Upgrading city infrastructure, controlling pollution: CM apprises Canadian envoy about Sindh govt’s initiative

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his meeting with the Canadian High Commissioner Ms Leslie Scanlon, said that his government, through the Karachi transformation project, was improving the infrastructure to make the city liveable and attracting investment.

The meeting also included the Director General for South Asia in Ottawa, Canada, Marie Louise Hannan, and Daniel Arsenault, the Political, Economic, and Commercial Counsellor at the Canadian Embassy. The Chief Minister was accompanied by his Secretary, Raheem Shaikh.

During the meeting, Scanlon remarked that Karachi is a beautiful megalopolis with abundant investment opportunities. She noted that Canadian food chains currently operating in Islamabad and Lahore plan to open franchises in Karachi.

Shah emphasized that Karachi is the industrial hub of the country, and both the provincial and federal governments are working to establish more special economic zones. He mentioned that the city’s infrastructure, including industrial areas, is being developed using resources from the World Bank’s Karachi Transformation Project, along with Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiatives.

Murad Shah outlined several key infrastructure projects, including the completion of the Malir Expressway, the dualisation of the Northern Bypass, and the construction of a road connecting the Seaport to Korangi Causeway, which will link to the Malir Expressway. Additionally, he mentioned the opening of a new link road that connects the National Highway with the Motorway, facilitating easier transportation of goods to the interior of the country.

During the discussion, the Chief Minister highlighted his government’s investment in seawater desalination for drinking water and the treatment of domestic waste to meet both domestic and industrial needs. They also addressed issues of marine and environmental pollution, with Shah stating that treatment plants are being established to responsibly discharge treated sewage and industrial waste into the sea.

He shared that his government has planted millions of mangroves along the coastline, enabling the earning of carbon credits, and expressed plans for the development of another deep-sea port at Keti Bandar.

Regarding the coal-fired power plant in Thar, Shah said that international environmental protection standards have been adopted to produce energy from coal, which has made Thar coal the cheapest energy source in the country.

When questioned about electricity costs, Shah informed Scanlon that industrialists are dissatisfied with the current electricity prices. He added that the federal government is working to control power prices, while the Sindh government plans to install two power plants—one with a capacity of 352 MW each in Karachi and Hyderabad—and is seeking private partners for electricity procurement.

He invited Canadian companies to invest in power distribution, water projects, and education. The Canadian ambassador confirmed that their companies are also exploring investment opportunities in Karachi.

Mr. Shah noted that the lifestyle of people in Thar has improved with increased investment in the energy sector.

Addressing the construction of houses for flood-affected individuals, he stated that climate-resilient homes are being built, with the project progressing well and expected to be completed by the end of 2025, benefitting 2.1 million households.

Lastly, the Chief Minister spoke on the status of minorities in Sindh, asserting that they have equal rights. He highlighted that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has two elected Hindu parliamentarians—one Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) and one Member of the National Assembly (MNA) and that the Deputy Speaker of the Sindh Assembly is Christian. He emphasised that Sindh takes pride in being a pluralist society where people of various faiths coexist peacefully.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024