KARACHI: The Sindh cabinet on Thursday approved a formal service structure for the province’s Anti-Encroachment Force to strengthen institutional capacity, ensure merit-based recruitment through the Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC) and streamline promotions and administrative control.

The cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, also approved a range of other measures, including appointment on deceased quota, release of Rs497.574 million for the upgradation of Rohri Railway Station, placing the Lyari river under the jurisdiction of Lyari Town and endorsing policy initiatives in agriculture, health and digital skills development.

The meeting was attended by provincial ministers, advisers, special assistants, the chief secretary, PSCM and other senior officers.

According to a press statement, the cabinet approved the draft recruitment rules of the Directorate of Anti-Encroachment Force (AEF), Board of Revenue, thereby providing a formal service structure for the force established under the Sindh Public Property (Removal of Encroachment) Act, 2010.

Allows appointment of heirs on deceased quota; Rs497.5m cleared for Rohri station upgrade; Lyari river placed under TMC

The rules define the method of appointment, qualifications, promotions and service conditions for posts ranging from BPS-01 to BPS-19.

The meeting was informed that, since its establishment in 2010, the force had operated without dedicated recruitment rules, relying in part on adapted police rules.

The meeting was told that the framework aimed to strengthen institutional capacity, ensure merit-based recruitment through the SPSC and streamline promotions and administrative control.

The chief minister directed the authorities to implement the rules in letter and spirit, emphasising that a well-structured and professional force is essential for protecting public property.

The cabinet decided that cases under the deceased job quota for which applications had been filed before September 2024, and are otherwise eligible, shall be processed on merit.

The cabinet noted that the deceased quota policy was introduced in 2002. It further observed that the Supreme Court of Pakistan, through its judgment dated Sept 26, 2024, declared all legal instruments relating to the deceased quota to be discriminatory and ultra vires. Consequently, the government of Sindh had ceased processing deceased quota cases in light of the said judgment.

After detailed deliberations, the cabinet approved that deceased quota cases filed before September 2024 may be entertained in accordance with the law and processed on merit by the concerned departments.

Upgradation of Rohri Railway Station

The cabinet approved the release of the provincial share for the upgradation of Rohri Railway Station under the Local Government (LG) Department.

In line with a decision taken in a meeting between the chief minister and the federal minister for railways, Pakistan Railways (PR) initiated a tendering process on a 40:60 cost-sharing basis. Following acceptance of a tender amounting to Rs1,277.16 million, the government of Sindh’s 40 per cent share was revised to Rs497.574 million.

The cabinet approved the release of Rs497.574 million as grant-in-aid in favour of PR and placed the funds at the disposal of the secretary, LG, for disbursement.

The cabinet also approved the grant-in-aid of Rs497.574 million for the current financial year 2025-26 for the upgradation of Rohri Railway Station.

Opening, processing LCs through Sindh Bank

The cabinet approved a new mechanism for opening and processing Letters of Credit (LCs) for the import of goods through Sindh Bank Limited, aimed at improving transparency and financial oversight.

This would replace the previous practice under which public funds remained dispersed across multiple private commercial banks during import transactions.

The meeting was informed that routing LC-related transactions through Sindh Bank would ensure better monitoring, reduce fragmentation of public funds and strengthen the bank’s trade finance operations. It would also minimise unnecessary charges and exchange-related gains previously accrued by private banks.

The chief minister directed all departments, autonomous bodies and grant-receiving entities of the government of Sindh to process import-related LCs exclusively through Sindh Bank to ensure efficiency, transparency and improved financial discipline.

A series of decisions

The cabinet meeting reflected a strong focus on governance reforms, digital transformation, legal compliance and targeted investments in education, health, agriculture and infrastructure aimed at improving service delivery across Sindh.

The cabinet approved the signing of an agreement between the Health Department and Unicef for the procurement of Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS) for pregnant women under the Sindh Integrated Health and Population Programme (SIHPP).

To strengthen digital skills, the cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding with Tech Valley Pakistan for 19,200 Google Career Certificate scholarships across 30 universities. The initiative aims to equip students with training in AI, cybersecurity, data analytics and cloud technologies.

The Lyari river was formally placed under the jurisdiction of the TMC Lyari after completion of legal and administrative procedures, including public consultation.

Approving the draft Sindh Farmers’ Agricultural Collectives Act, 2026, the cabinet moved to promote farmer collectives for shared use of resources, modern farming practices and improved market access. A sub-committee was formed to finalise recommendations before enactment.

The cabinet approved the allotment of six acres of Irrigation Department land for the construction of a new building for Police Station Khambra and an emergency camp.

The cabinet approved the performance evaluation of the Board of Directors, board committees, individual directors and the president/CEO of Sindh Bank Limited for the years ending December 31, 2024 and 2025, conducted by an independent firm.

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2026