Karachi 30 December, 2010: President Asif Ali Zardari today presided over a series of meetings in Bilawal House Karachi to review progress on various developmental projects in the province and directed that alternate sources of funding be explored for completing the projects that have been stalled or slowed down due to financial crunch

 

The meetings were attended by CM Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah, federal ministers Hafeez Shaikh and Arbab Alamgir, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Water Kamal Majeedullah, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Governor SBP Shahid Kardar, provincial ministers Zulfiqar Mirza, Murad Ali Sha, Sijraj Durrani, Ayaz Soomro and Jam Saifullah Dharejo besides senior federal and provincial officers. MNA Faryal Talpur also attended the meetings.

 

Briefing the media persons about the meeting Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar said that the projects and schemes that were reviewed included rebuilding of the nearly 175,000 flood damaged houses, reconstruction of roads, greater Karachi sewerage, the PSDP schemes that have been stalled, medium dams in Sindh and Balochistan, the Karachi Harbour crossing and the Larkana Development package.

 

He said that the President directed that infrastructure projects particularly in the communications and highways sector be urgently completed. Noting that the N-9 (Karachi-Hyderabad) project had been delayed because of equity problems the President advised that a committee be set up to examine the issue of raising funds from the private sector for the project, he said.

 

Farhatullah Babar said that the President advised that a committee comprising Chairman of NHA, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Nadeemul Haque, Secretary Finance Waqar Masood and Governor State Bank Shahid Kardar be set up to float Expressions of Interest (EOI) for the N-9 (Karachi-Hyderabad) project on build operate and transfer basis within one month. The President further advised that the funds for the projects should be raised only in Pakistan through the stock exchanges.

 

About the rebuilding of 175,000 houses damaged due to floods in Sindh alone, the President advised that assistance from China, Turkey and UAE may also be sought as during his talks with the leaders of these countries they had offered to rebuild the flood damaged houses. The President also called for a report within one week on the steps taken to seek support from these countries for the rebuilding of the damaged of the housing sector. The President directed that a reconstruction body headed by the Chief Minister be set up to oversee the project of rebuilding the damaged houses.

 

The President also advised that the Karachi sewerage project should include the conversion of sewerage into fertilizers as part of its scheme.