KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said on Thursday that negotiations with Chinese tech giant Huawei for Phase-II of the Karachi Safe City project were being finalised, with work on the scheme expected to begin soon.
He said this during a meeting with Chinese Consul General Feng Deheng at the CM House. The meeting, which was also attended by Special Assistant to the CM Syed Qasim Naveed, focused on finalising government-to-government (G2G) agreements recently signed between the Sindh government and Chinese firms during Mr Shah’s visit to China.
Phase-II of the Karachi Safe City project includes the installation of over 2,300 cameras, including 870 for general surveillance, 1,300 with Automatic Number Plate Recognition and facial recognition capabilities, and 80 for traffic enforcement.
The overall plan envisages nearly 10,000 cameras being installed at over 2,000 locations across the city upon completion of all phases.
Murad, Chinese CG agree to form working groups in various sectors
Mr Shah said that Karachi, being the country’s largest metropolis, required a modern security and surveillance system. He added that during his recent visit to China, he had inspected Huawei’s Safe City system and that the provincial government aimed to establish a state-of-the-art Safe City system, including a modern command and control centre, in Karachi.
An official statement issued by the CM House said the Chinese consul general congratulated the Sindh chief minister on the successful organisation of the Shanghai Investment Conference, noting that the participation of 400 investors reflected their confidence in the provincial government.
Mr Shah said that the provincial government was committed to strengthening cooperation with Chinese investors and promoting investment in various sectors.
Discussing agricultural cooperation, he said that discussions had been held on acquiring Chinese technology to increase sunflower and wheat production in Sindh. “The Sindh government wants to benefit from China’s technological expertise to improve agricultural productivity,” he added.
Sukkur Barrage gates
He said that the government wanted to install the remaining gates of Sukkur Barrage during the winter season and intended to expedite the installation of 100 gates for the barrage and its off-taking canals. He added that during his visit to China, he had also visited a company that manufactures barrage gates.
The two sides also discussed establishing a sister-city relationship between Sukkur and Yichang, a city associated with China’s Three Gorges region.
Mr Shah highlighted Sukkur’s importance as a major agricultural and industrial centre with three universities, important healthcare facilities and a significant industrial area. He said a sister-city arrangement would create opportunities for cooperation between universities, hospitals and other institutions in the two cities.
The chief minister and the Chinese consul general agreed to establish working groups in different sectors to strengthen bilateral cooperation and facilitate the implementation of the agreements.
He said the formation of working groups would help ensure effective coordination and accelerate progress on various initiatives.
He thanked the Chinese authorities for their cooperation in making his visit to China successful and appreciated the hospitality extended to him and his delegation.
The meeting reaffirmed the commitment of the Sindh government and the Chinese side to enhancing cooperation in investment, technology, agriculture, urban security and infrastructure development.
Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2026
