Murad says international cricket, investment revived in Karachi

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday said that after restoration of law and order international events had started taking place in Karachi and foreign investment was also pouring in.

“The government worked out a detail plan and with the political will and support of the people of Karachi the city has been cleansed of terrorists, mafias and outlaws through a vigorous targeted operation,” he said while talking to Senior Bureau Official in Department of State’s Bureau of South and Central Affairs, USA, Ambassador Alice Wells.

The others in the meeting were Acting Consul General of USA John Warner, Acting Deputy Consul General in Karachi Adam Zerbinopoulos, Chairman P&D Mohammad Waseem and Principal Secretary to CM Sohial Rajput and others.

The CM said earlier the law and order situation in the city was bad since last many years and it was further augmented with terrorist activities.

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Murad Ali Shah said that now the glories of the city were returning. “International cricket has returned and before it major events like sermons of Syedna Mufadil Saifuddin, visit of Prince Aga Karim had also taken place peacefully,” he said.

The chief minister and the visiting diplomat agreed to work together in non-formal education. The Sindh Education Foundation is regulating non-formal education and trying to reach out to the areas where proper schools do not exist.

Murad Shah said that he had given special focus to the development of infrastructure from Karachi to Kashmore and Tharparkar.

“Special attention has been given to education and health sector. The schools built by USAID are being launched as English medium schools,” he said.

He told the visiting guest that water supply lines had been laid in 200 villages of Tharparkar, particularly those located in the far-flung areas and very soon they would be supplied water.

“We have also installed RO plants there which are functioning and providing water but some of them have capacity issues,” he said.

The American diplomat said that they also wanted to support the Sindh government in provision of clean water to its people.

In the meeting, the matters of investment in alternate energy were also discussed. The CM said that there were huge wind and solar energy corridors in Sindh from where energy was being produced and still there were ample investment opportunities in there.

He said that the Jacobabad Institute of Medical Sciences (JIMS) was a very good gift by Americans to the people of Sindh. “We are further improving it with best doctors, technical staff and services,” the chief minister said.

The chief minister said that his government was also putting its best efforts to provide clean water to the people of Sindh. There is dire need of some de-salination plants in Karachi and his government was working on a plan to install such plants so that drinking water issues could be solved.

The visiting guest congratulated the chief minister on holding the PSL final match and now Pakistan-West Indies cricket series is taking place. This is the manifestation of the government’s commitment to make this megalopolis city a seat of prosperity, entertainment and learning.

Murad Shah presented traditional gifts of Ajrak, khes and Sindhi cap to the visiting guests.