City Nazim Mustafa Kamal has said that American investors have shown interest in city development projects and a number of delegations are likely to visit Karachi soon to discuss, assess and make investment plans.
Talking to newsmen at a dinner hosted by Honorary Consul-General of Mozambique, Khalid Tawab, on Friday, he said that bedsides the delegations visits in the near future a few delegations have already visited Karachi and discussed modalities of investment in various projects.
He said that during his recent visit to the United State he made efforts to dispel their fears about the law and order situation and apprised them about existing investor-friendly atmosphere and existing opportunities of making investment in various projects.
Kamal said that the city government has planned 'elevated expressway' besides railway track. However, the project needs federal government approval for initiating the project.
He said that Secretary, Ministry of Railway would soon visit Karachi to see the project and give go ahead signal. However, if permission is not granted then the expressway would be built beside the Shara-e-Faisal, he added. He said that the city government has already awarded contract for construction and revamping the road from Saddar to Saforan Goth. The contractor has started initial work on this project, he added.
He said that the city government is trying to resolve the issue of compensation to those 53 owners of houses whose houses would come in the way of construction of road from Shara-e-Faisal to Korangi industrial area. However, if the issue remained unresolved the houses would be demolished, he threatened.
Referring to travel advisory, Khalid Tawab said that Karachi is the most peaceful city in the region where foreigners, consuls-general, ambassadors etc moved freely and feel no security problems. Tawab urged the government to take measures on war footing to redress economic issues to accelerate economic activities in the country.
Referring to three months of the present government and judiciary issue, he said this issue was adversely diverting government attention from real issues of increasing prices of essential items, food inflation, oil prices, power crisis, flying capital, decreasing rupee value against dollar etc. He said that a Pakistani trade delegation would soon visit Mozambique to boost two-way trade and assess having industrial units in joint venture.