Under-fire CM looks to German firms for clean water

A day after coming under fire in the Supreme Court over the supply of contaminated water in Sindh, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said on Thursday his government was very keen to provide clean water to the people of his province and this was the area where German companies could play an important role.

He addressing a German-Pakistan Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GPCCI) programme at German Consulate. A day earlier, hearing a petition for the provision of clean drinking water and a safe environment to the people of Sindh, a three-member Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, had observed that powers were given to the executive for serving the people and the court was willing to support the provincial government for redressing the grievances of the people.

It had asked Chief Minister Shah to give the time-frame for resolving the issues of providing clean potable water and disposal of sewage. A video on visits by a judicial commission looking into these issues to different water supply and drain sites was screened in the presence of the chief minister in the court. The video showed how untreated raw municipal and industrial sewage was polluting water bodies and how dangerous hospital waste was being disposed of. After watching the video, the chief justice said that he was speechless and observed that Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto should also see the plight of his party voters in Larkana.

During his address on Thursday, the chief minister thought it was a good move that Germany and Pakistan had agreed and established the GPCCI with its headquarters in Karachi and branches in Punjab and Islamabad.

He said he was happy to know that the GPCCI working with the Sindh law department to address issues related to women, children and minorities with their focus on various projects. “They are focusing on the implementation of various chapters under G-plus protocol to support the exports of textiles to European Union.”

The chief minister said Germany was the first country where the first-ever bilateral investment treaty was signed in 1952 and further improved in 1956 and the last one in the most improved form was signed two years back.

“This bilateral investment treaty deals with various social and economic sectors, particularly for the investment security and risk coverage. “I think the GPCCI and the Sindh government should work together to create more awareness about the benefit of this treaty.”

Shah stated that his government was paying full attention to foreign investors in Sindh, which was rich in minerals resources and with highly skilled educated work force. “We have vast coastal areas, green fields and hardworking farmers and this is the most suitable combination for foreign investors, particularly for German companies, to work together here.”

Shah said he was pleased to learn that the GPCCI had established expert industrial groups where experts could help local business groups and the common man could benefit from German expertise. He invited the expert groups to extend their activities to other districts of the province.

The chief minister said the provincial government had facilitated German companies at all levels and would continue to extend its full corporation to German investors. The German industrial zone in Karachi was a good idea and the demand of the GPCC would be objectively considered to facilitate German investment in Sindh, he added.

Earlier, the chief minister was received by Rainer Schmiedchen, consul general of Germany in Karachi, and Qazi Sajid Ali, president of the GPCCI, when he reached the consulate. German Ambassador in Pakistan Qazi Sajid, and the GPCCI president also spoke.