CM Murad voices concern over delays in Karachi Circular Railway revival

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has expressed disappointment over the prolonged delays in reviving the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR). The project, originally slated to become operational long ago, has been delayed due to various factors, including the government's approach in Punjab. Shah stated that the KCR should have been operational much earlier, and the project was sidelined during the previous federal government, which resulted in its current state.

He also expressed dissatisfaction with the level of support provided by the federal government, claiming that Sindh had not received the necessary assistance for the revival of the project. The KCR was included in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in December 2016, but the PTI government opted for a build-operate-transfer model with heavy subsidies for the private partner, later abandoning the plan in favor of a CPEC-based investment.

Despite these challenges, Shah remains committed to developing initiatives that benefit both Sindh and Pakistan, citing the Thar coal project as an example of a project contributing to national energy security. He also noted that the province had sufficient wheat stocks to maintain supplies and stabilize flour prices, dismissing rumors of a shortage.

Shah left for China on a five-day official visit, hoping that the visit would open new avenues for investment and cooperation in Sindh, including approval of 15 provincial government projects and pursuit of memorandums of understanding in areas like infrastructure, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence.