E-vehicle plant in Karachi to revolutionise automobile industry: Sharjeel­

karachi: The Sindh Assembly was informed on Friday that Orangi Town was no longer considered a squatter settlement (Katchi Abadi), though the provincial government had been spending Rs7 billion on the underprivileged locality’s development in Karachi.

This was disclosed by Sindh Chief Minister's Adviser on Human Settlement and Spatial Development Najmi Alam while responding to written and oral queries of concerned legislators during the question hour of the session.

The CM's adviser conceded on the occasion that there had been a rapid expansion in squatter settlements in Karachi. He told the House that the provincial government had fulfilled all lawful formalities before regularising any Katchi Abadi.

He conceded that land reserved in the city for storm water drains and the water supply system had been illegally occupied. Answering a query, he said the Katchi Abadis department had registered the squatter settlements established till 2011.

He said that unauthorised constructions on the Katachi Abadi land were a major problem for the government. He assured the concerned legislators that the Sindh government carried out uplift works in the Katchi Abadi areas.

Answering another question, the CM's aide told the House that drone surveys and map drawing were part of the formalities that were fulfilled before granting the legal status to any Katchi Abadi. He added that there were three Katchi Abadi areas in Clifton, Karachi.

Sharjeel’s speech

Sindh Senior Minister for Information and Transport Sharjeel Inam Memon said that, having returned a befitting reply to India, it was immensely enjoyable travelling on a green passport for the first time in a quarter-century.

Wherever he travelled, people would inquire if he belonged to Pakistan when they saw the green passport, and then they would refer to the Indo-Pak war and appreciate Pakistan, he said.

Addressing the Sindh Assembly's session, the senior minister informed the lawmakers that when he recently reached Dubai, Muslims had been seen giving the "Well Done" gesture. At times, even Indian nationals came forth and the look on their faces was worth beholding as they appeared to hide their faces in a manner that was quite noticeable.

He thanked God for bearing the green passport. "Everyone is telling us that we are the real tigers—the dream of becoming an Asian tiger was perhaps someone else's, but the dream has been achieved in 2025," he said. "People were eulogising us in China, and we were gaining appreciation in Dubai too."

He also praised the Pakistani government and armed forces on the occasion.

He said that he, along with Sindh Planning & Development Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, had gone to China on an official visit on behalf of the Sindh government, and he wished to inform the House about some new developments that took place during the visit.

He said they are working to lead the country, especially Sindh, in transition towards green energy. Pollution in Karachi was reported to be second only to Lahore and to address this issue, the Sindh government had introduced electric buses for the first time in Pakistan, Memon remarked.

He explained that it was the government’s goal to promote the purchase and use of electric vehicles across the board.

The senior minister stated that they had signed several memoranda of understanding (MoUs) in China and plans were under way to establish EV charging stations throughout Karachi.

In the first phase, charging stations for electric vehicles would be set up every fifty kilometres across Sindh. Transitioning to green energy would help save fuel, and energy for EVs would be available at affordable rates, he maintained, adding that the government had also planned to convert existing vehicles to electric-powered modes of transport.

He said that green energy was highly beneficial for all the countrymen and the world's largest company manufacturing electric trucks, buses, cars and motorcycles was coming to Pakistan to set up an electric vehicle plant in Karachi, for which the government had assured full support.

The manufacturing of EVs would take place right there in Karachi, Memon said, adding that these vehicles would be available at just 25 per cent of the cost of the expensive imported ones that the countrymen currently purchased.

If EVs were produced in Pakistan, the country would reap multiple benefits as vehicle prices would decrease, employment opportunities increase, and valuable time would be saved.

Age limit relaxation

Meanwhile, Muttahida

Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) MPA Fauzia Hameed called for age relaxation by the provincial government in job opportunities for Sindh’s youth.

Speaking on her call attention notice, she said that many eligible young individuals were sidelined due to the government-prescribed strict age limits, urging the provincial government to follow the National Assembly’s recent decision to allow age concessions.

The MQM-P's legislator said that this measure would enable the youth to contribute more effectively to the nation’s development. She said that the National Assembly had proposed raising the maximum age limit from 30 to 35 years for certain jobs, allowing the candidates to appear in the recruitment examinations up to five times.

In response, Sindh Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Ziaul Hassan Lanjar acknowledged the proposal, noting that the government had previously granted a 15-year age relaxation for regular jobs, later adjusted to five years by the Supreme Court, forcing adoption of an amendment.

For commissioned officers, the age limit was set at 30 years, but a recent resolution suggested increasing it to 35. “This is a good proposal, and we will consider it seriously,” Lanjar stated.