The Sindh government has opened the Taj Haider Bridge adjacent to Qayyumabad Chowrangi to the public. Senior Sindh Minister for Information, Transport and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon said the government is committed to providing Karachi with the facilities of a developed city. The Taj Haider Bridge is open to the public. Its opening will ease travel for people in industrial areas such as Korangi and nearby neighborhoods. For the first ten days the bridge will operate as one-way; two-way traffic will begin afterward. The old Jam Sadiq Bridge will be demolished and replaced with a new bridge built to modern standards.
Speaking to the media during his visit to the Taj Haider Bridge, named after the late Senator Taj Haider, Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said the Yellow Line BRT project is progressing rapidly under the Sindh government in collaboration with the World Bank. When Yellow Line BRT buses begin service, citizens will have better travel options and relief from congestion. The Sindh government is working to complete the BRT lines as soon as possible. It has also decided to start the People’s Bus Service in Shikarpur, Khairpur and Naushahro Feroze. A new EV bus route from Gulshan-e-Maymar to Tower in Karachi will be launched, providing daily travel for fifty thousand people. The final phase of Shahrah-e-Bhutto will be completed by December, and when it connects with the M-9 Motorway it will significantly reduce traffic pressure in Karachi.
Work on construction and road repairs in Karachi continues, including restoring roads damaged by the rains. The Sindh government said it is fulfilling its promises and working continuously to provide maximum facilities to citizens. Sharjeel Inam Memon said more buses are being added to Karachi’s transport fleet. Free pink scooties are being provided to women, and training is being offered to operate them. He said Karachi is the Sindh government’s top priority because people from across the country come to the city for work and medical treatment. On the instructions of PPP leadership and the Chief Minister of Sindh, all departments are active and ongoing projects are being expanded. Our top priority is to solve the problems of Karachi’s citizens.
Sharjeel Inam Memon reiterated that the Sindh government is providing free pink scooties to employed women and students, along with free training and service lines. No other province is offering such a facility to the public, he said. He added that the traffic police have started the e-challan system. The message to citizens is to adopt a positive attitude, obey traffic rules and demonstrate discipline so everyone can benefit from the city’s development initiatives. Sharjeel Inam Memon said the government plans to add five hundred more buses as it works to provide the best possible travel facilities to citizens. Responding to a question, he said the government would welcome a situation with no traffic challans issued; people should follow the rules. But if someone breaks the law, a challan will be issued. He criticized those who denigrate the government without mandate.
In response to another question, the senior minister said all citizens deserve respect. If someone violates the law, they will be issued a challan. Many accidents occur due to traffic violations, costing precious human lives; often the victim is the sole breadwinner. Our goal is to protect human life. He also said the job portal launched by iWork for Sindh and the Sindh government yesterday is being linked. Along with government jobs, private-sector job announcements will be posted on iWork for Sindh, while only government positions can be applied for through the Sindh government job portal. On foreign policy, he said Afghanistan is a brotherly country and Pakistan has always sought to support it. But if Afghanistan is used as a proxy for India to commit or facilitate terrorism against Pakistan, Pakistan’s forces will not tolerate it. India seeks to use groups in Afghanistan as proxies to carry out terrorism in Pakistan. Pakistan wants friendly and peaceful relations with all neighbors. If any country undermines Pakistan, it will receive a fitting response.