Karachi to get Pakistan's first Marble City

Land priced at Rs25m per acre; govt considering electricity rates of Rs20 per unit

KARACHI:

The Sindh government is setting up Pakistan's first Marble City in Karachi to attract investment, promote value-added manufacturing and create employment opportunities, Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said on Thursday.

The Karachi Marble City Industrial Park will facilitate the processing of the country's marble and granite reserves into high-quality finished products for domestic consumption and export, reducing reliance on the export of raw materials.

Speaking at the project's pre-launch ceremony, attended by Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Investment Qasim Naveed Qamar and industrialist Arif Habib, Sharjeel said the initiative would provide modern industrial facilities and favourable conditions for investors.

He said the average price of land was being set at approximately Rs25 million per acre, with an instalment facility for investors unable to make full payment upfront. The formal inauguration will be performed by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.

Sharjeel said Pakistan had substantial marble and granite reserves but had yet to fully exploit their economic potential. Local processing would increase the value of these resources, strengthen the industrial base and generate export opportunities.