KARACHI - Sindh Governor Imran Ismail said on Saturday that the development of Sindh, particularly the country’s economic hub, Karachi, was amongst Prime Minister Imran Khan’s priorities.
He was talking to the media here at the inauguration of three bridges built over Sakhi Hassan, Five Star Chowrangi and KDA Chowrangi under the Karachi Package.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) members of the National and provincial assemblies, Mayor Wasim Akhtar, Sindh Infrastructure Development Committee Chairman Samar Ali Khan and CEO Sualeh Ahmed Farooqi were also present on the occasion.
The projects, which were inaugurated today, had been announced in September 2018 on the recommendation of the Karachi Transformation Committee, which is headed by Sindh governor.
These projects have been completed under the Public Sector Development Programme by the Sindh Infrastructure Development Company, which is under the Cabinet Division.
The completed projects are the parts of 16.75 kilometre-long signal-free corridor from Surjani to Lasbela, which consists of six bridges, including 700 meters long bridge built over Sakhi Hassan intersection, 675 meters long bridge over Five Star Chowrangi and 700 meters long bridge built over KDA Chowrangi.
There are separate up and down tracks on all these bridges and each track is a three-way. The construction of these bridges has been completed at the cost of Rs2400 million.
The carpeting of the roads situated in the surroundings of these bridges is also being done from the savings made under these projects.
Besides that, the first phase of Manghopir Road has also been completed at the cost of Rs 950 million, while Rs640 million have been spent on the maintenance and restoration of Nishter Road, which is 6.4 km in length.
All these projects are aimed at providing better facilities to the commuters.
The Governor of Sindh said that completion of these projects were the proof that Prime Minister Imran Khan was taking keen interest in improving the infrastructure of the country’s commercial hub.
He said that these projects were being opened to facilitate the people while additional construction work around these bridges would be completed in six to eight weeks.
The governor said that the prime minister had announced projects of Rs162 billion which would change the face of the city.
To a question about the Green Line project, the governor of Sindh said that the first phase of its construction had been completed which would be opened for the public on the availability of buses.
He said that work on the second phase of the project was underway ahead of the Gurumandar area.
He said that these projects were a strong reply to those people who claimed that Prime Minister Imran Khan had not paid attention to the development of Sindh.
To a question about the absence of the prime minister at the inauguration of these projects, Sindh Governor Imran Ismael said that all preparations were complete but the prime minister had to change his plans due to bad weather.
Speaking on the occasion, Mayor Wasim Akhtar expressed his gratitude to the prime minister and said that completion of these projects would provide facilities to the people of the city.
Appreciating governor’s special interest in the execution of these projects, Wasim said that he (the governor) was striving for timely completion of development projects in Sindh.
