CM reviews progress of ongoing uplift projects

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah presided over a joint meeting of the P&D, Finance, and Works departments at the CM House to review the progress of ongoing development works.

The meeting reviewed the progress of the Coastal Highway scheme. The CM mentioned that during his recent visit to Thatta, citizens urged faster progress on the project. The Works Department informed the CM that the 36-kilometre-long highway is in the preliminary phase of groundwork and has been submitted for revision. The project is being jointly funded by the federal and provincial governments on a 50:50 basis.

A development scheme worth Rs five billion is underway for the construction of roads in SITE Industrial Estate. So far, Rs500 million has been released, and the process of tenders has been completed. The CM instructed that work be accelerated to ensure completion within the new fiscal year.

Under the prime minister's programme, reconstruction of 1,800 schools, damaged by floods, is in progress. These schools are being rebuilt through 50:50 funding from the Sindh and federal governments. A total allocation of Rs12 billion has been made for the project, and tenders have been finalised. The CM directed that funds be released immediately to begin construction.

Says case against canals is incontrovertible

CM Murad has contended that Sindh's case opposing the construction of six new canals on the Indus River is very strong. He spoke to the media in Sehwan, Jamshoro district, on Monday, on the occasion of his father and ex-CM Sindh Syed Abdullah Shah's death anniversary.

"Whoever will listen to our case, they will cancel the project," he claimed, recalling that the Pakistan Peoples Party's Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who is scheduled to address a public meeting in Hyderabad on April 18 on the same issue, has already rejected the project.

"PPP's chairman has said he will stand with the public and not with the Prime Minister [Shahbaz Sharif]." Shah firmly stated that the canals will not be built because the PPP and President Asif Ali Zardari have publicly opposed them.

Commenting on reported contact between the establishment and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's Azam Swati, the CM said he is unaware if Swati really has the party's mandate for any form of negotiations. He claimed that PTI is confronting internecine strife because they are often seen changing statements. Shah said the PTI should rise above its existing political approach and work seriously for the interests of the people and the country.