Health and education must be state responsibility: Siddiqui

• Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui here on Tuesday said the government once able to overcome the current economic challenges would ensure free education and health services.
• He said Pakistan has to emerge as a social welfare state and realise its responsibility towards the masses.
• Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui to a query about Article 149 (Section 4) of the Constitution said there must be a reason for being incorporated in the statutes.

KARACHI: Federal Minister for Information Technology Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui here on Tuesday said the government once able to overcome the current economic challenges would ensure free education and health services for low-income segments of the society.

Talking to media following the inauguration of 17th Health and Pharma Asia Exhibition - 2019, he emphasised health and education must be state responsibility.

He said Pakistan has to emerge as a social welfare state and realise its responsibility towards the masses.

He acknowledged that cost of medication was reaching beyond the means of many people, emphasising that all stakeholders have to play their respective roles to improve the condition.

"All of us including those at the helm of affairs need to curtail unnecessary expenditure so that available resources may be diverted to the poorest of the poor," he stressed.

About the issue of cleanliness in Karachi, the minister said as per Article 140-A of the Constitution this is the responsibility of the third tier of government, that is the local bodies.

He alleged that due to ill-intended motives the provincial government has taken it into its hands thus jeopardizing the role of municipalities. "Our national disease has emerged to be corruption the root cause of all ills and inadequacies in the system," said the minister.

Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui to a query about Article 149 (Section 4) of the Constitution said there must be a reason for being incorporated in the statutes, adding that situation in Sindh has made its relevance all the more relevant.

Earlier, he appreciated the arrangements made for Health Asia for 17 consecutive years, attracting hundreds of international pharmaceutical companies and healthcare providers as well as professionals associated with reputable institutions and organizations.