A significant step towards solving Karachi’s chronic water problems was taken today with the signing of an agreement for a seawater desalination project aimed at improving the metropolis’s water supply, this was among three Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signed during a ceremony in Changsha, China, in the presence of President Asif Ali Zardari. These agreements collectively reflect a focused effort to foster practical cooperation in key sectors.
The first of these significant agreements establishes cooperation on a seawater desalination project in Karachi, a crucial initiative to bolster the urban center’s water resources. This agreement was formally concluded between the Local Government Department of the Government of Sindh and Lushun Environmental Technology Group. Sindh’s Senior Minister, Sharjeel Inam Memon, and Mr. Yu Hui, Party Branch Secretary and Chairman of Lushun Environmental Technology Group, affixed their signatures to the document.
To further strengthen bilateral ties, the Local Government Department of the Government of Sindh also concluded a separate MoU with Longping High-Tech Information Company for cooperation in agricultural technology. Mr. Memon signed on behalf of the provincial administration, while Mr. Chen Shi Zhen, Chairman of the company, represented the Chinese firm.
The third agreement, focused on the tea industry, was between Maski and Famtea Trading Company, Hunan Tea Group, and Jialong International Technology (Hainan). This comprehensive agreement seeks to foster cooperation across all aspects of the tea sector, support its promotion in both countries, and strengthen economic, trade, and people-to-people relations. Senator Saleem Mandviwalla signed on the Pakistani side, while Mr. Zhou Chong Wang, Party Secretary and Chairman of Hunan Tea Group, and Mr. Hao Jialong, Chairman of Hainan Jialong International Trade Technology, represented their respective Chinese entities.
Attendees at the signing ceremony included Syed Qasim Naveed Qamar, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister Sindh for Investment and Public Private Partnership Projects; Ali Hassan Brohi, Chief Secretary Sindh; and Khalil Hashmi, Pakistan’s Ambassador to China.