PRESIDENT Asif Ali Zardari inaugurated a dental college in Larkana in connection with the birth anniversary of former prime minister and PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto (June 22).

It has been named after one of President Zardari and Benazir Bhutto’s daughters, Asifa Zardari. The college would be a subsidiary of Benazir Bhutto Medical University which was recently established by the PPP government in the hometown of the assassinated leader.
A large number of projects and institutions have already been named or renamed after the former prime minister. A social
welfare programme, being funded by the government, has been named the Benazir Income Support Programme.
A public sector university has been announced for the PPP stronghold of Lyari in Karachi which will be called Benazir Bhutto Shaheed University. It was also announced that Nawabshah would now be called Benazirabad. The list is quite long.
With due respect and regards for Benazir Bhutto, I feel that the naming or renaming of state projects and institutions would not raise her already high stature.
Earlier, a postal stamp with Asifa’s image was issued by the postal department in connection with the polio eradication programme. Now naming a public sector dental college after her name is quite inappropriate.
We have an elected government and a democratic constitution.
As such the names of our state-funded projects and institutions must not be personalised or named after family members of the ruling party chief.
BUSHRA SIDDIQUI
Islamabad