KARACHI: Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday said that the provincial government had achieved “remarkable” progress over the past year through digital transformation, infrastructure development, and agricultural advancements in Sindh.

He said this while presenting a 171-page report on the performance of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government that completed its first year of the fourth consecutive term in the province on Wednesday.

The PPP has been ruling the province since 2008 and Mr Shah leading its government since 2016.

The presentation, held at the CM House, was attended among others by the provincial cabinet members, special assistants to the CM, top government officials and representatives of the media.

Says govt achieved ‘remarkable’ progress through digital transformation, infrastructure development and agricultural advancements

The CM highlighted key initiatives in healthcare, education, IT, water management, agriculture, and governance reforms, including the implementation of e-systems.

He said that these initiatives had significantly impacted public services, business facilitation, and socio-economic growth.

The healthcare sector had witnessed significant progress and expansion over the past year, marked by ground-breaking initiatives, increased patient access, and technological advancements across numerous medical institutions, he shared.

Mr Shah added that the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases Karachi had reported treating a staggering 1.4 million patients, performing over 5,000 cardiac interventions and surgeries, and conducting tens of thousands of diagnostic and imaging services.

The Sindh Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (SICVD) had treated over 119,000 patients from outside Sindh, he shared, adding that the Institute of Medical Science, Gambat, continued to excel in organ transplantation, completing over 200 liver transplants and 100 kidney transplants.

The Indus Hospital in Karachi is also undergoing a major expansion, receiving a Rs5billion grant to increase its bed capacity, he said.

The chief minister shared that Sindh’s public paediatric emergency facilities now match or surpass private hospitals in quality, with Sheikh Zayed Children’s Hospital Larkana and the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi achieving a 1.2 per cent mortality rate, better than the 1.4pc at the Aga Khan Hospital and far below the 6.3pc average in 19 similar countries.

He said that the Peoples Information Technology Program awarded scholarships to 13,428 students in three universities. Of these, 1,171 students have completed their education, and 2,528 have secured jobs. Additionally, an IT boot camp trained 1,500 graduates, with 870 successfully becoming self-employed.

The CM said that 196 road projects had been completed, covering a total length of 2,498.99 km at a cost of Rs53,558.699. Furthermore, 120 roads, severely impacted by floods and costing Rs41,775m (704 km), have been rehabilitated or constructed while an additional 527 km of roads are expected to be completed by June 2025, with an allocation of Rs7,833m.

The excise & taxation department had introduced an online vehicle tax system, enabling motor vehicle tax payments, biometric verifications, and digital vehicle registration/transfers, he shared, adding that a new premium number plate system had also been introduced, generating Rs640m, which were used to construct 2,100 houses for flood victims.

He said that efforts to modernise the agriculture sector include the distribution of 219 tube wells and 434 agricultural tools to farmers. Additionally, 100 solar-powered tube wells and a solarised cold storage unit have been installed.

To empower rural women, 900 women were provided with kitchen gardening kits, promoting self-sufficiency in food production.

He said the provincial government had introduced subsidies for farmers in Sindh, including 219 solar water pumps/tube wells at 80pc subsidised cost, 434 agricultural implements at a 50pc subsidised cost, and 100 solar panel-mounted movable trolleys at a 75pc subsidised cost.

The provincial police had taken significant steps to ‘modernise’ law enforcement, he said, introducing the S4 system with facial recognition cameras at 42 toll plazas to track criminals. Police records have also been fully digitised, streamlining operations such as license issuance and criminal database management.

The CM said that infrastructure development had been a key focus, with the government completing 196 new roads and repairing 120 flood-damaged roads, covering a total of 2,500kms. Projects such as the Hyderabad-Mirpurkhas Road, Sanghar-Umerkot Road, and Tharparkar-Alibandar Road have been completed, with a total investment of Rs53.5bn.

The provincial government has also launched an initiative to solarise schools, hospitals, and public buildings across Sindh, he shared.

The CM also warned of a potential wheat shortage in October-November due to lower-than-expected production. However, he said, the government has assured that 1.3m tons of wheat is currently in reserve.

Further plans include expanding digital services, improving business regulations, and launching online permits to attract investment and enhance ease of doing business in the province.

The other achievements of the provincial government he mentioned in the presentation also included healthcare innovations, reduction of stunting and malnutrition, rehabilitation of Sukkur and Guddu Barrages, rehabilitation of LBOD and Dhoro Puran up to Shakor Lake, innovative fundraising for flood-affected communities, establishment of research institutes and Peoples Bus Service.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2025