Sindh Cabinet Approves Rs33.7bn Overhaul of Firefighting System, Rs7bn compensation for traders affected by the Gul Plaza fire

Syed Tabish

Karachi: The Sindh cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, on Tuesday approved a Rs33.7 billion package to modernise the province’s firefighting and emergency response system, alongside sweeping labour protections for women agricultural workers and a series of financial and regulatory reforms.

The meeting, held at the CM House, was attended by provincial ministers, advisers, special assistants, the chief secretary, the chairman of Planning & Development and other senior officials.

Rs33.7bn Emergency Response Upgrade

The cabinet approved a comprehensive plan to overhaul the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and Sindh’s SERS 1122 rescue services.

Under a government-to-government arrangement, the province will engage the Chinese Consulate to procure specialised firefighting vehicles and equipment. The procurement plan includes:

• 100 fire trucks
• 35 water bowsers
• Specialised snorkels
• 50 all-terrain fire vehicles
• 8 firefighting drones
• 12 multi-purpose drones
• A province-wide Early Warning Public Alert System

The total project cost of Rs33.7bn will be spread across three fiscal years, covering equipment, infrastructure and human resource development.

A high-level oversight committee comprising the home and local government ministers has been constituted to reorganise rescue services for faster and coordinated emergency response.

Equal Rights for Women Agricultural Workers

In a landmark move, the cabinet reviewed the Sindh Women Agricultural Workers Rules, 2026, framed under the Sindh Women Agricultural Workers Act, 2019.

The proposed rules guarantee:

• Equal wages
• Regulated working hours
• Maternity benefits
• Access to healthcare and child nutrition
• Protection from workplace harassment
• Written contracts
• Right to association

Prepared with technical support from the International Labour Organization, the draft rules also introduce the Benazir Women Agricultural Worker Card and the Benazir Women Support Programme. Violations will be tried in labour courts with penalties including fines and imprisonment.

A cabinet committee comprising the agriculture and labour ministers will review the draft before final approval.

Digital Industrial Reforms Under S-BOSS

The cabinet approved amendments to modernise industrial regulations under the Sindh Business One Stop Shop (S-BOSS) initiative, backed by the World Bank.

Key reforms include:

• Mandatory online submission of factory commencement notices under the Sindh Factories Act 2015
• Implementation of a unified e-licensing portal serving 16 departments
• Automatic 10-day provisional certificates for shops upon online registration
• Seven-day deadline for factory registration approvals
• Appeal mechanisms with defined timelines

An amendment to Section 57 of the Factories Act caps adult working hours at nine per day, subject to weekly limits.

The amendments were approved and referred to the provincial assembly.

Major Financial Approvals

The cabinet confirmed financial decisions amounting to Rs23.76bn, including:

• Rs8.53bn for Karachi road rehabilitation under KMC
• Rs7bn compensation for traders affected by the Gul Plaza fire
• Rs1.57bn purchase of the heritage Habib Insurance/Exchange Building on I.I. Chundrigar Road
• Rs5.2bn restoration works for Hyderabad Municipal Corporation
• Rs560m for Sindh Police operations in Katcha areas
• Rs900m for the People’s Information Technology Programme (PITP-II)

Ramadan Price Control Measures

At the outset of the meeting, the chief minister directed strict price monitoring during Ramadan.

Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah reported that 870 shops were inspected on Feb 23, with fines totalling Rs2.4m imposed. Commodities were auctioned at official rates at 119 locations.

New Power Regulator Appointments

The cabinet approved appointments to the newly formed Sindh Electric Power Regulatory Authority (SEPRA), established under the Sindh Regulation of Electric Power Services Act, 2023.

• Rafique Ahmed Shaikh appointed Chairman
• Nand Lal P. Sharma appointed Member (Technical & Development)
• Irtafa-ur-Rehman appointed Member (Legal & Corporate)
• Muhammad Hanif Idrees appointed Member (Finance & Policy)

The cabinet also approved the appointment of Ghulamullah Shaikh as Member (Law) of NEPRA.

Autism Services MoU with Balochistan

The cabinet endorsed an MoU between Sindh and Balochistan to establish autism rehabilitation services in Quetta through the Sindh Centre for Autism Rehabilitation and Training (C-ARTS) model.

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Karachi–Almaty Sister City Agreement

A twinning agreement was approved to establish sister-city relations between Karachi and Almaty, Kazakhstan. Cooperation will focus on trade, investment, artificial intelligence, IT, urban planning, tourism and youth exchanges.

Local Government and Land Decisions

The cabinet removed UC-16 Chairman Shafqatullah Bhutto after an inquiry found him guilty of misconduct. The matter has been referred to the Election Commission of Pakistan for re-election, with interim charge assigned to the vice chairman.

Separately, land-use status of a North Nazimabad plot owned by Layton Rahmatulla Benevolent Trust (LRBT) was converted from commercial to amenity to establish a charitable eye hospital.

The chief minister reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthening public safety, labour rights, infrastructure development and governance reforms across Sindh.