Sindh’s Provincial Minister for Planning & Development and Irrigation, Jam Khan Shoro, addressing a press conference after a briefing session with officers of the Planning & Development Department, said that the leadership has entrusted him with the responsibility of the P&D Department, and his top priority is the timely completion of ongoing development projects in the province, particularly in the Karachi division.
He stated that more than 3,600 schemes are currently underway in the province, and the government is making every possible effort to bring these projects to completion. Accompanied by Chairman Planning & Development Najam Shah, Jam Khan Shoro told journalists at the Sindh Secretariat that Rs 400 billion are being spent on water projects in Karachi. Special measures are being taken to ensure timely completion of ongoing projects so that relief may be provided to the people. He added that the K-IV project is also included among these, and several major projects are about to commence in Karachi.
He said that PIDCL (Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation Limited) was created for another purpose and cannot interfere in provincial autonomy. “We object to this. The NEC (National Economic Council) had decided that projects of provincial nature would remain the responsibility of provincial governments.”
Jam Khan Shoro clarified that if the federal government wishes to build roads or streets, the Sindh government will welcome it, but the same principle should apply that is binding on other institutions. For example, Sui Gas seeks permission from local councils before undertaking any work. “The federal government should clarify what kind of development this is.
The federal government released Rs 20 to 25 billion for development projects in Karachi and Hyderabad, and those funds were spent without anyone knowing how-they just disappeared. The Sindh government strongly objects to this. We will not allow things to proceed in this manner. Furthermore, the funds given to MNAs during Imran Khan’s government still have no accountability-no one knows where they were spent.”
In response to another question, Jam Khan Shoro said: “We were working on Tariq Road, but for a whole year, institutions were repeatedly reminded to realign their utility lines. Similarly, due to the poor condition of University Road, its immediate reconstruction was carried out, and now a major transport project is being launched on the same road.”
He added that the K-IV water supply project, which was to be completed at a cost of Rs 27 billion, was badly disrupted due to political interference, and now its cost has escalated to Rs 200 billion. Jam Khan Shoro said that Karachi faces severe transport challenges, and without a mass transit system, these issues cannot be resolved. The provincial government is currently working on a major mass transit project, while provisions have also been made for the Karachi Circular Railway so that it can be expanded in the future.