News Detail
Event Title: Meeting of Senate Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Chaired by Senator Quratulain Marri held in Committee Room of Sindh Secretariat, Karachi
Event Date: 2025-12-17
A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Special Initiatives was held at the Sindh Secretariat, Karachi, under the chairpersonship of Senator Quratulain Marri. Committee members present included Senators Jam Saifullah Khan, Atta-ur-Rehman, Dost Ali Jaiser, Zamir Hussain Ghumro and Ashraf Ali Jatoi, while Senator Saadia Abbasi participated in the meeting online.
The committee was briefed on ongoing Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) projects in Sindh for the financial year 2025–26. The agenda included briefings on the K-IV Water Supply Project for Karachi, Sukkur–Hyderabad–Karachi Motorway (M-6), New Karachi–Hyderabad Motorway (M-10), and the Railway Main Line-1 (ML-1) project.
During the meeting, Chairperson Senator Quratulain Marri asked the Secretary Railways about approval of the PC-I of Thar Coal Rail Connectivity (Kanetkot) project without taking the Sindh Government on board, despite the province being a federal partner in the project. She asked why the Sindh Government was bypassed at the PC-I approval stage and whether any accountability had been fixed regarding who prepared the PC-I and why the province was not consulted.
The Chairperson directed that responsibility be fixed for increasing the PC-I cost from Rs. 53 billion to Rs. 90 billion and for preparing the PC-I without involving the Sindh Government.
Senator Jam Saifullah Khan reminded the Secretary Railways that an MoU had been signed between the Federal and Sindh Governments regarding the Thar Coal project and demanded accurate and complete information. He emphasized that the Senate Standing Committee is the highest parliamentary forum and providing incorrect information amounts to disrespect to the committee.
While briefing the committee, the Secretary Railways stated that the ML-1 project has faced delays since 2015 due to various reasons. He informed that financial assistance from the Asian Development Bank is expected, after which the foundation stone of the first section from Karachi to Rohri would be laid next year.
Chairman Planning & Development Board Sindh, Najam Shah, expressed concern over delays in the issuance of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) by Pakistan Railways for the construction of overhead bridges at railway crossings. The committee directed the Secretary Railways to issue all pending NOCs and submit a compliance report within one month.
Senator Saadia Abbasi raised questions regarding the progress of the Karachi Green Line project and the Thar Coal Railway project. CEO PIDCL, Waseem Bajwa, informed the committee that the Green Line BRT Karachi—Construction of Common Corridor is the main project. He stated that an allocation of Rs. 3 billion was made for the current year, which has already been fully utilized in the first two quarters. Due to certain issues, the project faced a two-month delay, which has now been resolved in coordination with the Sindh Government. The project is expected to be completed by October 31 next year.
The Chairperson inquired about the signing timeline of consultants’ agreements. The Chairman PIDCL responded that all documentation would be completed within one month and progress would be shared in the next meeting.
The Chairperson expressed displeasure over the absence of the Secretary Communications, who failed to attend the meeting despite waiting for an hour. She noted that this was not the first instance of non-attendance and announced that the Secretary would now be summoned.
An official from the Communications Department informed the committee that the tender for the Karachi–Hyderabad–Sukkur (M-6) Motorway has been issued. The project comprises five sections, and work on two sections is expected to commence by June 2026.
Provincial Minister Jam Khan Shoro highlighted that after the closure of Pakistan Works Department (PWD), only 6 out of 27 ongoing projects in Sindh were transferred to the provincial government, whereas all such projects were transferred to other provinces.
Chairman P&D Board Sindh informed the committee that no funds had been released by the federal government for the last two quarters. The Chairperson directed the Federal Finance Division to release Sindh’s funds at the earliest.
Senator Jam Saifullah Khan appreciated both the Federal and Sindh Governments, expressing hope that continued cooperation on projects including Nawabshah–Ranipur, Sanghar, and M-6 Motorway would bring significant relief to the public.
Secretary Roads informed the committee that the Tando Allahyar and Rohri road projects would be completed ahead of schedule, as Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah is personally taking interest in them.
Regarding the establishment of an IT Park in Karachi, Senator Saadia Abbasi sought an update. Federal Secretary Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Awais Manzoor Sumra, stated that the project falls under the Ministry of IT and is being funded by Korea. It is currently at the tendering stage and is expected to progress soon.
Additional Secretary Ministry of Water Resources, Mehr Ali Shah, briefed the committee on the K-IV project, stating that work is being carried out with World Bank financing and that K-IV is a comprehensive system involving both federal and provincial governments.
Chairperson Senator Quratulain Marri emphasized that Karachi urgently needs water and stressed that the K-B Feeder Project should have been completed earlier, as it is a prerequisite of the World Bank. She warned that delays would further escalate costs and directed the concerned departments to find an immediate solution.
The Chairperson further directed that the Provincial Secretary Agriculture and the Additional Secretary Water Resources convene a meeting with all consultants, including WAPDA and NESPAK, to resolve outstanding issues. She also instructed the Federal Secretary Planning to inform the committee if the project is not submitted within one week, terming the delay unjustifiable. She added that she would personally review progress during her visit to Islamabad if required.