KARACHI, July 21: Sindh Planning and Development Minister Syed Shoaib Bukhari has backed the public-private participatory approach for alleviating poverty.

Speaking at a seminar organised by ministry of planning and development, at a local hotel on Monday, he said natural calamities including shortage of irrigation water compounded the problems of common man in recent years.

Taking cognizance of the realities, the government was planning to strengthen agriculture and industrial sectors, in order to provide jobless people with employment opportunities, he said.

Mr Bokhari said the government had placed the projects of water and power supply, sewerage, transportation and irrigation at the top of its priorities list, so that quality of life of public could be improved.

Advisor to Sindh CM on poverty alleviation, Syed Manzoor Hussain Shah, additional chief secretary, planning and development, Ghulam Sarwer Khero, district Nazim, Khairpur, Nafeesa Shah, DCO, Nawabshah, Abdul Qadir Mangi and representatives of NGOs also spoke on the occasion.—PPI