Murad spells out Sindh government's priority projects under CPEC

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that his government was keen to start a number of projects under CPEC but his top priority projects include Karachi Circular Railway, Dhabeji Special Economic Zone and Keti Bandr, and hoped that the federal government would support him to launch these projects.

This he said while talking to a 22-member federal parliamentary delegation led by MNA Sher Ali Arbab who called on Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah here on Monday at CM House to evolve consensus for the CPEC-related projects to be launched in Sindh.

The other delegation members were Ghous Bux Maher, Noor Alam Khan, Sadaqat Ali Khan Abbasi, Senator Ahmed Khan, senator Hilal-ur-Rehman, Senator Chaudhry Tanveer, MNA Zile Huma, Murtaza Javed Abbasi MNA Mehnaz Akbar Aziz and others. The Chief Minister was assisted by Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi, Secretary Investment Najam Shah and others.

Chairman CPEC Parliamentary Party Ali Arbab said that Socio-economic development Projects under CPEC has reached to US$ 1 billion. He added that he wanted an overall development of projects under CPEC in Sindh, he also discussed other Initiatives under CPEC and challenges and hurdles in executing the projects under CPEC in his meeting with the Chief Minister.

It was pointed out that MoU was signed between Ministry of Planning Development & Special Initiatives and China Development and Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) on 3rd November, 2018. In response to the MoU, all provinces shared their projects in six identified areas.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that his government shared 29 projects in areas of Education, TVET, Health, Poverty Alleviation, Clean Drinking Water, Agriculture Livestock & Fisheries.

Chairman CPEC parliamentary body said that from the shared projects of all provinces, 27 projects were identified as priority projects and of these, 17 projects were identified as fast track projects. From 17 fast track projects, seven projects have share for Sindh, two of these projects were in agriculture, two in education, one in health, and two in TVET.

The two Fast Track Agriculture projects include China-Pakistan Joint Agriculture Technology Laboratory and China-Pakistan Joint Agriculture Demonstration Stations.

The Chief Minister said that for the Sindh's projects in agriculture, Chinese experts visited Sindh on December 15th, 2019 to discuss agriculture projects and to do field visits. The Sindh government was asked to give concurrence for agriculture projects, which was given on 10th January, 2020, Murad Ali Shah said and added progress on remaining five Fast Track projects of Sindh was waiting for Chinese visit.

Murad Shah said that project preparation would commence after their visit. They include Smart Classrooms for education, overseas Student Scholarship Programme, provision of Medical Equipment and Supply for Hospital(s), Vocational & Technical Schools up-gradation and Vocational & Technical Teachers' capacity building.

The Chief Minister said that overall there were three projects included in CPEC for Sindh Province. They were Karachi Circular Railway (KCR), Dhabeji Special Economic Zone and Keti Bandar.

Talking about KCR, Murad Ali Shah said that on the request of Sindh government, KCR was included in CPEC on 3rd December, 2016; alongside Sindh government's requested for provision of sovereign guarantee to KCR, like it was accorded to Orange Line Lahore project handing over Karachi Urban Transport Company (KUTC) to Sindh government, transferring of land along with KCR route alignment to KUTC. He added that it was included in CPEC and Prime Minister had accepted the requests except the transfer of land.

Shah said that the project was approved and included in 6th JCC with instruction to get it approved on Pakistan's level. Project was approved by ECNEC for US$1.97 billion on 6th October, 2017. The KCR has been part of all JCCs and TWG meetings and in all meetings, it was stated a feasible and viable project but there were major obstacles need to be removed, he said and added these include sharing of Framework Agreement by PD&SI with NDRC; sovereign Guarantee by Finance Division, Concession Finance request to Chinese Government by Federal Government and Right of Way for KCR at common corridor between ML-1 and KCR.

The Chief Minister said that he has been writing to Ministry of PD&SI, EAD, Finance, Communication, Pakistan Railway and the Prime Minister since 2017 but the issues were still not addressed.

The Chief Minister said that in 9th JCC meeting conducted on 5th November, 2019, KCR was again discussed and the Sindh government was asked to submit the request of financing again; which he did through a letter written on 13th November, 2019.

Dhabeji Economic Zone: Talking about Dhabeji Special Economic Zone, the Chief Minister said that this government has earmarked 1530 acres of land to be developed as Dhabeji Special Economic Zone (DSEZ) in Thatta, a Priority Project under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

He said that the location at Dhabeji has advantages such as easy access of Port Qasim enabling raw material import and finished goods export without incurring major inland transportation costs and saving time. Easy access to Karachi Airport (35 Km) via National Highway enabling safe travel of foreign workers and management personnel and direct access to the National Highway enabling the transportation of goods to upcountry and Central Asian nations utilizing the National Trade Corridor.