‘Projects for Thar, channelisation of Indus likely to be added in CPEC’

Two new projects are likely to be approved for their inclusion in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which will have an enormous impact on the overall development of the province.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said this on Sunday while speaking to media persons after attending the convocation of the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto University of Law (Szabul) at its Korangi campus. He was accompanied by Law and Information Adviser Murtaza Wahab.

Replying to a question, the CM said the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) was the highest forum for the CPEC and he attended its meeting in China last week. He added that the CPEC authorities had included two more sectors, agriculture and socio-economic development, in its projects’ list.

“I presented two projects in the JCC and most probably they would be approved by the relevant Joint Working Group in their meeting to be held in March," Shah said.

One of the proposed projects is for the channelisation of 180 kilometres of the Indus River from Guddu Barrage to Sukkur Barrage. “It is a mega project and the provincial government is working to complete its required formalities,” the CM said.

According to Shah, changing the course of the Indus River would be enormously helpful for the development of the agriculture sector. It would not only save water but would also control waterlogging and salinity in the districts on both banks of the river, he said, adding that the project would also help save the area from floods and develop large agricultural lands in Katcha areas.

Commenting on the second project, the CM said he had informed the Chinese authorities that the Thar Foundation was working in education, health, socio-forestry and bio-saline agriculture in Thar. “I proposed them [Chinese authorities] to approve the project of Thar Foundation so that it could be implemented in the Thar area where a coal power plant was being established under CPEC,” he said.

Shah said the Chinese authorities concerned appreciated the efforts of the provincial government and referred the project to the Joint Working Group, which would meet in March 2019, for approval.

Convocation

Earlier, addressing the convocation ceremony of Szabul, the CM said his interest in the first-ever law university of Pakistan was from the days of its inception.

According to Shah, it was a matter of great pleasure for him that the Sindh government had succeeded in establishing the first law varsity of the country. The CM congratulated the vice chancellor, faculty and students of the university for achieving the milestone.

Addressing the graduating students, the CM said they were the judges and lawyers of tomorrow. “In fact, the performance of the justice sector is dependent on the quality of your professionalism, skills and knowledge,” Shah remarked and added that there was a strong link between the qualities of human resources available to judiciary and the functionality, integrity and legitimacy of the judicial system.

“I am confident that you will exceed the expectations of all of us and prove to be an asset [for] the country,” he said. The CM assured Vice Chancellor Qazi Khalid that he would provide him all the required funds to complete the under-construction building of Szabul in Korangi.