Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that if Islamabad has failed to deliver, the federal capital should be handed over to the people of Thar, highlighting what he described as the remarkable progress achieved in the desert region.
Addressing a ceremony marking the inauguration of Phase III of the Thar Coal project, Bilawal said the development witnessed in Thar could not be seen across Pakistan on the same scale.
“Islamabad should also be run like Thar,” he said, adding that the progress achieved in Thar had surprised people across the country.
Bilawal said experts in Islamabad had previously claimed that Thar coal was useless and that investing in the region would be a waste of resources. He pointed out that the Thar Block II project had initially generated around 600 megawatts of electricity but was now producing about 2,000MW.
He said Thar had witnessed progress in several sectors, including education, energy and infrastructure. He highlighted the performance of students from the region, saying children from Thar were now securing top positions in examinations.
Bilawal criticised what he described as politics based on hatred and said Thar’s achievements should be celebrated instead of being overshadowed by political divisions.
He also claimed that some political groups in Karachi were attempting to promote divisive politics in Sindh. He said such efforts would not succeed and described Tharparkar as an important example of Pakistan’s constitutional and political system.
The PPP chairman said some people were unable to accept the development taking place in Thar. He argued that the region’s progress demonstrated what could be achieved through effective planning, investment and local development.
Bilawal also highlighted the economic importance of Thar coal, claiming that its use was helping Pakistan save around $1.6 billion in foreign exchange. He called for the rapid completion of projects using Thar coal, particularly amid what he described as a global shortage of fertiliser.
He questioned the argument that new provinces were necessary if the existing system had failed. Instead, he said, if Islamabad was unable to perform, responsibility should be given to the people of Thar.
“If Islamabad has failed, hand it over to Thar,” Bilawal said.
He added that the people of Thar could improve education and healthcare in the capital and demonstrate what the region’s people were capable of achieving.
Bilawal said Thar represented a model of development that could offer lessons for the rest of the country, arguing that Pakistan should focus on replicating successful local initiatives rather than simply creating new administrative structures.
