KARACHI: Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah held separate meetings with diplomats of Qatar, Iran and Kazakhstan and discussed with them different projects.

He emphasised the need for developing close cooperation and coordination among neighbouring countries to promote peace, trade and commerce in the region, particularly in Afghanistan.

In his meeting with Qatar’s Ambassador Sheikh Saoud Abdulrehman Al Thani, the CM said that a Qatari company was working on a water supply scheme in Tharparkar. “We want to see more Qatari companies coming over and working with the provincial government on their own or in public-private partnership (PPP) mode,” he said and added that Sindh offered great opportunities in desalination plants in Karachi as well as in road, energy and other sectors.

The ambassador was accompanied by Mishal Muhammad A.A. Al-Ansari, the Consul General of Qatar.

Gas projects

Discussing investment opportunities with Kazakhstan Ambassador Yerzhan Kistafin, the CM said Sindh was producing 70 per cent of natural gas.

He said that the provincial government had its own company which also participated in gas projects. “We would love to work with Kazakhstan state and private firms through their personal investment or on PPP-mode in gas-related projects,” he told the ambassador.

The ambassador assured the CM that he would invite investors and experts of his country to invest in the province in different modes.

He said his country was lau­nching a direct flight from Paki­stan to Kazakhstan to facilitate travel of investors and tourists.

The CM and Kazakhstan ambassador agreed to declare Karachi and a city of Kazakhstan ‘sister cities’. It was also agreed to establish people-to-people contact by exchanging delegations betw­een the two countries so that personal relationship, trade and cultural ties could be strengthened.

Regional security

An eight-member delegation of Iran led by Ahmed Amir Abadi Farahani, chairman of the Iran-Pakistan Friendship Group, and Consul General Hassan Nourian called on the CM and discussed with him investment opportunities in the province, regional situations and cooperation in education.

The CM said he had visited Mash’had in 2019 and found it to be one of the cleanest cities of the world. “We would appreciate if the Iranian firms working in solid waste management come over and work with the provincial government to launch solid waste management projects in the province,” he said.

The Iranian delegation assured the CM that they would start negotiations with the provincial investment department to explore opportunities for investment.

Mr Shah said that in the past, Persian has been the official language of Sindh, suggesting that a mechanism might be evolved to promote Persian in the province.

They also discussed the regional security situation and agreed over the need to promote peace and security in the region.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2021