Sindh CM Departs for China to Attract Investment and Boost Manufacturing
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has departed for China on a significant visit aimed at attracting foreign investment to the province and promoting local manufacturing. The Acting Chinese Consul General in Karachi arrived at Jinnah International Airport late Saturday night to see off the Chief Minister, with the two discussing the visit's schedule and planned meetings.
Accompanying the Chief Minister as part of the delegation are Sindh Ministers Sharjeel Inam Memon and Jam Khan Shoro, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister Syed Qasim Naveed, and Sindh Agriculture Minister Muhammad Bux Mahar. According to the Chief Minister's spokesperson, Murad Ali Shah will hold key meetings during his visit to explore investment opportunities for Sindh. The Sindh government has also decided to organise an investment conference in Shanghai, where leading Chinese state-owned companies are expected to participate. Billboards highlighting the Chief Minister's visit to China and the investment conference have been displayed across Karachi.
Speaking about the objectives of the visit, Murad Ali Shah said that investment was essential for the prosperity of Sindh. He stated that the visit aimed to attract foreign investors, strengthen local manufacturing, and explore opportunities to modernise agriculture and expand pharmaceutical production. The Chief Minister added that cooperation with China would help further strengthen Sindh's industrial capabilities.
Meanwhile, Murad Ali Shah has voiced concern over delays in the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) revival, saying the project should have become operational a long time ago. Talking to reporters at Sukkur airport before travelling to Khairpur on Saturday, he noted that Chinese officials had previously assured Pakistan of their support for the project, but it was side-lined during a previous federal government, resulting in delays.
He also expressed dissatisfaction with the level of support provided by the federal government for the revival of the project, saying Sindh had not received the assistance the key transport scheme warranted. The Sindh government had approached the Asian Development Bank for $21 billion in financial assistance to revive the KCR project. The KCR was included in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in December 2016 at the request of the Sindh government. However, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government had opted to revive it on a build-operate-transfer basis under a public-private partnership model, with heavy subsidies for the private partner. That plan was later abandoned by the subsequent PDM-led government, which shifted back to seeking Chinese investment under CPEC. However, the project continued to face delays, and even a planned visit by the Sindh CM to China for financial and technical assistance in September 2025 never materialised.