Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday said the provincial government has once again launched a comprehensive crackdown on extortion and organised crime, expressing confidence that the menace will be eliminated as it was in the past.
Talking to the media persons at the Sindh Assembly, the Chief Minister said he had presided over a detailed meeting a day earlier to review the law-and-order situation, particularly incidents of extortion in the city. He said representatives of the business community, including members of the Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD), expressed satisfaction with the actions taken by law-enforcement agencies so far.
‘The main concern raised was that when one criminal is eliminated, another emerges. This challenge is being addressed through sustained and intelligence-based operations,’ Murad Shah said.
The CM stressed the need to act not only against criminals operating within the country but also against facilitators and handlers based abroad. He said his government had formally written to the federal government in this regard.
‘In response, the federal government has informed us that red warrants have been issued against several individuals involved in facilitating extortion and terrorism from overseas,’ Shah added.
Murad Ali Shah reiterated that extortion had been successfully curbed in the past through coordinated efforts of the police, Rangers and intelligence agencies, and said the government would achieve similar results again.
Shah said strict monitoring, improved coordination between provincial and federal authorities, and legal action against financiers and facilitators of crime would remain central elements of the strategy.
The Chief Minister assured traders, industrialists and citizens that maintaining law and order and ensuring a secure business environment remain among the top priorities of the Sindh government, adding that no one would be allowed to challenge the writ of the state.
CM reviews Karachi industrial zones’ infrastructure
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, presiding over a high-level meeting with representatives of Karachi’s major industrial associations here Friday, approved Rs9.282 billion for the urgent repair and maintenance of roads and allied infrastructure in Karachi’s industrial areas. ‘I want you to start development works from Monday and complete them within six months so that another similar development package can be given to industrial areas,’ he said.
The Chief Minister, along with representatives of KATI, SITE, BQATI, and LATI/LITE, reviewed progress and finalised a roadmap for the development and rehabilitation of basic infrastructure across all industrial zones of the city.
The meeting was briefed on the first-phase proposal, amounting to Rs9.282 billion, for the urgent repair and maintenance of roads and allied infrastructure in Karachi’s industrial areas. The plan has been rationalised after extensive consultations led by the Commissioner Karachi, in line with the chief minister’s directions, to ensure equitable, need-based allocations for each zone.
The Chief Minister then approved the rationalised funds, including Rs2 billion for the SITE Association of Trade and Industry, Rs700 million for SITE Superhighway Phases I and II, Rs721.74 million for the North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry, Rs860.55 million for the FB Area Association of Trade and Industry, Rs2.0 billion for the Landhi Association of Trade and Industry, Rs2 billion for the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (including the Pakistan Tanners Association), and Rs1 billion for the Bin Qasim Association of Trade and Industry.
The Chief Minister said that the scheme will be financed through the Infrastructure Development Cess collected by the Excise and Taxation Department, a substantial portion of which has been accumulated from Karachi’s industrial zones.
Industrialists emphasised that, in line with past practice, execution and disbursement should be carried out through a grant-in-aid rather than an ADP scheme to ensure faster implementation.
Murad Ali Shah reaffirmed the provincial government’s commitment to strengthening Karachi’s industrial base, noting that improved infrastructure is critical for productivity, exports, and employment generation.
He directed that PC-1s be finalised in consultation with the Commissioner Karachi and the PandD Department, and that the case be placed before the Cabinet Finance Committee for approval of funds outside the current budget.
To ensure transparency and effective execution, it was proposed that an oversight committee comprising senior officers from the Finance, PandD, Local Government, KWandSC and SITE Ltd, concerned deputy commissioners and representatives of relevant trade associations be constituted to monitor implementation.
The meeting concluded with consensus that timely rehabilitation of industrial infrastructure will significantly ease logistics, reduce business costs, and restore investor confidence in Karachi.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
