KARACHI: Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said on Saturday that the civil work of the Red Line bus rapid transit (BRT) project would be contracted out next week and a similar initiative was being made for the Yellow Line project.

He was presiding over a meeting of TransKarachi here at CM House. The meeting was attended by Transport Minister Awais Qadir Shah, Karachi Administrator Murtaza Wahab, Transport Secretary Shariq Ahmed and others.

The chief minister was told that the consultant for Red Line was being appointed next week and the transport department was also hiring a contractor to start the work.

The Red Line is a 26-kilometre-long project starting from Airport to Numaish and is being launched with the assistance of the World Bank.

The meeting also decided to finalise all the formalities to hire a consultant and contractors for BRT Yellow Line so that its work could also be started.

Announces Rs1m compensation for families of each victim of Mowach Goth tragedy

The Yellow Line is a 21-km-long BRT system starting from Korangi to Numaish.

Mari Petroleum gives Rs3.12bn for Ghotki uplift

Meanwhile, the CM said that Rs3.123 billion given by Mari Petroleum Company Ltd (MPCL) against petroleum bonus and social welfare obligation would be spent on the development of local communities of district Ghotki.

This he said while talking to the company’s chief executive Fahim Hyder, who called on him here at CM House and handed over a cheque for Rs3.123bn.

The chief minister said that the area from where oil was being extracted must be developed properly. “It becomes the utmost responsibility of the company to provide employment opportunities to the locals and develop the infrastructure of the localities,” he added.

He urged the company to prefer local people for employment. The CEO invited the chief minister to visit their field and the CM accepted the offer.

Meanwhile, the chief minister offered condolence to the family members of Mohammad Ali Shah, the late chairman of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, who died three days ago.

He said that late Shah struggled for the rights of fishermen and his services for the cause of his community would always be remembered.

Compensation for Mowach Goth victims

CM Shah has said that Karachi being the economic hub and industrial engine of the country had always been the target of terrorists but with our political will, support of people and dedication of our law enforcement agencies the nefarious designs of the enemies had been nipped in the bud.

This he said while talking to the media after expressing condolences with the family members of the Mowach Goth tragedy.

“We have problems on our eastern and western borders, therefore such kind of incidents as happened in Mowach Goth take place,” he said.

He said that keeping in view the Afghan situation and Indian unrest he had chaired the Apex Committee meeting to chalk out a strategy to face the potential threat.

He termed the Mowach Goth incident as one of the cowardly attacks against women and children, that’s why no banned organisation or any other outfit claimed responsibility.

He said that the culprits of the incident would be brought to book shortly.

Mr Shah offered condolence to the family members of the victims of the Mowach Goth terrorist incident and gave a Rs14.44 million release order to the deputy commissioner of Malir to issues cheques for Rs1m each to the heirs of the deceased and Rs200,000 to each injured.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2021