KARACHI: Sindh Senior Minister and Provincial Minister for Information, Transport and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon said on Thursday that the Sindh government was seeking to attract further Chinese investment and strengthen cooperation with Hunan province through an upcoming investment conference in China.
Addressing a press conference at the Directorate of Electronic and Social Media in Karachi, Memon said the Sindh government had been working to promote investment opportunities in the province and would highlight potential projects in energy, infrastructure, transport, industry and technology.
He said the Sindh chief minister would also attend the investment conference, where agreements and memoranda of understanding were expected to be signed in various sectors. Memon said China Electric had already invested in the Thar Coal project and described the planned conference as an opportunity to expand economic and investment cooperation.
Sindh and China’s Hunan province have been described by the provincial government as sister provinces, with recent contacts focusing on economic, trade, investment, technological and people-to-people cooperation.
Memon said Pakistan offered significant opportunities for foreign investors and that the government’s priority was to develop projects capable of attracting international capital and supporting economic growth.
He also highlighted the role of Thar coal in Pakistan’s energy sector, saying electricity generated from the project was being supplied to different parts of the country through the national grid.
According to Memon, Pakistan continues to import coal despite having substantial reserves in Sindh. He said the development of Thar coal was planned with the country’s long-term energy requirements in mind and suggested that the resource could eventually support electricity exports.
Memon said approximately $1 billion had been invested in the Thar Coal project and argued that greater attention to the project could have generated broader economic benefits. He said the benefits of Thar coal were not limited to Sindh and should be viewed as a national resource.
The minister also defended the performance of successive Pakistan Peoples Party governments in Sindh, particularly in the health sector. He said the provincial government had developed healthcare projects in Karachi and several other cities, including Larkana, Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Nawabshah, Jacobabad, Sukkur, Shahdadpur, Umerkot and Thatta.
Memon highlighted facilities associated with the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), liver transplantation and CyberKnife treatment in Karachi. He said patients from different parts of Pakistan travel to Sindh for treatment and urged the media to highlight the province’s specialised healthcare facilities.
He also referred to housing projects launched after recent floods and said the Sindh government had constructed houses for approximately 2.1 million families. He cited infrastructure, roads, education and transport projects among other areas of provincial development.
Turning to Karachi’s political history, Memon criticised what he described as the politics of violence and ethnic division associated with the city’s past. He said Urdu-speaking, Sindhi-speaking and Pashto-speaking residents had equal rights in Sindh and Karachi.
He called for political differences to be addressed through dialogue and said efforts should focus on maintaining peace, reviving industry, supporting business activity and developing Karachi.
Commenting on an allegation made by Mustafa Kamal against MQM-Pakistan leader Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Memon said the allegation should either be substantiated or followed by an apology if it was incorrect. He described the accusation as serious and called for clarification.
Memon also said the Pakistan Peoples Party and Sindh government had already stated their position on proposals concerning the creation of additional provinces. He added that political parties in a democratic system had the right to express their views.
On the recent detention of former prime minister Imran Khan’s sisters, Memon said he personally opposed their arrests and argued that political disputes should not extend to women and family members.
Three of Imran Khan’s sisters — Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi — have been detained under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance amid preparations for a PTI protest planned for September 27. The detentions have been challenged before the Lahore High Court.
Memon said political differences should be handled through political and legal processes rather than involving family members. He referred to previous arrests of political leaders and relatives, including PPP leader Faryal Talpur and PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz, and called for an end to what he described as a recurring political practice.
On security, Memon condemned the alleged use of Afghan territory for terrorism in Pakistan and expressed support for the country’s armed forces in their counterterrorism efforts.
He also praised Pakistan-China relations, describing the friendship between the two countries as longstanding and strategically important. He said President Asif Ali Zardari’s visits to China reflected the importance Islamabad attaches to bilateral ties.
Memon said the Sindh government would continue efforts to strengthen economic cooperation with China while promoting Sindh as a destination for international investment.
