‘Anti-state elements have become active to sabotage CPEC’

Expressing concerns over a gun attack on two Chinese nationals in the city that left one of them dead, Sindh Governor Mohammad Zubair said on Monday that anti-state elements have become active to sabotage the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and other partnership projects between the two countries that will benefit Pakistan’s economy.

The governor has sought a report of the incident from the inspector general police and directed law-enforcement authorities to take all efforts to catch the shooters, according to a statement issued from his office.

“The government will not tolerate any such incidents in the future,” said Zubair. A Chinese national identified as 40-year-old Chen Zhu was killed while a passer-by was injured when unidentified men opened fire at Zhu’s car near Zamzama Park in DHA earlier in the day. Another Chinese man was in Zhu’s car at the time of shooting but escaped unhurt, according to police.

Meeting with traders

The statement added that Governor Zubair also met with the city’s businessmen on Monday and told them that the federal government has been providing the best help it can for development, progress, prosperity and to accelerate economic activities in the financial capital of the country.

An 18-member delegation led by prominent businessman Mian Zahid Hussain and comprising businessmen, traders and industrialists had called on Zubair at Governor House.

Speaking to the delegation, the governor said that the federal government had started implementing a massive development package for Karachi under which mega development projects were being built.

He added that the federal government is spending a massive Rs75 billion to restore and build civic and municipal infrastructure in the metropolis. Zubair claimed that the standard of living for the city’s residents will improve with the completion of the mega development projects.

According to him, the federal government had been providing financial support to build mega projects like K-IV Greater Karachi Water Supply Scheme, Green Line section of Bus Rapid Transit System and Lyari Expressway, which has been completed and recently opened to the public.

Governor Zubair further said that work was also in progress to restore civic infrastructure of industrial zones of the city. He added the federal government is also providing support to increase business and economic activities in the city, and all concerned sections including traders, businessmen, social workers, politicians, professionals, media persons, academicians were being duly consulted to make them an integral part of the process of development and progress of Karachi.

Speaking about law and order in the metropolis, Zubair said when the central government came into power in 2013, people were reluctant to visit Karachi, but peace has returned to the city with the efforts and sacrifices of law-enforcement agencies.

“Nobody would be allowed to tarnish peace of Karachi as sacrifices of personnel of law-enforcement agencies for this cause would not go in vain,” the statement quoted the governor as saying.

Zubair added that Karachi would attract more investment from within and outside the country to launch new businesses only when peace remains in the city. He lauded the private sector for playing an important role for economic and trade development of the country and for generating employment opportunities for citizens.

The delegation members thanked the governor for consulting with people from different walks of life for developing Karachi and also for taking active interest in resolving issues of traders and industrialists.