HYDERABAD, Nov 1: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement has expressed concern over the closure of 286 major industrial units in Sindh and proposed that entire province be declared a tax free zone to help revive its industrial sector.

In a joint statement issues here on Thursday, the party’s MNA- elect, Prof Khalid Wahab, and MPAs elect, Dr Arshad Shah, Aslam Pervez and Naeem Ishtiaq, said that the basic facilities and incentives should be provided to entrepreneurs to attract investment and to help the existing industrial units in Sindh.

They said that under a conspiracy the industrial units of Sindh were closed and shifted to Punjab.

They said that the closure of industries was not only adding to the already rampant unemployment but it was also adversely affecting foreign investment.

The Muttahida leaders said that the non-investment in Sindh and the closure of the industrial units was also the result of non-cooperation of the government departments, such as Wapda, Pakistan Tele-Communication Corporation and Central Board of Revenue.

They deplored that most of the textile, garment, hosiery and RCC pipe units and surgical instrument manufacturing factories were lying closed in Karachi, Kotri, Hyderabad, Tando Adam, Khairpur and Sukkur. As a result, they added, at least 40,000 workers were rendered jobless.

SIDA CHIEF: Rafique Ahmed Safi Munshey has been appointed as the managing director of the Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority for three years on contract basis.