500 electric buses approved for city: Sharjeel

Says new routes to be added to facilitate people

KARACHI:

Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said on Monday that the Sindh government has approved 500 new electric vehicle (EV) buses for Karachi, which will operate on various routes across the city. The provincial minister was responding to various call-attention notices during the Sindh Assembly session.

MQM lawmaker Naseer Ahmed had pointed out that the Manghopir area lacks public transport facilities. He demanded that the People's Bus Service be extended to the area. Responding to the notice, Sharjeel acknowledged the issue and said the Transport Department was already working on it. He further stated that the new buses would run on multiple routes and that three additional bus routes would soon be launched. He added that the government was expanding the bus network across Sindh, with new routes already introduced in cities including Tando Allahyar, Khairpur, and Rohri, while a new route had also been launched from Gulshan-e-Maymar.

During the session, MQM member Muaz Mehboob raised concerns over the widespread sale of gutka and mawa, alleging that the trade was operating under police patronage.

Home minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar said that police are continuously conducting operations against drug dealers. He noted that the existing law regarding gutka and mawa was bailable, making enforcement difficult.

The minister said gutka consumption was particularly high in Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, and Shaheed Benazirabad, contributing to a rise in oral cancer cases. He urged lawmakers not to support or protect those involved in the trade.