Muhammad Ikram Rajput, President of the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI), has welcomed the recent statements made by Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif during his visit to Karachi, as well as those of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah regarding the city’s development. He said the announcements related to Karachi’s infrastructure and transport system are encouraging, but stressed that swift, transparent, and sustained implementation is essential for industrial growth.
Rajput said the Prime Minister’s assurance on the modern reconstruction of Karachi Cantt Station and the inclusion of the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) under the CPEC framework is a positive step. He also appreciated the Sindh Chief Minister’s commitment to developing KCR in line with the region’s economic needs.
He emphasized that Karachi is Pakistan’s economic engine, and improvements to its transport and railway networks will directly boost industrial productivity, exports, and overall logistics efficiency. A modern, integrated, and high-speed transport system, he noted, is critical to ensuring uninterrupted movement of industrial raw materials and exportable goods.
President KATI added that if federal and provincial governments are truly committed to strengthening Karachi’s industrial economy, then key corridors, including Shahrah-e-Bhutto, Malir Expressway, KCR, and railway freight routes, must be prioritized to ensure seamless logistics connectivity for industrial zones, particularly the Korangi Industrial Area.
He said Karachi’s industries can significantly contribute to national economic growth if provided with improved infrastructure and rationalized taxation. Rajput pointed out that high industrial land costs, transportation hurdles, and weak logistics networks remain major barriers to investment and must be addressed urgently.
He stressed that announcements alone are not sufficient; timely, practical, and ground-reality-based decisions are needed to provide real relief to the industry. He also urged the Prime Minister to make frequent visits to Karachi to ensure faster completion of development projects and support the city’s industrialization, which would boost exports, create new jobs, and increase tax revenue.
Rajput added that Karachi’s industries are already grappling with high energy prices, financial pressures, and export challenges. In this environment, improvements in transport and infrastructure would help reduce production costs and increase Pakistan’s global competitiveness.
He called on the federal and Sindh governments, as well as relevant authorities, to prioritize Karachi’s industrial needs, reiterating that KATI stands ready to extend all possible support for the city’s economic progress.
