KARACHI Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has said that Karachi-Thatta dual carriageway would be another landmark for the people of Sindh province to boost economic development and tourism activities in Sindh. He said this while addressing the event of groundbreaking ceremony of Karachi-Thatta dual carriageway at Ghaghar Phatak at Thatta Road on Sunday evening. The Sindh chief minister was accompanied by Senior Finance Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) Director General Major General Muhammed Afzal, and Finance Secretary Sohail Rajput. The Sindh chief minister also appreciated the efforts of Frontier Works Organisation and commitment to the project to complete within stipulated period of time and lauded the role in the development particularly Makran Coastal Highway and Gawadar Road communication projects. He also emphasised on Frontier Works Organisation to complete Karachi-Thatta dual carriageway within a time period of one-year target. He said the services of concerned department to the road communication and development under private public partnership is important for this area. CM Qaim Ali Shah said that after completion, a new development would soon be initiated regarding Thar coal electricity Karachi-Thatta dual carriage way. The road communication would open a new era of progress and development for the Sindh province, he added. The chief minister said that the roads communication between Karachi to Hyderabad and Lahore to Islamabad and Peshawar are important for development of the country and Sindh government is further planning similar projects under private public partnership. The chief minister said Gorakh Hill would also be advantageous for the provincial people, where the tourists and trade activities will be increased like other parts of the country adding that Thar is richest in terms of resources and other cultural aspects. On the occasion, Sindh Finance Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah informed that under the public private partnership, Rs 9.9 billion out of Rs 8.8 billion loan would be taken through Islamic banking with seven percent share along with the share of Sindh government with 14 percent and FWO’s share with 16 percent. He said that first time under public private partnership, Sindh government is not offering development projects’ contracts to the private organisations adding that Sindh government constructing other vital projects of Jhirk Malakatiar Bridge on River Indus and Sajawal at Thatta. The minister said that it was not by the federal government support but Sindh government have achieved these landmarks for the development and tourism scope in Thatta, Tharparkar, Mithi and other parts of province. FWO Director General Major General Mohammed Afzal also briefed the Sindh chief minister about their achievements and said that Shahrah-e-Karakoram, Makran Coastal Highway and Gawadar are our vital projects for the development of country. He said the roads are playing a pivotal role in communication and Karachi-Thatta dual carriageway would be a historical linkage to Karachi and other parts of country, which would play a vital role in country’s economy and tourism. The FWO DG further said that Karachi-Thatta dual carriageway would be beneficial for Thar coal project of Sindh and more development in Thar is underway. The organisation would not only complete the said project in two years but determined to complete within one and half year, he added. He said the Karachi-Thatta dual carriageway would promote the safety of passenger, trade and business activities, while challenges regarding the project and financial achievements have been made with Sindh government to the achievement of objectives like M-9 Road communication would also be completed under the international standards parameters within the stipulated period of time. Later, the Sindh chief minister inaugurated the ground breaking ceremony of Karachi-Thatta dual carriageway and offered prayers for the development and solidity of country.