Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said on Sunday that sports, arts and crafts, literary and other healthy activities have witnessed a boost in Karachi since peace restored here.
"I am sure such activities will further encourage people to play their due role for the sake of peace and prosperity of the city," he said, speaking as a chief guest at the first Commissioner Karachi Marathon organised at Moin Khan Academy.
He said Karachi was bogged down in the quagmire of the worst sort of deteriorated law and order for around one decade and that deprived the city of healthy activities. Then, he said, government planned to restore peace and made sincere efforts.
"Credit goes to police, Rangers and Pakistan Army for restoring peace. And foremost, credit goes to Karachiites who rendered lot of sacrifices and support the counterterrorism operation," he said.
The Chief Minister recalled that the PSL final was held in Karachi last year and then these activities went-on multiplying. He said five PSL matches would be played in Karachi this year that shows confidence of the international community in Karachi.
He congratulated the City's Commissioner and his team for organising healthy event after a gap of thirty years. He said this is start of the marathon event and next year this event would be organised with more participation and more vigour.
Murad Shah also thanked sponsors of the event and urged them to keep supporting such healthy activities. "This city has given us a lot and now we all together have to pay back to this city so that once again it turns out to be one of the most prosperous, beautiful, peaceful city and seat of learning," he said.
Earlier, CM Shah distributed prises among the winners of different categories of the marathon, including differently abled persons.
The Commissioner Karachi presented a memento to Sindh Chief Minister.
Later, talking to the media, Murad Shah said that not only sports and other healthy activities had improved but trade and business activities were also flourishing.
To a question, he said, PSL would be a great event and he himself had chaired a joint meeting of PSL organisers, law enforcement agencies and divisional administration. He expressed hope it would be great and a memorable event this year as well. He said strict security measures would be made for PSL matches. He said such measure might cause some problems for people but it would be his utmost effort to cause minimum inconvenience of the masses. "This is our event and every resident of Karachi will be host of the PSL players, participants and organisers," he said, downplaying the possible inconvenience.
Among others, Sindh Home Secretary Kazi Kabir also attended the event.