Sharjeel seeks foreign investment in KCR, bullet train projects

Sindh Senior Minister for Information and Transport Sharjeel Inam Memon has invited prospective international investors to invest in the transport sector in the province.

A delegation comprising foreign investors called on Memon in Karachi on Tuesday. Various transport projects were discussed during the meeting, which was also attended by the Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Public-Private Partnership Qasim Naveed Qamar, Secretary Transport Department Asad Zamin, Managing Director Sindh Mass Transit Authority Kamal Hakim Dayo, and other officials.

During the meeting, the senior minister invited foreign investors to invest in the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR), bullet train, bus manufacturing plant, electric vehicle (EV), and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems. The international investors showed interest in developing the KCR, bullet train service, bus plant and starting an EV (electric vehicle)-based taxi service.

Memon said the Sindh government was also intending to start the EV-based taxi service that would provide fresh employment opportunities to the people of Sindh. He said the government would extend all-out support to investors, which also included the establishment of charging depots for EV buses and taxis.

He also called upon the investors to invest in the bullet train project, elaborating that the Karachi-to-Sukkur bullet train or a high-speed train would be an important project that would greatly benefit the travel of millions of people.

He pointed out that the investors will have much to gain from this project, highlighting that investment in the transport sector serves the interest of the public and the investors as well. The senior minister said projects such as the bullet train and sustainable EV infrastructure were important for modernizing the transport sector. He underlined that the KCR, which is part of the CPEC, is a flagship project, and the government is eager for investors to participate in this project.

Memon also apprised the investors of the benefits of the Dhabeji Special Economic Zone and invited them to set up a bus manufacturing plant at the under-construction Economic Zone. He underlined that the bus manufacturing plant at the Dhabeji Economic Zone, part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), would be one of the upcoming major projects.

He said the Sindh government would provide all facilities regarding the establishment of a bus plant in the zone. He further said that Pakistan, particularly Sindh, had an environment very conducive to businesses in every sector.

During the meeting, the delegation of investors said that Pakistan has a strategic position as a gateway to South Asia and Central Asia. They also discussed technical and financial cooperation on various transport projects.

The investors said the friendship between Pakistan and China had always been historic and exemplary, adding China had invested hugely in Pakistan. They said Pakistan was a big market for investment and had a huge workforce.

Separately, Senior Minister for Information and Transport Sharjeel Inam Memon met Chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at the Bilawal House. Memon briefed the PPP chairman about the working of the provincial government departments included in his portfolio.