Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah highlighted new initiatives to attract local and foreign investments during a meeting with Australian High Commissioner Neil Hawkins at CM House on Thursday. Accompanied by Secretary to CM Raheem Shaikh, the two leaders discussed key issues, including investment opportunities, climate change, and cultural preservation.
High Commissioner Hawkins emphasized the importance of protecting the historic Indus Delta. In response, Shah noted Pakistan’s challenges with water scarcity, especially in Sindh. “Sindh, being the lower riparian province, faces water shortages; releasing water to the downstream Kotri sea has been an invincible job,” he remarked, adding that sea intrusion now poses a major threat to the region.
Shah underscored Sindh’s commitment to investment, spotlighting zones like the Dhabeji SEZ, Bin Qasim Industrial Park, and Korangi Creek Industrial Park, where essential infrastructure and utilities are available. Under the Sole Enterprise Special Economic Regulations 2020, single enterprises investing at least USD 50 million can attain SEZ status, with two such zones already operational in Sindh.
He noted the Sindh Enterprise Development Fund (SED), which has mobilized around Rs 7 billion in private investments in agriculture, mining, and mineral processing. This effort has generated an economic impact estimated to be tenfold the initial investment. Shah added that subsidies are offered to further enhance productivity in these sectors. The CM also shared Sindh’s focus on pre-feasibility studies across sectors, including stones and granite, livestock, agriculture, food processing, fisheries, and dairy, which are accessible online for prospective investors.
Sindh has worked with the World Bank to implement the Doing Business Reforms Agenda, improving Pakistan’s Ease of Doing Business Index by 39 positions. Additionally, as part of Karachi’s Competitive and Liveable City (CLICK) project, the province is establishing a streamlined regulatory system to centralize approvals across 16 departments. The Mines & Minerals Department, in collaboration with the Investment Department, is also working to set up an SEZ in Tharparkar.
The Australian High Commissioner shared that he had recently visited Bambhore and found a historical message recorded by Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto in the visitors’ book to be deeply impactful, saying, “I have taken its photo, and it will be part of my personal record.” Shah and Hawkins shared a lighter moment discussing hockey, with Shah mentioning the development of new hockey grounds across Sindh with blue turfs, though he noted that the province has yet to see an emergence of fresh talent from these investments.
