Ground-breaking ceremony of Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) would be held in September 2017, informed by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah addressing a press conference at the CM House where he briefed the media about his latest visit to China.
Earlier the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) approved development projects at an estimated cost of Rs 130 billion, including CPEC schemes ‘Revival of Karachi Circular Railway (KCR)’ and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s Peshawar Sustainable Bus Rapid Transit Corridor Project.
Murad Shah said that on the invitation of the prime minister he attended the ‘One Belt One Road (OBOR) Conference in Beijing and presence of all the four chief ministers with prime minister was lauded by Chinese President. He said heads of states or heads of government of 28 countries attended the conference.
The Chief Minister recalled that he had attended JCCI meeting in Beijing, last December when three projects: KCR, Keti Bandar and Special Economic Zone were included to the agenda of the CPEC projects. Then, Sindh government was asked to complete the feasibility of KCR within three months.
We had completed its feasibility well in time and get it approved from CDWP, he told. He further informed that during his visit to China he held a meeting with the Chinese Transport Minister Lixiao Peng and NDRC officials and briefed them about KCR and the progress made so far.
He said he also met Chinese EXIM bank vice President and urged him to approve loan for KCR projects for which he nominated his general manager as focal person for KCR.
He said Metro Peshawar and Quetta have also been included in the CPEC related projects. Since they had not completed their feasibilities, therefore during the next two months all the feasibilities, including of KCR would be submitted for further approval in the joint working meeting.
Shah said along with Punjab Chief Minister Shabaz Sharif, federal finance minister Ishaq Dar and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, he had held a meeting with Chinese Minister for National Development Reform Committee, whose designation is equivalent to deputy prime minister, and discussed the KCR with him. He quoted the Chinese minister as saying that he would convene a meeting of joint working group to approve the Metro projects of Peshawar and Quetta and also KCR of Karachi. Shah offered them to host Joint working group meeting in Karachi for which, Chinese minister said it would be decided shortly.
Shah said that the development of Special Economic Zone and development of infrastructure of Keti Bandar project have begun. He said that these two projects would bring new vistas of development and prosperity in the province.
