KARACHI – Senior Sindh Minister for Information, Transport, and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon pledged to arrange a meeting between SITE industrial area representatives and the Chief Minister of Sindh to resolve pressing industrial concerns.
Speaking at SITE Association of Industry, Memon announced plans to extend Karachi’s Orange and Green Line bus services to connect the SITE zone, aiming to facilitate smoother commuting for workers. He was accompanied SITE Limited Managing Director Syed Ahmed Fawad and SSP District Keamari Capt. (R) Faizan Ali, and he highlighted the Sindh government’s commitment to supporting the business community, calling it a vital asset.
Memon noted that the PPP’s governance in Sindh has received praise at the federal level, and that both PPP Chairman and Sindh’s Chief Minister prioritize industrial sector issues.
He acknowledged the scale of Karachi’s development projects while also recognizing the city’s challenges, including the impact of recent floods that destroyed millions of homes in Sindh. He shared that around 850,000 homes have been rebuilt, marking an unprecedented recovery effort.
Among key infrastructure updates, Memon announced the imminent opening of the second phase of the Malir Expressway (Shahrah-e-Bhutto) to Quaidabad, along with ongoing progress on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. He also addressed vehicle regulations, requiring all vehicles registered in Lasbela to be re-registered in Karachi, with fitness inspections outsourced to newly established centers, resulting in the removal of unfit heavy vehicles from the roads.
Addressing Karachi’s notorious traffic problems, Memon emphasized the need for a Northern Bypass, calling it the only long-term solution. He also confirmed nighttime heavy vehicle access on the Lyari Expressway and vowed additional measures to reroute heavy traffic away from congested city streets. He criticized K-Electric’s power outages as “collective punishment” for Karachi residents and unconstitutional.
The minister invited investors to the Dhabeji Industrial Zone and discussed key issues such as gas supply to industries, strategies to manage city sit-ins, traffic rule enforcement, and visa facilitation for businesspeople.
SITE Association President Ahmed Azeem Alvi welcomed the minister and called for railway connectivity to SITE, while Patron-in-Chief Zubair Motiwala praised electric buses and highlighted road safety concerns amid Karachi’s large motorcycle population. He stressed Karachi’s contribution of 90% of Sindh Revenue Board collections and advocated for better management of Property Tax revenues to improve SITE infrastructure.
Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry President Jawed Bilwani stressed the importance of issuing vehicle fitness certificates locally and reviving the Karachi Circular Railway. He also highlighted the absence of ring roads in Karachi as a sign of neglect and expressed confidence that key infrastructure projects like KCR and bypasses will alleviate traffic woes.
