KARACHI - Sindh Minister for Transport & Mass Transit, Labour Human Resources & Information Syed Nasir Hussain Shah accompanied by his team as well as Secretary Labour & Human Resources, Abdul Rashid Solangi, visited the Secretariat of the Association.

Office-bearers as well as members of the SITE Association of Industry were present at Association’s Secretariat and paid a warm welcome to the Provincial Minister, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah.

The meeting between the Syed Nasir Hussain Shah and office bearers as well as senior members of the SITE Association of Industry started with a welcome speech by the Association’s President Asad Nisar.

In his opening remarks, he stated that the industries located in SITE area are facing labour-related issues. Drawing attention to various matters, he said that SITE Association always remained in the Governing Body of SESSI but presently SITE Association is not included in the SESSI’s Governing Body. On behalf of the Association, he requested for inclusion of SITE Association in the Governing Body of SESSI. He further urged to include SITE Association in the Board of EOBI.

He said that Labour Department should form a Joint Committee including SITE Association of Industry for resolving the issues affecting the industries most amicably.

The SITE Association president said that federal government may be requested for revival of the Karachi Circular Railway in order to resolve the grave issue of transport shortage faced by the labourers. He further asked for the inspection of the factories by the officials of the Labour Department as well as SESSI on annual basis.

During the meeting, Zubair Motiwala, former Chairman, SITE Association of Industry also demanded of the government to extend all kind of support to the owners of Ali Enterprises whose Garment Factory was burnt in Baldia Town Karachi in a terrible fire so that they can restart their damaged business.  It was the worst industrial accident in Pakistan’s history.

Addressing the audience and representatives of the industries, Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said that his government and party’s foremost agenda is to bring working class and industrialists together.  He assured that all reservations of industrialists regarding labour laws will be addressed.  The amendments made in labour laws will be reviewed in consultation with the industrialists. 

Summing up his address, the minister said that the Sindh government would try its best to facilitate the business community.  Nasir Shah also assured the industrialists present in the meeting that the development projects of SITE area would be included in the budget allocation. 

Nasir Shah, Provincial Minister also informed the participants of the meeting that 600 Modern Buses would be plied for commuters of Karachi to provide better transport facility to them.  In his concluding remarks, the Provincial Minister assured the industrial community that Sindh Government would give the maximum facilities to the Industry.

Later talking to the media men, Provincial Minister criticized Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and said that it has maltreated Karachi by not holding any of the three Twenty20 matches against World XI in port city. He said that Karachi which is considered as mini-Pakistan should not have been neglected in Pakistan Vs World XI series.

To a query about National Accountability Bureau’s actions, provincial minister said that so far no permission has been sought from parliament for NAB proceeding in province. He said that Karachi Circular Railways (KCR) has been made a part of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and the project would be inaugurated on December 25.