KARACHI: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Saturday expressed serious concern over the environment hazards in Karachi and directed authorities concerned to address the issues at the earliest.
Chairing a meeting at the Governor’s House on Saturday, the premier was briefed on the ongoing development projects being funded by the government.
The meeting was also apprised to the infrastructure projects required in Karachi, especially freight movement from the ports to up country, to support local, national and transnational trade and facilitate business activities as well as easing passengers’ movement.
The prime minister was told that work on Layari Expressway was 97 percent complete, and its north bound section would be operational by the end of this year.
Regarding K-4, the meeting was informed that the first phase of the project would be operative by next year.
Prime Minister Abbasi said that all stakeholders needed to collaborate to simultaneously execute remaining phases of the projects of public importance. “On its part, the government had provided funding for the project; remaining bottlenecks should be removed through coordination,” he observed.
The meeting was also informed about the progress on Green Line project. It was shared that the project would become functional by the end of the current fiscal year.
Referring to the transport infrastructure projects for Karachi, the prime minister directed stakeholders concerned to resolve issues for proceeding ahead to arrive at a well coordinated plan of action. He also called for evolving a proper development and strategy plan by local, federal and provincial governments to move ahead.
The meeting was attended by Sindh Governor Mohammad Zubair, Minister for Ports and Shipping Mir Hasil Bizenjo, Minister of State for Ports Ch Jafar Iqbal, Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar, Sindh chief secretary, Karachi Port Trust chairman, Port Qasim Authority chairman and other senior government officials.
Published in Daily Times, October 15th 2017.
