CM Murad vows to set up Textile City project in Karachi

KARACHI: Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah on Thursday vowed to establish the Pakistan Textile City and questioned the rationale of the federal government to wind up the project.

The chief minister presiding over a meeting of Textile City questioned why the project cannot be established in Karachi when there were a textile city in Faisalabad and Gujranwala.

Minister for Industries Manzoor Wassan and chief secretary Riwan Memon also attended the meeting. Wassan briefed the chief minister that the federal government was attempting to wind up the project.

Last week Finance Minister Ishaq Dar during a meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee of the cabinet approved a grant of Rs.12 million as equity share of the government to clear liabilities and wind up the Pakistan Textile City project after it faced massive financial losses.

CM Murad was adamant and said that he would not allow the project to be closed down. “The land belongs to Sindh government, how can Port Qasim sell it,” he questioned.

He said that this was a conspiracy as Karachi was a port city, and cotton was grown abundantly in various parts of Sindh, and so was better suited to establish the textile city.

He said that project will provide employment to 150,000 people, while exports will increase due to the close proximity to the port.

He said that some elements were not satisfied with the development of Sindh, but maintained that it was in safe hands and they will work for the full benefit of the people of the province.

He directed the industries minister to continue working on the project, and if necessary then they would even go to the courts. He said that federal government had not given proper representation to Sindh on the board of the Textile City.