PPP to promote industries in country: Bilawal

Karachi: Chairman of Pakistan People’s Party and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Saturday said that his party would spread the industrial revolution starting from Karachi and Thatta to the whole country.

Addressing the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Dhabeji Special Economic Zone (SEZ) project involve an investment of more than $5 billion, to be built under Public Private Partnership, he said that his party’s provincial government had started another milestone project.

He said that the SEZ would create more than 150,000 employment opportunities and help eradicate poverty and unemployment.

The foreign minister said that the Sindh government working under the leadership of Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah for welfare of the people adding ” the masses has also seen the destruction in the name of change”.

Bilawal pointed out that PPP was criticized even then, when President Asif Ali Zardari was making frequent visits to China during his tenure, adding that at that time it was said that the visits of the president put a burden on the country’s exchequer.

Due to visits of then President Asif Ali Zardari, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project came into existence, he contended.

He said that projects like Karachi-Thatta Dual Carriageway, Jhirk Bridge on River Indus and Thar Coal Mining were completed ahead of schedule under PPP-mode, adding that the projects run by the Sindh government were recognized worldwide.
“Sindh government’s PPP mode projects have been ranked 6th among the best projects in Asia,” he pointed out.

Bilawal, while referring to the unique performance of the Sindh government, said that in the public health sector, the existing projects in the form of NICVD, SIUT, GIMS and emergency treatment for children with the collaboration of Child Life Foundation, Poverty Reduction Programme, measures taken during the Covid-19 pandemic and recent floods, people had seen its performance and now they had accepted that the role of PPP was earlier undermined.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Information and Transport Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, Minister for Local Government Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Sindh Cabinet Members Gianchand Essrani, and Sajid Jokhio, Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab, Special Assistant to Chief Minister Sindh for Investment and Public Private Partnership Syed Qasim Naveed Qamar, MPA Ali Hassan Zardari, diplomats, senior government officials, business community representatives and dignitaries were also present.