Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Monday said that he was working hard to make Karachi free from crime, encroachment, and all kinds of mafias so that people could lead peaceful and prosperous lives.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the Younisabad Bridge at Hawksbay Y-Junction, he promised that people would feel a pleasant change soon after the completion of various development projects.
The chief minister said that the Hawksbay Bridge was originally built in 1982 but its condition deteriorated over time, and therefore, the bridge and its connecting roads have been reconstructed at a cost of Rs 219 million.
“We have not only constructed the two-lane 378-metre bridge but also constructed 2.14-kilometre approach roads from both the sides: Y-junction and the island of Manora,” he said.
The road from Gul Bai (Kul Bhai) to Younisabad Bridge would also be repaired soon, the chief minister promised.
The chief minister further said that he has directed Sindh Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon to get the development of Baba Bhit jetty completed at the earliest.
He directed the Karachi Mayor to start the reconstruction of the Shams Pir Jetty, which was constructed in 1992.
Murad Ali Shah also spoke about the 10 billion rupee Karachi package. He said that the package initially had 21 schemes but later two of the schemes were found unfeasible. Therefore, now 19 schemes are in hand.
The CM said the pace of work is not as fast as he thought it would be, but he is monitoring the pace and quality of the work. He deplored that some people have started criticising him over works that have not been completed yet. “I assure you that by the end of June, the city will have a pleasant look,” he claimed. “There have been some traffic jams issues since most of the roads and their adjoining areas are dug up for development work, but these will soon be completed.”
“All the schemes under the Karachi Package will be completed well in time, and another Rs 10 billion will be allocated in the next budget to make the city beautiful,” he added. “We have restored law and order with the support of people of Karachi and have now launched a targeted operation against street crime and drug mafia,” the chief minister said.
Earlier, the chief minister along with Local Government Minister Jam Khan Shoro and Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar inaugurated the Younisabad Bridge by unveiling the plaque.
The ceremony was also attended by Karachi Commander Rear Admiral Farukh Ahmed, Metropolitan Commissioner Badar Jameel Mendhro, Project Planning Director Niaz Soomro, and representatives of local bodies.
