Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that concerns raised by the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) regarding the Yellow Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project would be resolved through consultations with all stakeholders. He also stressed that the Sindh government and the business community must work together to accelerate industrial development across the province.
He made these remarks while addressing a ceremony organized by KATI to present a Gold Medal to Dr. Abdul Bari, Chief Executive Officer of Indus Hospital, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the healthcare sector.
The ceremony was attended by KATI President Muhammad Ikram Rajput, Deputy Patron-in-Chief Zubair Chhaya, Senior Vice President Zahid Hameed, Vice President Muhammad Talha Ali, KITE Limited Chairman Zahid Saeed, KITE CEO Saleem-uz-Zaman, former KATI Chairmen and Presidents Junaid Naqi, Senator Abdul Haseeb Khan, Masood Naqi, Farhan-ur-Rehman, Farukh Mazhar, Johar Qandhari, Ehteshamuddin, Fazal-e-Jalil, Mian Zahid Hussain, Bashir Jan Mohammad, Israr Ahmed, Najamuddin Qureshi, Dr. Zahid Ansari, Sohail Elahi, Sindh Labour Minister Saeed Ghani, Inspector General (IG) Sindh Javed Alam Odho, Additional IG Karachi Azad Khan, Sindh Government Spokesperson Nadir Gabol, CPLC Chief Zubair Habib, Korangi Deputy Commissioner Masood Bhutto, Town Chairman Naeem Sheikh, along with a large number of industrialists and senior government officials.
Murad Ali Shah said that the amount allocated to provinces under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award had declined this year because all four provinces voluntarily contributed a portion of their share to strengthen the federal government. Despite reduced financial resources, he said, every effort had been made to ensure that provincial development projects and grants remained unaffected.
Praising Dr. Abdul Bari’s services, the Chief Minister said that although the grant had been increased every year in the past for Indus Hospital, no further increase would be possible this year due to financial constraints.
Referring to KATI’s reservations over the Yellow Line project, Murad Ali Shah said consultations would be held to address the concerns. He added that valuable lessons had been learned from the Red Line project, and the government would strive to complete the Yellow Line project as quickly as possible without causing unnecessary inconvenience to the public.
The Chief Minister said the Sindh government had allocated Rs9 billion for development works in Karachi’s industrial zones, including Rs2 billion for KATI. He appreciated KITE Limited for effectively utilizing previous grants to undertake world-class infrastructure development in the Korangi Industrial Area.
He described Karachi as Pakistan’s economic hub, saying its importance could never be diminished. He also highlighted the success of the joint task force established with KATI, noting that it had produced positive results and that the time had come for the government and the business community to jointly pursue industrial development.
Earlier, KATI President Muhammad Ikram Rajput said Murad Ali Shah was the first Chief Minister in KATI’s history to visit the association. He thanked the Sindh government for providing a Rs2 billion grant to KITE Limited for the improvement of the Korangi Industrial Area.
Rajput also appreciated the task force established under the leadership of Additional IG Karachi Azad Khan at KATI’s request, acknowledging the support of IG Sindh Javed Alam Odho and the Additional IG for improving law and order.
He pointed out that Korangi Crossing was rapidly developing into an educational hub, but inadequate exit routes frequently caused severe traffic congestion. He urged the Sindh government to construct a link road to improve traffic flow.
Rajput said the law and order situation in Karachi had improved significantly, enabling the business community to perform its activities more effectively. He also lauded Dr. Abdul Bari’s remarkable services, saying Indus Hospital had become a model healthcare institution providing quality treatment, and that KATI was proud to honor him with a Gold Medal.
Deputy Patron-in-Chief Zubair Chhaya said Sindh’s healthcare sector had performed better than those of other provinces, while Indus Hospital had established itself as one of Pakistan’s leading welfare institutions by providing international-standard healthcare free of cost.
He said Dr. Abdul Bari had transformed the institution, formerly known as Islamic Mission Hospital, into a modern and sustainable healthcare network where quality treatment was available equally to rich and poor patients alike.
Chhaya said preparations had been completed for the utilization of the Rs2 billion grant provided by the Sindh government, adding that the Chief Minister would soon be invited again to inaugurate development projects in the Korangi Industrial Area.
Expressing KATI’s concerns about the Yellow Line project, he warned that implementing the project in its current form would seriously disrupt commercial activities in the Korangi Industrial Area and obstruct the transportation of export consignments to Karachi’s ports, causing losses to both industry and the government. He urged the government to redesign the project in consultation with KATI and all other stakeholders.
Receiving the Gold Medal, Dr. Abdul Bari thanked KATI for recognizing his services. He said the charitable institution established in 2005 had grown into a nationwide healthcare network. What began as a 150-bed hospital has expanded into 15 hospitals across Pakistan, while an Indus University is also expected to be launched soon.
Dr. Abdul Bari said the hospital’s annual budget had increased from Rs100 million at its inception to Rs68 billion, enabling it to provide free medical treatment to around 600,000 patients daily. He credited the Sindh government under the leadership of Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, along with the business community, for their continued support in achieving this milestone.
