KARACHI, Feb 13: Caretaker Prime Minister Mohammedmian Soomro has underlined the importance of the Karachi Mass Transit system for all the cities, particularly the metropolis, to keep pace with economic development.

Presiding over a high-level meeting on the Karachi Mass Transit Project and other infrastructure development schemes held at the Governor’s House here on Tuesday, the prime minister said that this would help reduce traffic congestion on roads and create job opportunities for people.

He said the government took a number of initiatives for infrastructure development and expressed the hope that this paradigm of change would continue. He said public-private partnership was one of the most viable options being adopted by the government to encourage development in all sectors. The same could also be applied to this project, he noted.An integrated approach adopted by various departments was necessary to address bottlenecks in the implementation of the project, he said, and urged all the stakeholders to come up with proposals leading towards an early start of the project.

Mr Soomro said that the government fully recognised the importance of improving and expanding infrastructure service, which was an ingredient of economic and social development. The improved quality and service coverage, like the Mass Transit System, was vital for the country’s economy and livelihood of the people, he said. The primary aim of all government policies was to support and encourage people to contribute towards national economy, he added.

Among others, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad, Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Justice (retd) Abdul Qadir Halepota, Caretaker Federal Minister for Finance Dr Salman Shah, Caretaker Federal Minister Faheem Ansari and Deputy Chairman Planning Commission were also present.—APP