in 2008, has been reduced to 35:1. Additionally, 129 new colleges were established. The Sindh Government provides 4,000 merit-based scholarships annually and has also established 10 autism centres.
Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari further informed that under the Sindh Rural Support Organization (SRSO), 1.4 million women have been lifted out of poverty. Women were provided interest-free loans, with a recovery rate of 98%.
During the floods of 2022, over 70% of Sindh province was inundated, destroying 2.1 million houses. Under the Sindh Peoples Housing for Flood Affectees (SPHF), the Sindh Government initiated the construction of 2.1 million houses, the world’s largest housing initiative. These houses are climate-resilient, with 75,000 already completed. The project has generated employment for one million people. Notably, ownership of the houses is granted to women, making it the world’s largest asset-ownership initiative for women.
In the agriculture sector, the Sindh Government disbursed Rs 21 billion to 198,000 beneficiaries through the Benazir Hari Card. Furthermore, 4,110 km of canals were lined, and 57,000 km of roads were constructed. The Sindh Government also built the largest bridge over the River Indus. Electric buses and pink buses were introduced for the first time in Pakistan, along with the launch of the Pink Scooty project for women and girls.
Chairman PPP stated that energy was one of the country’s biggest challenges, and the Sindh Government now generates 1,845 megawatts through its wind energy programme. Solar energy units have been provided to 200,000 families, with a further 275,000 units planned for the next phase. Under public-private partnerships, three additional solar projects are underway for Karachi. Special Economic Zones have been established, along with several public-private partnership projects. He noted that the concept of public-private partnership was first introduced in the PPP’s 1993 election manifesto by Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. The Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company is a prime example of this model. The Thar Coal Project has created 3,000 jobs, 71% of which were given to the local population, and for the first time women truck drivers were seen working at the project.
Chairman PPP said that when the Federal Government initially asked Sindh to collect sales tax on services, it amounted to Rs 16.6 billion. Within one year, the Sindh Government increased this collection to Rs 28 billion. Today, Sindh collects Rs 316 billion in sales tax. He emphasized that cutting the provincial share under the NFC will not resolve fiscal challenges and that tax collection should be devolved to the provinces. On record, Sindh has shown the best performance in sales tax collection. Other provinces have also performed better than the federal government in this regard, proving that provinces are more effective in tax collection. He added that provinces should be incentivized by allowing them to retain any tax revenue collected beyond their assigned targets.