KARACHI, September 24: Sindh Senior Minister and Provincial Minister for Information, Transport and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon has said that Pakistan is facing multiple challenges, including terrorism, and stressed the need for national unity and collective efforts to address them.Addressing a press conference at the Directorate of Electronic and Social Media, Memon condemned the use of Afghan territory for terrorism in Pakistan and paid tribute to the armed forces for their role in combating terrorism.Highlighting Pakistan-China relations, he said the friendship between the two countries was “higher than the Himalayas and deeper than the sea.”
He said Sindh and China’s Hunan Province had developed sister-province ties and that cooperation in trade, investment, technology and people-to-people contacts was being further expanded. Recent engagement between Sindh and Hunan has also focused on investment and trade cooperation.Memon said the Sindh government was organising an investment conference in China, which would also be attended by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah. He said agreements and memoranda of understanding worth billions of rupees were expected in different sectors, aimed at attracting international investment to Sindh.He said Pakistan offered significant investment opportunities in energy, industry, infrastructure, transport and other sectors. According to him, the provincial government was seeking to bring international investors to Sindh and showcase the province’s investment potential.Discussing the Thar Coal Project, Memon said its benefits were reaching not only Sindh but the entire country. He said electricity generated through Thar coal was being supplied to different parts of Pakistan through the national grid, while Pakistan continued to import coal despite having substantial reserves in Sindh.Memon said approximately $1 billion had been invested in the Thar Coal Project and described Thar coal as an important national investment.
He said the reserves could contribute to Pakistan’s long-term energy requirements and that future possibilities could also include electricity generation for export.The minister also highlighted the Sindh government’s initiatives in the health sector, claiming that modern medical facilities had been established in several cities and that patients from across Pakistan travelled to Karachi and other parts of Sindh for treatment.He cited institutions and facilities including the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), liver-transplant services and CyberKnife treatment, saying the Sindh government was providing advanced medical treatment to patients, including through free or subsidised public-sector facilities.Memon also referred to infrastructure, transport, education and housing initiatives undertaken by the Sindh government. He said houses had been constructed for around 2.1 million families affected by recent floods and highlighted projects in roads, transport networks and other sectors.Commenting on Karachi’s political history, Memon criticised the MQM’s past politics and alleged that violence and ethnic divisions had adversely affected the city’s business and industrial environment. He said Urdu-speaking, Sindhi-speaking and Pashto-speaking citizens had equal rights in Sindh and Karachi.He stressed that ethnic politics should not be allowed to undermine peace and said efforts should focus on restoring business activity, promoting investment and maintaining peace in Karachi.
Regarding allegations made by Mustafa Kamal against Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Memon said the allegation was serious and called for clarification. He said that if the allegation was correct, the accuser should stand by it, while if it was incorrect, an apology should be offered.On the issue of new provinces, Memon said the Functional League’s position was its own political opinion, while the Pakistan Peoples Party and Sindh government had already made their position clear. He said every political party had the right to express its views in a democratic society.Responding to a question about the arrest of Imran Khan’s sisters, Memon said he personally condemned the arrests and argued that political differences should not be extended to women and family members of political leaders.He said Pakistan was facing numerous challenges and that political and social differences should be addressed through dialogue and collective efforts, stressing that the country needed unity to move forward.
