Sindh Govt to hold investment conference in Shanghai on Oct 15: Sharjeel

KARACHI, Oct 08 (APP): Sindh Senior Minister and Provincial Minister for Information, Transport and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon has said the provincial government will hold an investment conference in Shanghai on October 15 to promote business-to-business (B2B) and government-to-government (G2G) investment with China.

Speaking at a press conference, he said a high-level delegation led by the Sindh chief minister would visit China to attract investment, which could create new opportunities and employment for Pakistani youth.

He said the third Sindh Vision event would be held in Sukkur at the end of November after similar events in Karachi and Islamabad. The event would bring together people from different walks of life, journalists, diplomats and other stakeholders, while PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari would also attend. Memon said the event would highlight the Sindh government’s development work, describing Sukkur as a model district where progress had been made across various sectors.

Memon said Thar coal had emerged as a game changer for Pakistan and was contributing significantly to electricity generation, with 14 per cent of the country’s power generation being obtained from the resource. He added that Thar coal had also helped save foreign exchange.

On education, he said 1,100 new schools were being constructed across Sindh this year, with 47 expected to be completed by December and 800 by March. He said the provincial government was focused on providing quality education to children and would continue its education initiatives.

Responding to political questions, Memon said the PPP was answerable to the public and would make its political decisions independently. He ruled out any electoral engagement with PTI and said the party should focus on its own mistakes.

Commenting on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he said terrorism was currently the province’s biggest challenge, with five of its seven divisions facing the threat. He said the impact of militancy was being borne largely by ordinary Pashtuns and residents of the province.

Memon said the PPP had previously sought political space and serious dialogue with PTI, maintaining that political issues should be resolved through political means. He added that criticism of PPP leadership by the KP chief minister would receive a political response.

He also pointed to Karachi as an example of improved security, saying coordinated action by police and Rangers had helped restore peace in the city.

On criticism concerning students from Tharparkar, Memon said children from remote areas had the same potential as those from major cities and should receive equal opportunities. He rejected what he described as prejudice and ethnic discrimination, saying the backwardness of Thar did not prevent its children from securing top positions or succeeding in competitive examinations.