Centre is yet to contribute funds to Karachi operation, says Murad

Sindh’s chief minister has said that the federal government has not released even a single paisa to the Sindh administration to meet the expenditures incurred during the targeted operation under way across Karachi as part of the National Action Plan.

Syed Murad Ali Shah said this during a meeting at the CM House on Monday with Senate Standing Committee on Interior Chairman Senator Rehman Malik. The chief executive said the federal government had earlier committed to sharing the financial burden of the Sindh administration being incurred on the Karachi operation.

“This [the Centre’s non-contribution] has exerted extraordinary burden on the provincial exchequer,” said CM Shah, and urged the senator to discuss this matter with his committee. “I am ready to brief the committee about the expenditures the provincial government has borne.”

Malik assured Shah that he would put the matter before the committee for discussion so that the burden of the provincial administration can be alleviated. CM Shah and the senator also discussed security issues, particularly those that relate to the projects that are part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The chief executive complained that the federal government has not accorded Sindh a proper share in the CPEC projects. He said the provincial government is providing proper security to the trade corridor projects and even taking care of the security of the Chinese nationals working on non-CPEC projects across the province.

Sindh, Belgium sign MoU

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Sindh administration and the Belgium government’s Wallonia Export & Investment Agency for the promotion of trade and investment and working under the public-private partnership mode in the province.

Sindh Board of Investment Director Azeem Uqaili represented the provincial government and Pascale Delcomminette represented the Wallonia Export & Investment Agency for the signing of the MoU. CM Shah and Ambassador of Belgium Frédéric Verheyden witnessed the ceremony.

Shah told the trade delegation led by the ambassador that Sindh is seriously working on adopting new cropping patterns under which low-water crops would be sown.

“In this sector Sindh’s and Belgium’s traders can work under the public-private partnership mode,” he said, adding that there is a huge potential in corporate cattle farming in the province, and that this sector has the potential of huge returns.

The visiting trade delegation also showed an interest in renewable energy, urban water supply for Karachi and the bus rapid transit system being developed in the metropolis. It was decided that Belgium’s traders and the Sindh Board of Investment would sit together and explore these avenues for investment.