KARACHI, Dec 19 (APP): Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, presiding over a high-level meeting with representatives of Karachi’s major industrial associations here Friday, approved Rs9.282 billion for the urgent repair and maintenance of roads and allied infrastructure in Karachi’s industrial areas. “I want you to start development works from Monday and complete them within six months so that another similar development package can be given to industrial areas,” he said.
The chief minister, along with representatives of KATI, SITE, BQATI, and LATI/LITE, reviewed progress and finalised a roadmap for the development and rehabilitation of basic infrastructure across all industrial zones of the city.
The meeting, held at CM House was attended by Minister for Industries Jam Ikram Dharejo, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab, Principal Secretary to CM Agha Wasif, Commissioner Karachi Hassan Naqvi, Additional Secretaries Industries Tariq Qureshi, Zubair Motiwala, Chairman KITE Zahid Saeed, President KATI Muhammad Ikram, Zubair Chhaya of KATI/KITE, President NKATI Faisal Moiz, President LATI Rayyan Ashraf, Zain Bashir of LATI/LITE, President SITE Ahmad Azeem, BQATI President Shakeel Ashraf, President FBATI Sheikh Tahseen, and others.
The meeting was briefed on the first-phase proposal, amounting to Rs9.282 billion, for the urgent repair and maintenance of roads and allied infrastructure in Karachi’s industrial areas. The plan has been rationalised after extensive consultations led by the Commissioner Karachi, in line with the chief minister’s directions, to ensure equitable, need-based allocations for each zone.
The chief minister then approved the rationalised funds, including Rs2 billion for the SITE Association of Trade & Industry, Rs700 million for SITE Superhighway Phases I & II, Rs721.74 million for the North Karachi Association of Trade & Industry, Rs860.55 million for the F.B. Area Association of Trade & Industry, Rs2.0 billion for the Landhi Association of Trade & Industry, Rs2 billion for the Korangi Association of Trade & Industry (including the Pakistan Tanners Association), and Rs1 billion for the Bin Qasim Association of Trade & Industry.
The chief minister said that the scheme will be financed through the Infrastructure Development Cess collected by the Excise & Taxation Department, a substantial portion of which has been accumulated from Karachi’s industrial zones. Industrialists emphasised that, in line with past practice, execution and disbursement should be carried out through a grant-in-aid rather than an ADP scheme to ensure faster implementation.
The CM Murad Ali Shah reaffirmed the provincial government’s commitment to strengthening Karachi’s industrial base, noting that improved infrastructure is critical for productivity, exports, and employment generation. He directed that PC-1s be finalised in consultation with the Commissioner Karachi and the P&D Department, and that the case be placed before the Cabinet Finance Committee for approval of funds outside the current budget.
To ensure transparency and effective execution, it was proposed that an oversight committee comprising senior officers from the Finance, P&D, Local Government, KW&SC and SITE Ltd, concerned deputy commissioners and representatives of relevant trade associations be constituted to monitor implementation.
The meeting concluded with consensus that timely rehabilitation of industrial infrastructure will significantly ease logistics, reduce business costs, and restore investor confidence in Karachi.