PM Shehbaz assures CM Murad of KCR's inclusion in CPEC

KARACHI: Newly elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday assured Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah that the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) project will be included in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)-related projects.

PM Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Karachi on a maiden visit to the metropolitan city after assuming office. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah welcomed PM Shehbaz Sharif upon arrival at the PAF Airbase Faisal. The whole provincial cabinet was present on the occasion.

Later, during a meeting with CM Murad Ali Shah at the CM House, the prime minister assured that the KCR project will be included in the CPEC-related projects.

Matters relating to the current political situation, law and order situation in the city, economy, provincial affairs and other issues were discussed in the meeting, said the spokesperson of the CM.

The chief minister felicitated the Shehbaz Sharif on assuming the office of the Prime Minister and assured him that the Sindh government will work closely with the centre.

During the meeting, the prime minister directed to provide funds for the K-4 project and instructed the WAPDA chairman to complete the water project by 2024.

The prime minister also assured the Sindh CM of cooperation in the procurement of buses for the BRT project. Meanwhile, he also promised that three big public hospitals in Karachi will be handed over to the provincial government.

Karachi Transformation Plan

During the meeting, CM Sindh informed the premier that Karachi Transformation Plan (KTP) was announced in 2020 with an outlay of Rs1.17 billion for various projects in the areas of water supply, sewerage treatment management, internal roads, and mass transit.

The share of the provincial government is Rs686 billion whereas the federal PSDP share is Rs487 billion, the chief minister said, adding that the total cost of public-private partnership projects, at an advanced stage, was Rs176.9 billion and the total viable gap fund for the projects was Rs32 billion every year.

The chief minister requested the prime minister to issue necessary directives for the issuance of sovereign guarantees for mega projects and allocate Rs10 billion per year to finance provincial governments' annual obligation of Rs32 billion.

At this, the prime minister assured the chief minister that the federal government would support the Sindh government.

Shehbaz meets MQM-P's leadership Bahadurabad office

Following his meeting with CM Shah, the prime minister visited the MQM-P's Bahadurabad office where he held a brief session with the party's leadership, with party convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and others in attendance.

Shehbaz, after the meeting, left for Islamabad and MQM-P leader Khawaja Izhar-ul-Hassan said the matters of his party's members being included in the federal cabinet and being awarded the governorship were not discussed.

"These matters will come under discussion in Islamabad [...] nothing was decided in today's meeting as this visit was a gesture of goodwill," Hassan told journalists.

Meanwhile, Siddiqui told journalists that the matters related to the ministries came under discussion in detail during the meeting of the leaders at the CM House.

PM visits Quaid-e-Azam's mausoleum

Earlier, he visited the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, where he offered Fateha and laid a wreath. He also penned his comments in the visitors’ book.

In his remarks, the prime minister said he was there to pay tribute to the great Quaid for his great struggle to create a separate homeland and show his respects to him.

“I am sorry that we couldn’t follow the path you had expected from us and this disappointed your soul. I make a pledge that I will try my best to serve my countrymen and live up to your expectations,” the prime minister said mentioning him below as “Khadim-e-Pakistan.”

During his day-long visit, PM Shehbaz will hold meetings with the leaders of allied parties and chair a consultative meeting relating to development projects in Karachi. He will also attend a meeting on the law and order situation in the metropolis at the Chief Minister House.