Tag: Chief Minister House

Chairman PPP inaugurates Zia Mohiuddin Flyover at Johar Chowrangi

Karachi, March 23, 2023 (PPI-OT): Chairman PPP and Foreign Minister of Pakistan Bilawal Bhutto Zardari inaugurated Zia Mohiuddin Flyover constructed by the Local Government dept at Johar Chowrangi to resolve the traffic jam issue of the people of the area.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Minister Local Govt Nasir Shah, minister Information Sharjeel Memon, Minister Social Welfare Shahla Raza, and others. Minister Local Govt Syed Nasir Shah briefing the chairman PPP said that the Flyover and Underpass at Johar Chowrangi intersection project has been launched for Rs2.14 billion. He added that the work on the flyover has been completed while the work on the underpass was in progress.

The work on the flyover was started in October 2022 and it stands completed while the construction of the underpass was launched in March 2023. The length of the flyover is 461 meters while its width is 18.2 meters. The length of the bridge is 226 meters. It has been installed double arm poles with LED lights. The chairman urged the local government minister to speed up work on the underpass so that it could be completed at the earliest. The Chairman and the chief minister congratulated the people of Gulistan-e-Jauhar on the inauguration of the flyover.

For more information, contact:
Press Secretary,
Chief Minister House, Sindh
Tel: +92-21-99202019(Ext: 336)
Website: www.cmsindh.gov.pk

Pakistan Day: Murad Ali Shah reiterates his commitment to making Pakistan safe, secure for future generations

Karachi, March 23, 2023 (PPI-OT): Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that once again the terrorists have started attacking our security offices, law enforcement agencies, and mosques and killing innocent people which is a testament that they are enemies of Pakistan and its people, but the nation is committed to defeating them.

This he said while talking to the media along with Governor Sindh Kamran Khan Tessori at Mazar-e-Quaid that he visited to pay tribute to the father of the nation, Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah on the eve of Pakistan Day.

Mr. Shah said that the enemies of Pakistan have once again unleashed a wave of terrorism in which they have attacked a mosque in Peshawar killed people offering Jumma prayer, attacked KPO, attacked and killed Pak Army Brigadier Mustafa Kamal Burki at Angoor Ada, and killed three security personnel at Dera Ismail Khan. “This is a wave of terrorism, and we will crush the terrorists once again,” he vowed.

To a question, the CM said that the killing of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat’s Maulana Salim Khatri, Maulana Abdul Qayyum, educationist Khalid Raza, and other incidents were also part of terrorism. He added that the police and other law enforcement agencies under the guideline of his government were working day and night to eliminate terrorists and their facilitators.

Syed Murad Ali Shah, replying to another question, said that his cabinet has approved a Rs15.6 billion Ramazan package for 7,810,482 low-income families under which Rs2,000 cash will be transferred to each family through BISP as subsidy to buy 30kg atta at Rs65/kg.

“The leftover low-income people can verify their eligibility by entering their National Identity Card numbers on BISP number `8171’ or they can visit the nearest BISP center to register themselves. The CM disclosed that an ordinance was being promulgated to control hoarding and profiteering.

“Under the ordinance, the powers to control the prices, artificial price hike, and hoarding have been given to food department officers apart from the officers of Revenue dept.

Talking about Pakistan Day, Murad Ali Shah said that the Sindh Assembly has the honour to have passed a resolution in support of Pakistan in March 1943. Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah through his political wisdom and struggle created this country.

“Now, it becomes our utmost responsibility to make this country strong enough so that our future generation can live a secure, safe, and sound life,” he said and added on this day we must remember Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto who laid their lives for the sake of this country. The CM condemned Indian atrocities in occupied Kashmir and paid tribute to the people of Kashmir for their struggle against Indian occupation.

Mr. Shah congratulated Muslims living all over the world, particularly in Pakistan, and Sindh for the start of the Holy month of Ramzan. “This month teaches us to sacrifice, help the needy, and financially support the poor,” he said and added we must follow the teachings of Roza. Earlier, the chief minister laid a floral wreath on the Mazar of the father of the nation, offered fateha, and recorded his impression in the visitors’ book opened on Pakistan Day.

For more information, contact:
Press Secretary,
Chief Minister House, Sindh
Tel: +92-21-99202019(Ext: 336)
Website: www.cmsindh.gov.pk

CM attends the launching of Google career certification scholarship program for govt school children, transgenders

Karachi, March 23, 2023 (PPI-OT): Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah witnessed the signing ceremony between Sindh Information, Science and Technology (IST) and Techvalley Pakistan for Google Career Certification Scholarship program 2023. Speaking on the occasion, the CM said that the MOU between the provincial IT dept and Techvalley for advancing Google scholarships to the students studying in government schools, youth, and transgenders for receiving IT-based training or doing IT-based courses to enable them to earn a respectable livelihood.

Techvalley Pakistan in collaboration with Google has conducted early coding programs in selected schools of the education department, in district South wherein the children have been imparted IT skills, particularly early coding program, and the training process was coordinated by IS and T Department Govt. of Sindh.

Google would like to scale up this activity across Sindh. As a future course of action, Techvalley Pakistan will commence with other programs such as CS (computer science) First, Digital Google Garage, Be Internet Awesome, Google Cloud Solutions, and Project Management certifications for individuals, youth, and the working staff of Sindh province.

Earlier, IS and T department of the Sindh govt had signed MoU with Techvalley, and Google Pakistan for offering various training courses to contribute to human capital development in the areas of the Technology sector. Besides, Google has also shown its commitment to enhancing the education sector’s capacity in respect of Education Tools, Teachers’ Training and Certifications, Empowering IT Staff and Transforming Computer Labs.

The current Google offer is free certification courses for the youth of Sindh in IT support, IT Automation, Data Analytics, Project Management, UX Design, Digital Marketing E-Commerce, cyber security, Advance Data Analytics, and Advance Business Intelligence.

The total scholarship offered by Google is up to 5000. The total training hours for each certification is 160 hours within the period of four months. The program is inclusive and provides an equal opportunity to women and people with special abilities to equip themselves with the IT skillset to get more employment opportunities in the IT world onshore and offshore visa vis availing freelancing opportunities. It will be an online certification through Coursera.

It is also submitted for the kind perusal of the worthy Chief Minister Sindh that the IS and T department is focusing on human capital development and the two programs such as ‘IT Industry Academia Industry bridge program’ and ‘IT Industry Readiness Boot camp’ are taken up from the budget committed for the pro-poor initiatives.

Both the capacity development programs shall be done for Rs. 404 million. The above-mentioned programs are meant to train IT graduates in soft skills, data science, gaming and animation, and other areas. For one of the above-mentioned programs, IT Industry Academia Industry bridge program’, the target audience is the under graduate IT students studying in their respective universities’ 6th, 7th and 8th semesters.

The program was attended by CM Special Assistant Tanzila Habiba, Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput, Secretary Colleges Ahmad Bux Narejo, Secretary U and B Mureed Rahmoon, Head of Techvalley Pakistan Sobia Ikram, CEO Umer Farooq, Google project specialist Timothy Polani, Google’s Country Lead Pakistan Haris Sufian and others.

For more information, contact:
Press Secretary,
Chief Minister House, Sindh
Tel: +92-21-99202019(Ext: 336)
Website: www.cmsindh.gov.pk

Prime Minister performs COD ceremony of Thar Coal Block-1 integrated coal mine and power generation projects

Islamkot, March 22, 2023 (PPI-OT): Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahbaz Sharif two major projects in Sindh province, the COD of Thar Coal Block-I, integrated coal mine and amp; power generation project and the COD of ThalNova 330 MW power generation at Block-II. The PM was accompanied by Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Sindh CM Syed Murad Ali Shah, Federal Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir.

Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahbaz Sharif accompanied by PPP Chairman and amp; Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari during his visit to Thar Coal field formally launched two major projects in Sindh, the COD of Thar Coal Block-I, integrated coal mine and amp; power generation project and the Commercial Operation Date (COD) of ThalNova 330 MW power generation at Block-II.

The PM said that these projects were a testament to the strong and enduring partnership between China and Pakistan under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The COD of Thar Coal Block-I marks a major milestone in the development of the Thar Coalfield, which is one of the largest coal reserves in the world.

The integrated coal mining and power generation project by Shanghai Electric is a flagship project of CPEC, which will help Pakistan to meet its energy demands and reduce its dependence on imported fuel. The project has been completed with the highest standards of safety, quality, and environmental protection, and it will create jobs and boost economic growth in the region.

The integrated project is led and invested by M/s Shanghai Electric, includes 2x 660 MW power generating units, supported by an annual output of 7.8 million tons of lignite open-pit coal mine. It is a key project among the “China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)” energy cooperation projects.

After achieving CoD the project is capable of meeting the electricity demands of 4 million households in Pakistan, bringing social and economic significance by reducing fuel imports, saving foreign exchange reserves and enhancing national energy security of Pakistan.

The total investment amount of the integrated project is up to 3 billion US Dollar. The project started site construction since 2019. Although the project delayed to achieve its financing closure even till now, Shanghai Electric support the construction with his own fund continuously in the past years.

The development of Thar Block-1 Integrated Project has created more than 12,000 direct employment opportunities for the locals, with a cumulative tax payment of $135 million and CSR expenditure of over $1.63 million. Moreover, Shanghai Electric has timely contributed to the flood affectees in Sindh province in the mode of living and medical supplies of amount Rs8.88 million against the flood.

Similarly, the COD of Thal Nova 330 MW power generation at Block-II is a remarkable achievement in the energy sector of Pakistan, completed at cost of $527 million.

The project is another great example of China-Pakistan cooperation under CPEC and will play a significant role in addressing Pakistan’s energy deficit. The project has been completed with the latest technology and in compliance with international standards, which will help to mitigate environmental concerns.

Prime Minister said that the successful completion of these two projects was a testament to the strong partnership between China and Pakistan. He added that CPEC has become a symbol of the friendship between our two countries and a model for cooperation between developing countries. Shahbaz Sharif said that we were committed to further strengthening our cooperation and expanding the scope of CPEC.

Prime Minister gave a deadline of April 2023 to Water and amp; Power Ministry to complete
ongoing work on Transmission line so that power generated from Thar could be linked to the national grid.

The PM thanked the Government of China, the companies involved, Sindh CM Syed Murad Ali Shah for his unflinching support to Thar Coal Mining and power generation and all those who contributed to the successful completion of these projects. “We are proud of this achievement and remain committed to working together with China to make CPEC a success,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto said that those who were propagating against Thar coal failed and the commitment of Shaheed Mohtarma and her party succeeded. He added that 2640 MW electricity is being produced from Thar Coal. Bilawal said that when Federal and provincial governments work together such important project of national importance emerges.

He said that the slogan ‘Thar badlega Pakistan’ has proved to be true and now Thar has started changing Pakistan by providing generating cheapest electricity. Mr Bhutto Zardari said that during his visit to power plant he met with the employees who have come here from every nook and corner of all the four provinces?

“In the past, people of Thar used to go to other cities of the province and the country and now people from other provinces and cities and even from China come here [Thar] for availing employment and business opportunities,” he said. The chairman thanked Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif for sparing time and visiting That for second time.

Sindh Chief Minister speaking on the occasion said that Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir
Bhutto during her tenure as prime minister had made 40 agreements for launching coal
mining and power generation from Thar. “Had her agreement’s agreement been honoured Thar would have been producing more than 40,000 MW electricity today,” he said.

Mr Shah told the PM that people of Thar were providing cheapest electricity to the country and in return they must be provided free of cost electricity. “The provincial is paying power bills of people of Islamkot and similar initiative may be taken by the federal government,” he demanded.

For more information, contact:
Press Secretary,
Chief Minister House, Sindh
Tel: +92-21-99202019(Ext: 336)
Website: www.cmsindh.gov.pk

Sindh CM launches Premier League to Empower Youth, Promote Cricket Talent of Sindh Globally

Karachi, March 21, 2023 (PPI-OT): Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah formally launched the Sindh Premier League (SPL), by playing on the bowling of national cricketer Sarfraz Ahmed and said that a new cricket league was aimed at empowering the youth of Sindh by providing them with an opportunity to showcase their cricketing skills, was officially launched today at a grand ceremony held at Chief Minister House, Sindh, Karachi. The Chief Guest of the event was the Honourable Chief Minister of Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah.

The launch ceremony was attended by dignitaries from various walks of life, including the provincial Minister Information Sharjeel Inam Memon, Minister Labour Saeed Ghani, Advisor Law Murtaza Wahab, and Former Captain of Pakistan Cricket team Sarfraz Ahmed and various others.

The SPL provides a platform for young cricketers in Sindh to showcase their talent and hone their skills, with the aim of producing world-class cricketers from the province. The league will consist of six teams: Benazir Abad Lals, Hyderabad Bahadurs, Karachi Ghazis, Larkana Challengers, Mirpurkhas Tigers, and Sukkur Patriots.

During the ceremony, President SPL, Arif Malik, highlighted that SPL has a dedicated Player Development Programme, specifically focused on developing players from Interior Sindh. He also shared that the Sindh Premier League will be broadcasted in 52 countries and create 10,000 jobs in the coming years.

In his speech at the Grand Launch Ceremony, the Chief Guest, the Chief Minister of Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah, highlighted the significance of the SPL for the province’s youth and economic development. He stated, “The Sindh Premier League is not just about sports, but also about promoting the talent and potential of our youth, providing them with opportunities to excel, and showcasing the best of what Sindh has to offer. It is also a platform for economic development, job creation, and tourism promotion in our province.”

Minister Information Sharjeel Memon, expressed his full support and assured that the Sindh Government would fully support and take ownership of the league to promote the untapped talent of Sindh.

CM Advisor on Law Murtaza Wahab reiterated the commitment of the Government of Sindh towards encouraging positive initiatives like SPL in uplifting the youth of Sindh through such sporting events that will go global and attract millions of eyeballs.

The brand ambassador of SPL, Shahid Afridi, expressed his full support for the league and its mission. “I am honoured to be the brand ambassador of the Sindh Premier League, which is very close to my heart. I believe that the SPL has the potential to produce world-class cricketers from Sindh, and I look forward to supporting the league in achieving its goals.”

Ambassador Sindh Premier League UK and Europe, Faisal Saleem Khan presented the roadmap of the player development programme of SPL which will take cricketers from interior Sindh to the International Cricket Academies in England.

He shared that we already have signed MOUs with the top-notch cricket academies of Europe and England. Faisal Saleem Khan also presented the official SPL Jersey to the Chief Guest, Chief Minister Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah, and specially thanked him for gracing the ceremony.

The Chairman of SPL, Malik Aslam, thanked the chief guest and honourable guests for gracing this official grand launch ceremony. He also wished for speedy recovery of Arbab Lutfullah, Special Assistant to Chief Minister Sindh for Sports Department, Sindh who could not attend the ceremony due to covid infection and was represented here by Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs.

The league has received support from the Government of Sindh and the business community, who see the league as an opportunity to promote economic activity and tourism in the province. The Sindh Premier League promises to be an exciting addition to the cricket landscape in Pakistan, and with the support of the Government of Sindh, the business community, and cricket fans across the country, it is set to become a major global cricketing event.

For more information, contact:
Press Secretary,
Chief Minister House, Sindh
Tel: +92-21-99202019(Ext: 336)
Website: www.cmsindh.gov.pk

Chairman PPP launches 1200-bedded Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases Korangi

Karachi, March 20, 2023 (PPI-OT):Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto performed a ground-breaking ceremony of the 12000-bedded Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases at Korangi. The ceremony was attended by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Federal Health Minister Qadir Patel, Provincial Health Minister Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho, Senator Nisar Khuhro, Executive Director NICVD Dr Nadeem Qamar, all the provincial ministers, diplomats, MPAs and PPP leaders and workers in a large number. The new ZAB institute of cardiovascular disease stretches over an area of 40 Acres, located just North of the intersection of Main Korangi Road with Shah Faisal Korangi Road.

The site is bordered on the south by the Institute of Animal Health. Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister apprised the chairman about the new ZAB institute and about the health initiatives he has taken so far. He added that after the commendable achievement of NICVD in cardiac quality care and treatment for the people of Pakistan, the ZAB institute would be another huge achievement of his government to establish a 1200-bed, Murad Shah said that upon completion, the ZAB Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases would be the world’s largest cardiac center, catering to a projected population of 20 million in Karachi and also to the rest of the country.

“This state-of-the-art complex will comprise seven buildings, occupying a total area of 2,400,000 square feet. Equipped with the most advanced medical technology,” he said and added that it would offer specialized cardiac medical services, including 16 major and minor operating rooms, 18 cardiac cath labs, two MRI labs, four CT labs, and a range of imaging procedures.

The CM said that the hospital would boast the country’s largest clinical and animal research facility, among other services. The Pakistan Peoples Party prides itself on always recognizing healthcare as one of its major priorities, the chief minister said and added that Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto always urged the party to focus on education and on health.

“Taking her words as our mission, we have concentrated our efforts on these two sectors – health and education, and I am happy to say that our hard work is showing great results,” he said. Murad Shah said that his party and the government believed strongly that while infrastructure development needed to be a focus for the government, our true purpose must be human development. “To this end, we have invested our efforts towards improving healthcare through various endeavours including but not limited to the upgradation of hospitals and trauma centers; establishment of cardiac centers, expansion of women and children’s hospitals; provision of ambulances and other facilities; introduction safer as our guiding transfusion methods and unequivocally supporting projects,” he said.

SUIT: Talking about SIUT Healthcare Model, the Community-Govt partnership, the CM said that between 2018 to 2022 the largest dialysis center with 380 machines performed around 1350 sessions daily. He added that the largest transplant center performed 6,844 kidney transplants with life-long follow-up and medications for both donors and recipients.

The CM said that the center with five lithotripters treating a large number of stone diseases, dedicated pediatric urology, nephrology, and transplant center. He added that it has a dedicated oncology hospital in the public sector with two radiotherapy machines and PET CT facilities. He proudly said that nearly 15 million people benefited from different services during the last five years.

In Sukkur transplant service was started in SIUT Chablani Hospital where at breast cancer unit surgery, chemo, radiotherapy, and PET CT facilities have been provided. JPMC: Murad Ali Shah talking about the JPMC Cyberknife unit, said that it has treated 38000 patients and 18000 radio surgeries completed since 2012. He added that a new surgical complex was being established there. The new CyberKnife Unit was being equipped with a robotic surgery facility.

GIMS: The Chief Minister said that Gambat Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) has performed 756 liver transplants, 147 kidney transplants, 101 Cornea transplants, 43 Bone marrow transplants, 142 cochlear implant procedures and treated 2446 cancer patients, and gamma knife and 194400 patients in emergency.

Childlife Foundation: Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah talking about his government’s partnership with Childlife Foundation said that his government was working with them in 95 Sindh government hospitals and this partnership would further extend to all the government hospitals by the end of this year. Mr. Shah said that no child would be more than 30 minutes away from the world-class ICU services across Sindh.

“We treat 1.2 million Pediatric Patients per year. “In the near future we are going to integrate with ambulatory services,” he concluded. Earlier, Minister Health Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho talked about the health services being provided by the provincial government. Executive Director Dr Nadeem Qamar gave a detailed briefing about the ZAB institute project and about the performance of the NICVD and its satellites.

For more information, contact:
Press Secretary,
Chief Minister House, Sindh
Tel: +92-21-99202019 (Ext: 336)
Website: www.cmsindh.gov.pk

Neuropsychiatry hospital to deal with different kinds of disorders, including Autistic, Schizophrenic, depression, and rehabilitation services

Karachi, March 14, 2023 (PPI-OT): Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that it is a good omen that philanthropists are coming over to provide the best health services to the ailing people particularly the poor and helpless.

“The Children of Adman, an American-based organization, is established a Neuropsychiatric hospital in Karachi with the aim to provide good health services to the people of the province and the country, “This he said while speaking at the ground breaking ceremony of first of its kind Neuropsychiatric Hospital being established by NGO Children of Adam (CoA) at Gadap, to provide mental health services to patients of all ages, including adolescent psychiatry, adult and geriatric care, and drug and alcohol and substance abuse.

Provincial Ministers, Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho, Nasir Shah, Murtaza Wahab, MNA Hakim Baloch, MPAs, special assistant to CM, members of the civil society, office bearers of COA Mufti Mohammad Farhan, Dr. Syed Tariq Ibrahim, Syed Wasim Quadri, Shahzad Sadan. Mr. Shah said that there was a need for Psychiatric and mental health facilities in Pakistan and in particular Karachi. He added that the lack of trained psychiatrists, psychologists, and counsellors to meet the growing demand of the city.

Talking about mental health initiatives taken by his government, the CM said that the state of mental health awareness and its services in Pakistan remained a big issue. “As per statistics, in Pakistan, over 15 million people are suffering from some form of mental illness, however, only a small percentage of people suffering from mental health conditions are able to seek the proper help they need,” he said.

Murad Shah said that his government has made a significant investment in healthcare facilities and established 31 new hospitals with 701 beds and upgraded/expanded infrastructure in 108 existing hospitals with 771 beds for primary healthcare facilities, upgraded/rehabilitated Teaching Hospitals, and District/Taluka Hospitals in the last few years. He proudly said that his government has allocated Rs 23.334 billion for the health sector in the budget 2022-23.

Mr. Shah said that the Gambat Institute of Medical Sciences has established a Lung Cancer unit which would be inaugurated shortly. “The Gambat Institute has performed over 700 liver transplant procedures free of cost which is a record itself,” he said and added another Cardio Vascular hospital was being established at Landhi. The CM said that the Sindh Mental Health Act 2013 was introduced and accordingly Sindh Mental Health Authority (SMHA) was established in 2017.

The authority has the mandate to deal with all matters relating to the promotion of mental health, setting standards, and prevention of mental disorders. Sindh is a pioneer in Pakistan to legislate for mental health and establish this authority, he said and added Sir Cowasjee Jahangir Institute of Psychiatry (SCJIP) Hyderabad was being upgraded as a university.

Earlier, briefing the chief minister Shahzad Sadan said that the objective of the facility is to provide services for Bipolar disorders, Autistic disorders/MR/Pervasive developmental disorders, Schizophrenic disorders, Anxiety, Depression, Electroconvulsive Therapy, and Rehabilitation services. CoA intends to establish one of the best mental health research hospitals of the country in Karachi at a cost of Rs4 billion. Within the hospital, a center would be established to focus on personalized medicine, brain stimulation, and paediatric and geriatric mental health.

This Center will have brain imaging dedicated to studying brain chemistry, structure, function, and behaviour in mental illness. The Centre would provide Intervention in brain stimulation treatment using magnetic seizure therapy (MST), electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), providing hope for people with treatment-resistant depression.

The CM was told that the CoA was establishing a comprehensive 150-bed inpatient and outpatient hospital to provide the best possible care to its patients. The CM performed the ground breaking ceremony of the hospital by unveiling the plaque and planting a tree.

For more information, contact:
Press Secretary,
Chief Minister House, Sindh
Tel: +92-21-99202019(Ext: 336)
Website: www.cmsindh.gov.pk