Imran wants island issue sorted out with Sindh

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday directed Sindh Governor Imran Ismael to sort out the matters related to the Bundle Island project in consultations with the Sindh government.

The directive came as the provincial administration hardened its stance on the issue, calling Islamabad’s move to launch new projects in islands neighbouring Karachi an attempt to “occupy” the provincial resources.

Bhandar, or Bundal Island, is located at the western end of the Sindh coastal zone bordering Korangi, Phitti and Jhari creeks.

It is one of the biggest and highest of all the islands along the Sindh coast, with a length of about eight kilometres. The width of the island varies — it is about 4km wide in the north and 1km in the south.

“The Bundle Island project will generate immense opportunities of investment and employment,” said the prime minister while talking to the Sindh governor.

The governor gave a detailed briefing to the prime minister on the Karachi Transformation Plan.

Later addressing a news conference along with Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi, the governor said the Bundal Island project would enable investments and trade to the tune of several billion rupees in Pakistan, with the potential of creating 0.15 million new job opportunities.

“The mega project at the Arabian Sea will prove a milestone for the economic prosperity of Sindh and Pakistan.”

He said there would be a transparent bidding process and all revenue would go to Sindh, adding Pakistani expatriates and local investors would be encouraged to invest in such projects, besides inviting foreign investors.

"Bundal Island will remain part of Sindh," said the minister, adding, "It is not a housing scheme, rather a plan to construct a new city just like Islamabad."

Ismail said the prime minister wanted to expedite the work on the Bundal project as early as possible. He said the project would attract up to five million tourists and the people had already started approaching for investment purposes in the project.

He said, "This is million dollars project and after operational, it will drastically change the economic situation of Sindh."

He added the project would address the grievances of the provincial government and its people as well.

He claimed that the Sindh government was already supporting the project and assured of sorting out the Bundal Island issues with mutual understanding as it was a major project for bringing economic stability in the province.

He said the local businessmen had expressed keen interest in two mega development projects - Urban Development and Bundal Island Project, Karachi and Ravi River Front Urban Development Project, Lahore.

Speaking on the occasion, Zaidi said those mega projects would not only encourage investment of billions of rupees but also promote other affiliated sectors and prove a milestone in strengthening the country's economy.

"This is a project of Sindh and for Sindh. Only the Sindh province will get benefit of this project."

He said the mega development project would change not only the fate of Karachiites but also the people living across the Sindh.

He urged avoiding politicising the project for political point-scoring and added there was a global trend of making new cities for prosperity and economic progress.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan was informed on Thursday that the construction of just over 100,000 housing units will be completed by 2021 and the construction industry is expected to generate an economic activity of roughly Rs422 billion in Punjab alone in the same period.

Apart from total 101,479 housing units that are to be completed by the end of the next year, the prime minister was apprised that an additional 44,039 housing units will become a reality through the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA) and Pakistan Housing Authority (PHA) Foundation schemes in the coming years.

The details emerged during the weekly meeting of the National Coordination Committee for Housing, Construction and Development, which was chaired by the prime minister and attended by the Ministry of Housing, New Pakistan Housing Authority chairman, provincial chief secretaries, officials of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and others.

Addressing the meeting, PM Imran said that the construction sector was of key importance in accelerating the economic process and reviving the COVID-affected economy.

He directed the Chairman New Pakistan Housing Authority, the provincial chief secretaries and all concerned to pay full attention to the development of the construction sector to avoid delay at any stage.

In the briefing, the Ministry of Housing officials gave a detailed briefing to PM Imran on the commencement of work on the stalled projects of the federal government agencies, the on-going units and the housing units to be built as a result of future projects and the total value of these projects.

The prime minister was informed that about 10 projects of the FGEHA were stalled for the past several years and work has recently been resumed on them.

The ministry officials said that the projects would result in construction of 38,667 housing units with an estimated cost of Rs120.21 billion.

Similarly, the ministry said, work began on three projects of PHA Foundation, which remained stalled for several years. These three projects, the officials said, will result in construction of 5,372 units at an estimated cost of Rs27.85 billion.

The official statement released after the meeting stated that total 26,625 housing units will be constructed at a cost of Rs213.4 billion as a result of ongoing projects this year, adding that new projects for the year 2020 will produce 25,017 units at an estimated cost of Rs112.03 billion. As a result of 2021 projects, the statement said, total 39,955 units will be constructed at a cost of Rs184 billion.

In addition, the meeting was informed that the construction of 5,882 houses was underway with the help of Rs3 billion provided by the government to AKHUWAT – which provides interest-free micro finance.

Meanwhile, Punjab chief secretary, while referring to a World Bank’s estimate, said that one dollar invested in the construction sector generates five dollars of economic process.

Subsequently, the PM was briefed, the projects so far approved are expected to generate economic activities of Rs422.5 billion in Punjab and will not only provide job opportunities to youth but help boost various connected industries.

Lastly, the CDA chairman while explaining the difficulties faced by the citizens in the last five years in terms of road network, drainage and other civic amenities presented a plan to overcoming all these issues. He also spoke about the recently-assigned responsibilities of the Metropolitan Corporation to the CDA.