Sindh outlines welfare schemes as Memon details housing, subsidies

Minister says over 300,000 small farmers given financial assistance of Rs1,500 per acre ahead of wheat harvesting

KARACHI:

Senior Sindh Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon on Monday outlined a range of welfare measures introduced by the Sindh government in response to rising fuel prices, including financial support for farmers, subsidised public transport, housing initiatives, and the planned distribution of pink scooters in the province.

Speaking at a press conference in Karachi, Memon said that significant data had been gathered through the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), which helped in designing large-scale welfare initiatives.

He added that the world’s largest housing project was underway, with homes being provided to 2.1 million families, saying the Sindh government had also launched the Benazir Hari Card to support farmers.

On agriculture, the minister said over 300,000 small farmers had been given financial assistance of Rs1,500 per acre. He acknowledged that wheat crops were damaged due to rain but farmers were provided with necessary inputs, and claimed that the crop quality had improved this year.

قائد عوام شہید ذوالفقار علی بھٹو سے لیکر چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو زرداری تک پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی نے عوام کو ہر شعبے میں ریلیف دیا ہے۔

سینئر صوبائی وزیر اور وزیرِ اطلاعات سندھ شرجیل انعام میمن کی کراچی میں اہم پریس کانفرنس pic.twitter.com/RGyg95mOKS

— Sindh Information Department (@sindhinfodepart) April 13, 2026

He said the government was also focusing on improving urban transport, adding that they were giving subsidies to intra-city coaches and introducing pink scooters.

"Training programmes have already started in Sukkur and Hyderabad, where women have begun receiving licences," he said.

Memon expressed hope that the distribution of pink scooters would begin soon in Sukkur and Hyderabad.

He added that new bus routes were being planned, including services between Khairpur and Sukkur, as well as Tando Allahyar and Hyderabad.

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On rising fuel prices in the country, the minister stressed that decisions were linked to global market conditions. “Increase or decrease in oil prices is not the government’s desire but a reality linked to global prices,” he said.

To reduce the burden, Memon said the government had decided to provide a monthly subsidy of Rs2,000 to motorcycle owners. He added that details of the application process would be published in newspapers.

He urged the public to consider the broader context, noting that countries like Pakistan rely on imported oil and are therefore affected by international price fluctuations.

Memon said a meeting chaired by President Asif Ali Zardari was attended by all four chief ministers and that the Pakistan Peoples Party has a longstanding approach of planning for the future of the people.

On the polio eradication campaign, he called for collective responsibility. “Every person should consider it their duty to spread awareness so that we can eliminate polio,” he said. "Efforts initiated during Benazir Bhutto’s time have continued, with Aseefa Bhutto Zardari serving as a key face of the campaign."

Memon also spoke on the recent high-level event in Islamabad and emphasised the need for national unity, saying coordination between the president and the prime minister has been strong. 

"Federal government, along with Sindh and Punjab, is working together to promote Pakistan’s narrative globally," he said.

Memon said it had enhanced Pakistan’s global importance, crediting both civil and military institutions for the achievement. He congratulated the country’s leadership, including the prime minister, president, and army chief, adding that Pakistan, as the only nuclear power in the Islamic world, had also succeeded in what he described as a “battle of truth”.

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He said that recent developments had posed a major test for India, while asserting that Pakistan was steadily advancing on the global stage, adding that India was “falling behind in the field of diplomacy” and its global importance was gradually declining.

In contrast, the minister said, “Pakistan is strengthening its foreign relations and continuously improving in the security sector,” he noted.

“Bilawal Bhutto and President Zardari have given strict instructions that all public relief programmes should be given top priority,” he said.

دنیا بھر میں پاکستانی پاسپورٹ کی اہمیت اجاگر ہوئی ہے۔ صدرِ مملکر محترم آصف علی زرداری، وزیراعظم شہباز شریف اور فیلڈ مارشل مبارکباد کے مستحق ہیں۔

سینئر صوبائی وزیر اور وزیرِ اطلاعات سندھ شرجیل انعام میمن کی کراچی میں اہم پریس کانفرنس pic.twitter.com/mda6dg4MMg

— Sindh Information Department (@sindhinfodepart) April 13, 2026

Responding to a question about Bilawal's role, Memon said he effectively represented Pakistan on global platforms. “On the world’s biggest platforms, Bilawal presented Pakistan in a beautiful, logical and genuine way,” he said, adding, “I believe there is no better statesman for Pakistan.”

He stressed that recent international engagements were national efforts rather than political ones. “It was Pakistan’s event, not of any one party; the world was watching Islamabad,” he said, cautioning against negative narratives.

The minister said the country was emerging as a strong and dignified state, adding that it was a matter of pride for citizens that Pakistan was being recognised as a responsible state.