KARACHI: The federal government has assured the Sindh government that necessary measures are being taken to introduce crop insurance in order to provide financial protection to farmers against crop failures and losses.

During a meeting with Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah at the CM House on Wednesday, Federal Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan said that previously, the concept of crop insurance did not exist in Pakistan. “Necessary measures are now being taken to introduce crop insurance,” he added.

According to a press statement issued by the CM House, the chief minister stressed that crop financing and insurance were critically important, noting that without proper financing, farmers could not achieve better productivity. “ The Sindh government is actively working to promote agro-based industries across the province,” he said.

The meeting, held to discuss the development of important sectors, including agriculture, livestock, insurance and Marble City projects, was attended among others by Sindh Industries Minister Jam Ikramullah Dharejo, CM Special Assistant on Investment Qasim Naveed and Finance Secretary Fayaz Jatoi. The federal government delegation included Trade Development Authority Chief Executive Faiz Ahmed, State Life Insurance Chief Executive Officer Shoaib Javed and National Insurance Company Limited CEO Farman Zarqoon.

Commerce Minister Jam Kamal, CM Murad also decide to make commercial buildings’ insurance mandatory

Special Assistant Qasim Naveed informed the meeting that the provincial government was transforming the Landhi and Gadap cattle colonies into disease-free zones.

It was decided to further accelerate measures to protect livestock from diseases.

The chief minister said that work on making cattle colonies disease-free was already underway and assured that complete eradication of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) would be ensured.

Commercial buildings’ insurance

The meeting also decided to make insurance mandatory for commercial buildings like Gul Plaza, with regular inspections to prevent major accidents.

The participants expressed deep sorrow and grief over the Gul Plaza tragedy in Karachi.

The chief minister emphasised that large commercial buildings like Gul Plaza must be insured.

The federal minister said that insured buildings would also undergo regular inspections, which could help prevent major accidents.

The meeting decided to initiate concrete steps for insurance of large plazas and agreed in principle on proposing legislation for insurance of commercial and residential buildings.

The chief minister prioritised Marble City project as part of a broader economic development agenda.

He discussed incentives for ongoing initiatives and announced a new Marble City in Sukkur, further expanding the province’s industrial footprint.

The special assistant to the CM stressed the need for Export Development Fund (EDF) support for Marble City Karachi, a dedicated industrial zone aimed at modernising Pakistan’s marble, materials, and minerals sector.

Despite Pakistan’s rich marble reserves, exports remain limited due to outdated machinery, lack of common facilities, weak compliance with international standards and limited access to global markets.

Marble City Karachi aims to address these issues by providing planned infrastructure, shared facilities, and an investor-friendly environment. The project focuses on value addition, modern processing standards, export orientation, and formalising the marble industry, objectives that align with the EDF’s mandate to promote exports through improved infrastructure, technology, skills, and market development.

The federal minister assured the CM that they would work together on this.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2026