RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that the ground-breaking ceremony of Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) would be held in September 2016.

“This is the good news I am sharing with the people of Karachi,” he said addressing a press conference at the CM House on Tuesday where he briefed the media about his latest visit to China. Provincial ministers Dr Sikandar Mendhro, Syed Nasir Shah and Imdad Pitafi were also present.

Murad Shah said that on the invitation of the prime minister he attended the ‘One Belt One Road (OBOR) Conference in Beijing and presence of all the four chief ministers with prime minister was lauded by Chinese President. He said heads of states or heads of government of 28 countries attended the conference.

The Chief Minister recalled that he had attended JCCI meeting in Beijing, last December when three projects: KCR, Keti Bandar and Special Economic Zone were included to the agenda of the CPEC projects. Then, Sindh government was asked to complete the feasibility of KCR within three months.

“We had completed its feasibility well in time and also had got it approved from CDWP,” he said, adding that during his visit to China he held a meeting with the Chinese Transport Minister Lixiao Peng and NDRC officials and briefed them about KCR and the progress made so far.

He said he also met Chinese EXIM bank vice President and urged him to approve loan for KCR projects for which he nominated his general manager as focal person for KCR.

He said Metro Peshawar and Quetta have also been included in the CPEC related projects. Since they had not completed their feasibilities, therefore during the next two months all the feasibilities, including of KCR would be submitted for further approval in the joint working meeting.

Shah said along with Punjab Chief Minister Shabaz Sharif, federal finance minister Ishaq Dar and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, he had held a meeting with Chinese Minister for National Development Reform Committee, whose designation is equivalent to deputy prime minister, and discussed the KCR with him. He quoted the Chinese minister as saying that he would convene a meeting of joint working group to approve the Metro projects of Peshawar and Quetta and also KCR of Karachi. Shah offered them to host Joint working group meeting in Karachi for which, Chinese minister said it would be decided shortly.

“God willing, we shall perform ground breaking ceremony of KCR in September this year,” he announced. He said encroachments along the KCR route were being removed.

On energy projects, particularly of Thar, the chief minister said that he also requested the EXIM banks Vice President to finance energy sector in Sindh for which he agreed to support.

Shah said that the development of Special Economic Zone and development of infrastructure of Keti Bandar project have begun. He said that these two projects would bring new vistas of development and prosperity in the province.

Replying to a question he said that as a democratic government his administration had allowed the PSP to take out a rally up to FTC Centre. He said that violating that permission, they began marching towards red-zone hence water cannon and tear gas was used to disperse the protesters. He said the intermediate examinations were going on hence his government would not allow any party or group to block the main artery of the city.

“When they [PSP] had staged a sit-in at Karachi Press Club they were not disturbed and Sindh ministers kept negotiating with them,” he cited. The chief minister further said that this time when they were at FTC he had engaged his cabinet members in dialogue with them [PSP] but they did not accept any assurance or explanation and tried to cross the area, therefore the administration was left with no option but to disperse them.

He said that the language he [PSP chairman] is using for others is quite pathetic. He said Mustafa Kamal was trying to become `Altaf Hussain 2’.

“People of my city [Karachi] have seen the worst law and order situation and they had to remain confined within the four walls of their houses in the past,” he said, adding that after hectic efforts and political will of the government, support of the citizens and effective work and sacrifices of law enforcement agencies, peace has been restored in Karachi. But, he said, some people were trying to hijack the city by voicing those slogans on which his government was already working day and night just for the sake of their personal political gains.

He said he was in constant touch with FWO for early completion of K-IV phase-I. He said he had announced in the budget speech when he was not chief minister that K-IV phase-II would begin and he would keep his words by starting second phase before completion of his government

“The court has issued order under which heavy vehicles entry in the city has been banned. My transport minister Syed Nasir Shah is holding talks with the goods transporters time and again to persuade them to call off their strike,” he said, disclosing that his government was going to file a review petition in the court to resolve the issue of goods transporters.

Murad Shah said that the actual bone of contention was Karachi Package because some people who used to claim to be the so-called owners of the city felt them insecure in view of huge uplift works being carried out by Sindh government.

“We are not doing the politics of development or language but we are serving the people of Karachi that is my city and city of each and everyone living here,” he said, adding that the pace of ongoing uplift works was not slow but even then he assured the media he would personally review their progress. He said that all these works are scheduled to be completed by the end of next month.