Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Karachi on Wednesday for a day-long visit, his first after assuming the office of premier.
After arriving in the port city, the prime minister visited Mazar-e-Quaid and offered fateha. Shehbaz also signed the guestbook and prayed for the betterment of the country.
Meeting at CM House
Following the arrival of the premier at the Chief Minister’s House, a high-level meeting was held under the chairmanship of Shehbaz.
Federal Ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Owais Leghari, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Musadik Malik, Jam Kamal and Ataullah Tarar accompanied the premier.
From Sindh, the meeting was attended by provincial ministers Sharjeel Memon, Nasir Shah, Saeed Ghani, Jam Khan Shoro, Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Asif Haider Shah and Principal Secretary Sindh Agha Wasif were present along with other secretaries.
Murad congratulated the premier on his re-election and noted the substantial representation from Sindh in the PM’s cabinet, highlighting the presence of federal ministers Muhammad Aurangzeb, Jam Kamal, and Qaiser Sheikh, along with Khalid Maqbool who reside in Karachi.
“I believe that now, the issues of Sindh will receive prompt attention,” said Murad while expressing confidence in Shehbaz’s ability to swiftly address major challenges.
Briefing the premier on the aftermath of the 2022 floods, Murad elaborated on funding agreements and said 70pc of funding was allocated by donor agencies while the provincial and federal governments shared the remaining.
“Donor agencies had provided Rs557.79 billion, while the Sindh Government had contributed Rs 18.25 billion for flood relief efforts.”
He also mentioned a $500 million initiative for constructing houses for flood affectees and a multi-billion school construction project, underscoring delays in promised federal funding.
The chief minister lamented that Sindh was ignored in federal schemes during the last few years, citing disparities in project allocations compared to other provinces. Murad further highlighted the disparity in project awards, particularly in the transport infrastructure sector and mentioned that Punjab received significant allocations compared to Sindh.
“In the last four years, Sindh has been ignored by the federation regarding new schemes.”
“In 2022-23, the federal government awarded 21 new projects worth Rs51 billion to Punjab, however, Sindh only received Rs5.4 billion for the transport sector,” the CM added.
Drawing attention to the pending projects, Murad highlighted delays in the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) and ECNEC for critical initiatives such as the augmentation of K-4 and various infrastructure projects.
Additionally, the chief executive of the province mentioned that initiatives such as the school rehabilitation project, Sindh barrage project, and the solid waste project are awaiting approval from the federal government.
During the meeting, Murad urged Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal to expedite the approval process.
Murad added that he has appointed the National Highway Authority (NHA) chairman and directed the immediate completion of the Jamshoro road project. Additionally, he conveyed to the premier the significance of the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) project for the city.
The chief minister also urged PM Shehbaz to resolve the right-of-way issues for the KCR project and commence its execution.
Shehbaz is also expected to meet prominent personalities of the business community and a delegation of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce.
In these meetings, the premier will take suggestions from the business community regarding the improvement of the country’s economy.
